Humana vs Visa: Founders, CEOs and History
Humana was founded in 1961 by Wendell Cherry, David A. Jones Sr. and is led by James A. (Jim) Rechtin. Visa was founded in 1958 by Dee Hock and is led by Ryan McInerney.
Company facts
Founders
Humana
Wendell Cherry
Wendell Cherry and his law-school classmate David A. Jones Sr. each put in about $1,000 to open the Heritage House nursing home in Louisville in 1961. The venture grew into Extendicare, the largest nursing home chain in the U.S., and went public in 1968.
David A. Jones Sr.
David A. Jones Sr. led Humana through each of its major pivots: from nursing homes (Extendicare) to hospitals in the 1970s, into health plans in the 1980s, and to a pure health benefits company after the 1993 spin-off of its hospitals as Galen Health Care.
Visa
Dee Hock
Dee Hock (1929-2022) was the founding CEO of National BankAmericard Inc., the bank-owned company that took over the BankAmericard licensing system from Bank of America in 1970 and adopted the Visa name in 1976.
CEOs and their tenures
Humana
- Bruce Broussard2013–2024
Former Chief Executive Officer
Broussard led Humana from 2013 to 2024, growing Medicare Advantage membership, creating the CenterWell brand, and completing the 2021 Kindred at Home acquisition.
Source - James A. (Jim) Rechtin2024–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Under Rechtin, Humana grew Medicare Advantage membership by more than 1 million for 2026 while planning exits covering about 600,000 members for 2027 to restore margins.
Source - Celeste Mellet2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Appointed CFO in 2023, she manages the severe financial fallout resulting from the US government's unexpected cuts to Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates.
Source
Visa
- Alfred F. Kelly Jr.2016–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2016 to 2023, he heavily modernized the massive legacy network, aggressively integrating fintechs and preparing the network to process highly complex cryptocurrency transactions.
Source - Ryan McInerney2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
McInerney joined Visa in 2013 as president after senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and became chief executive on February 1, 2023, succeeding Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
Source
Timeline: Humana and Visa side by side
1958Visa
BankAmericard launched
Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the direct predecessor to Visa.
1961Humana
Heritage House Opens
Lawyers David A. Jones Sr. and Wendell Cherry opened a nursing home in Louisville, the start of the company that became Humana.
1968Humana
Extendicare IPO
The nursing home company, then called Extendicare, went public and became the largest U.S. nursing home chain.
1974Humana
Renamed Humana
After shifting from nursing homes to hospitals, the company adopted the Humana name.
1976Visa
Visa name adopted
The network adopted the Visa name to support international acceptance and brand consistency.
1993Humana
Hospitals Spun Off
Humana spun off its hospitals as Galen Health Care, leaving a pure health benefits company.
2008Visa
Visa IPO
Visa became a public company, changing the economics from a bank association structure to a shareholder-owned company.
2012Humana
Acquired Arcadian Management Services
Humana acquired Arcadian Management Services. Humana acquired Arcadian, a Medicare Advantage plan operator, to add membership in several states.
2016Visa
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. becomes CEO
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. became CEO of Visa in 2016. Chief executive of Visa from December 2016 to January 2023, when Ryan McInerney succeeded him; Kelly then served as executive chairman.
2017Humana
Aetna Merger Blocked
A federal judge blocked Aetna's roughly $37 billion acquisition of Humana; Aetna paid Humana a $1 billion breakup fee.
2020Visa
Acquired Plaid (abandoned)
Visa acquired Plaid (abandoned) for $5.3 billion. Visa agreed in January 2020 to buy US data-connectivity fintech Plaid for USD 5.3 billion.
2021Humana
Full Ownership of Kindred at Home
Humana bought the 60% of Kindred at Home it did not already own, later rebranding the home health business under CenterWell.
2022Visa
Tink acquisition
Visa completed its purchase of Stockholm-based open banking platform Tink in March 2022.
2023Visa
Ryan McInerney becomes CEO
Ryan McInerney became Visa's CEO after serving as president.
2024Humana
Jim Rechtin Becomes CEO
Jim Rechtin, who joined as President and COO in January 2024, succeeded Bruce Broussard as CEO in July 2024.
2025Humana
$129.7B FY2025 Revenue
Humana reported $129.66B in revenue and $1.19B in net income, and completed its exit from employer-group commercial medical coverage.
2025Visa
Revenue reaches $40.0B
Visa reported $40.0 billion in fiscal 2025 net revenue.
2026Humana
Medicare Advantage Surge and 2027 Pullback
Humana added more than 1 million MA members for 2026, reported Q2 revenue of $40.89B, and said it will exit plans covering about 600,000 members for 2027.
Acquisitions
Questions about Humana vs Visa
Who is the CEO of Humana Inc. and Visa Inc.?
Humana Inc. is led by James A. (Jim) Rechtin and Visa Inc. is led by Ryan McInerney. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Humana Inc. founded vs Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 — 3 years before Humana Inc., which was founded in 1961. Visa Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Humana Inc..
How many employees does Humana Inc. have compared to Visa Inc.?
Humana Inc. employs approximately 67,600 people, while Visa Inc. employs approximately 34,100. Humana Inc. has the larger workforce at 67,600 employees, compared to Visa Inc.'s 34,100. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Humana Inc. and Visa Inc. headquartered?
Both Humana Inc. and Visa Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Humana Inc. and Visa Inc.?
Humana Inc. was founded by Wendell Cherry, David A. Jones Sr.. Visa Inc. was founded by Dee Hock.
Which company has a longer operating history — Humana Inc. or Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. has been operating for approximately 68 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Humana Inc. has been in operation for around 65 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Humana vs Visa overview