Technology >> CEO Interviews >> November 13, 2000
JAMES G. CARLSON, Chairman and co-Chief Executive Officer of Workspace,
Inc., began his career in 1975 in the Internal Audit staff of the
Prudential Insurance Company. In the late 1970s he joined the corporate
team that formed PruCare, Prudential's subsidiary in the HMO industry.
Mr. Carlson moved to Florida in 1982 and created the Orlando market's
first HMO. Under Mr. Carlson's leadership, the Orlando health plan
became PruCare's most profitable operation, and he assisted in PruCare's
expansion into the Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville markets. Mr. Carlson
continued his employment in the managed-care sector by moving to Los
Angeles, where he started and grew Prudential's health plans throughout
the California markets. He was promoted to regional President in 1989
and was responsible for all employee benefit operations in 13 states.
Mr. Carlson left Prudential in 1992 to form HealthSpring, a physician
group practice management company backed by E.M. Warburg, Pincus and Co.
HealthSpring was acquired in 1995 by the MetraHealth Companies, where
Mr. Carlson served as Executive Vice President in charge of field
operations, reporting directly to the CEO. MetraHealth was acquired
later that year by United HealthGroup where Mr. Carlson served until
early 1998 as the President of United's $10 billion healthplans business
unit. In August 1998, Mr. Carlson teamed with Tim Clifford to co-found
Workscape, an Internet B2B firm bringing hosted software solutions to
large company human resource departments. As the result of a rapid
acquisition and internal growth strategy, Workscape grew to a $25
million company by the end of 1999. Profile
Mr. Carlson: Workscape builds Internet solutions for human resources and
employee benefits administration that strengthens
