Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Episode 1: Tom Sondergeld — Bridging the Healthcare Gap
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Episode 1: Tom Sondergeld — Bridging the Healthcare Gap
What causes a 20-year life expectancy gap between two zip codes just five miles apart?
In the premiere episode of The Five Mile Difference, Joseph Kitonga, founder and CEO of Vitable Health, sits down with Tom Sondergeld, former VP of Global Benefits & Mobility at Walgreens Boots Alliance, the multinational company that owns Walgreens, to unpack one of healthcare’s most urgent challenges: closing the access gap for Americans.
Drawing on his experience leading benefits for a workforce of over 250,000 employees and managing $2B a year in healthcare budget, Tom shares what it takes to design equitable health plans, what employers get wrong about engagement, and why the U.S. must shift from a sick-care system to one focused on prevention. The conversation spans the evolution of digital health, behavior change, the role of GLP-1s, and innovations like ICHRAs and level funding.
About Tom Sondergeld
Tom Sondergeld is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare and employee benefits strategy with over 30 years of experience driving transformation across Fortune 50 companies, startups, and global organizations. As the former Vice President of Global Benefits at Walgreens Boots Alliance, he led healthcare programs for one of the largest workforces in the world, delivering innovative solutions that saved hundreds of millions of dollars without raising costs for employees.
Today, Sondergeld is the founder and Managing Partner of TS Consulting Services, where he advises startups, employer groups, transparent PBMs, and private equity-backed healthcare ventures. He also serves as a senior expert at McKinsey & Company, consulting with employers and payers on benefits design and delivery. Known for his deep industry relationships, strategic thinking, and operational excellence, Sondergeld is a trusted voice at the intersection of healthcare innovation, cost control, and access to care.
View all episodes
By Vitable HealthWhat causes a 20-year life expectancy gap between two zip codes just five miles apart?
In the premiere episode of The Five Mile Difference, Joseph Kitonga, founder and CEO of Vitable Health, sits down with Tom Sondergeld, former VP of Global Benefits & Mobility at Walgreens Boots Alliance, the multinational company that owns Walgreens, to unpack one of healthcare’s most urgent challenges: closing the access gap for Americans.
Drawing on his experience leading benefits for a workforce of over 250,000 employees and managing $2B a year in healthcare budget, Tom shares what it takes to design equitable health plans, what employers get wrong about engagement, and why the U.S. must shift from a sick-care system to one focused on prevention. The conversation spans the evolution of digital health, behavior change, the role of GLP-1s, and innovations like ICHRAs and level funding.
About Tom Sondergeld
Tom Sondergeld is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare and employee benefits strategy with over 30 years of experience driving transformation across Fortune 50 companies, startups, and global organizations. As the former Vice President of Global Benefits at Walgreens Boots Alliance, he led healthcare programs for one of the largest workforces in the world, delivering innovative solutions that saved hundreds of millions of dollars without raising costs for employees.
Today, Sondergeld is the founder and Managing Partner of TS Consulting Services, where he advises startups, employer groups, transparent PBMs, and private equity-backed healthcare ventures. He also serves as a senior expert at McKinsey & Company, consulting with employers and payers on benefits design and delivery. Known for his deep industry relationships, strategic thinking, and operational excellence, Sondergeld is a trusted voice at the intersection of healthcare innovation, cost control, and access to care.