Under his leadership, Independence has made a strategic priority of advancing equitable, whole-person health, which encompasses integrating physical and behavioral health and reducing racial and economic health disparities.

Deavens was named to Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare, Savoy magazine’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America and Philadelphia magazine’s Most Influential People in Philadelphia, among other honors. He also received the Excellence in Governance award from Modern Healthcare in recognition of his contributions as Chair of the board of directors for Hartford HealthCare. He assumed the role of CEO at Independence in January 2021, after joining the company in 2017 as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

Prior to that, he held senior financial roles at MassMutual, NY Life, Cigna and GE Capital. Deavens is Chair of the board of directors at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. He also serves on the boards of America’s Health Insurance Plans, BCS Financial Corporation, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and National Institute for Health Care Management. He serves on the PNC Bank advisory board (Philadelphia region) and as a commissioner for the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission and the America 250PA Commission.

As part of his responsibilities at Independence, he serves on the board of Independence Health Group and as Chair of the board of directors at AmeriHealth Caritas. In addition, Deavens is a trustee of the Barnes Foundation, on the board of directors of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and an honorary trustee of the Amistad Center for Art & Culture. He is a certified public accountant (CPA inactive) and a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the National Association of Corporate Directors, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants.