Andy C. Sekel, Ph.D.

Andy Clark Sekel, PhD is a senior health care executive and investor. He began his career as a practicing clinical psychologist and university professor.  He subsequently became an entrepreneur, co-founding several behavioral health delivery companies that were acquired by Fortune 500 companies. His last company was acquired by Centene Corporation, and Andy transitioned to serve as an executive at Centene where he helped the company grow their specialty division. He subsequently joined the Optum Division of United Health Care and became the CEO of Optum Behavioral Health as well as the Specialty Division of Optum that included a variety of network businesses.

He is currently Managing Partner of Marketplace Funds, an early-stage venture firm and serves as chairman or board member of several companies in the health care arena. His interest has been companies that improve access and quality in behavioral health as well as substance use disorders. Over the last decade Andy has focused on leveraging digital capabilities to expand access and provide high quality care. He has been chairman of Happify Health as well as a strategic advisor to Talkspace. In addition, he is working with Kennedy Krieger Institute, affiliated with Johns Hopkins, to support building digital capabilities that commercialize their intellectual property to improve the lives of children and young adults.

Andy has also served as Chair of LifeWorks, a non-profit dedicated to youth and family advocacy and mental health, and a board member for Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Andy has been an avid outdoor enthusiast since he was an Outward Bound School instructor in his early years and is currently hiking and fly fishing in the southwest. He lives with his wife Diane in Santa Fe, NM and Austin, TX.   His daughter is a social worker in Austin.