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Bernard Tyson, the current CEO of Kaiser Permanente, is the first Black person to hold the position for the company. For the past three decades, Tyson has held several key positions with Kaiser, emerging as a prominent voice regarding social issues of the day as well.

Born January 20, 1959 and raised in Vallejo, California, Tyson visited several hospitals as a boy as his mother suffered from diabetes. The frequent visits inspired Tyson to one day run a hospital of his own. Tyson earned his B.A. and MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco en route to his career at Kaiser.

Tyson began working at Kaiser in 1987, steadily rising in the ranks over the years. His announcement as the company’s CEO and Chairman came in 2012, with Tyson officially taking on the role in 2013. Still grounded in his humble beginnings, Tyson performs hospital visits while humbly keeping himself out of the company spotlight.

He has also become somewhat of a notable voice on race relations and an essay on his view of what it means to be Black in America drew plenty of attention in 2016. Tyson continues to pen several wide-ranging essays via his LinkedIn account.

PHOTO: ABC screenshot

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