"Never before has our purpose been more critical than during these unprecedented times. Together with the CVS Health leadership team and all of our colleagues, I will work to build on the strong foundation Larry has put in place to continue to make health care more accessible and affordable, driving better health outcomes for our consumers and communities. I am highly confident about our company's future and look forward to further accelerating the value we bring to all of our stakeholders."

Aetna president Karen Lynch, in a statement last week as she was named to succeed Larry Merlo as chief executive of CVS Health. Lynch currently is EVP of CVS Health and president of Aetna, the insurance company CVS Health acquired two years ago. CVS Health will be the largest U.S. company to be led by a female CEO when she moves into this role on Feb. 1, 2021.