A prominent health care industry executive with decades of experience leading large, multifaceted academic health care organizations, Rich Liekweg most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of BJC Health System, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States and the largest in the state of Missouri, serving urban, suburban, and rural communities across Missouri, southern Illinois, eastern Kansas, and the greater Midwest region. Rich retired from BJC on October 1, 2025.
As BJC CEO, Rich led the integration with Kansas City-based Saint Luke’s Health System, creating a single, integrated academic health system and one of the largest employers in Missouri with 48,000 employees, 24 hospitals, and hundreds of clinics, service organizations and physician offices. He further strengthened BJC’s role as a leader in academic medicine through an enhanced affiliation with Washington University’s School of Medicine. Under his leadership, BJC was nationally recognized for its clinical excellence, patient safety, innovation and culture of caring, while continuing BJC’s legacy of service with $1.2 billion in annual community benefit to its home markets.
Rich joined BJC in 2009 as president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital and group president of BJC, and continued to expand his leadership roles until being named BJC Health System’s President and CEO in 2018. Prior to joining BJC, Rich served as chief executive officer and associate vice chancellor of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center from 2003-2009. Before that, he spent nearly two decades at Duke University Health System in North Carolina.
Rich is known for uniting caregivers, physicians, and community partners around a shared mission of delivering excellent, compassionate care. His leadership has been recognized nationally and regionally, including honors such as Modern Healthcare’s 'Up & Comer,' the Missouri Hospital Association Visionary Leadership Award, Pedal the Cause Breakaway Award, and multiple listings in Becker’s Hospital Review of the nation’s top healthcare leaders.
In addition to his executive leadership roles, Rich has contributed his expertise through governance and civic service. He currently serves as chair of the board of Vizient, Inc. He has also held numerous board roles including with Washington University, Cortex Innovation Community, Missouri Hospital Association, Greater St. Louis, Inc., BioSTL, the Community Health Commission of Missouri, Forest Park Forever, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Council of Teaching Hospitals, the California Hospital Association, and other organizations advancing health, research, and community vitality.
Rich holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia and master’s degrees in health services administration and business administration, both from the University of Michigan.