After a lengthy illness, Michael F. Neidorff passed away on Thursday, April 7, 2022 surrounded by his family and friends. A private family service will be held. At a later date to be announced, there will be a memorial service for family and friends to celebrate his extraordinary life and legacy.
Michael’s love and devotion for his family knew no bounds. He was a beloved husband to Noémi Neidorff, father to Peter Neidorff and the late Monica Neidorff, and brother to Susan Neidorff Reinglass and Robert Neidorff.
Michael was Centene Corporation’s visionary leader for more than 25 years. He built a remarkable American business success story and his commitment to providing affordable, high quality health care to the most vulnerable people transformed lives across the globe.
Michael Neidorff joined Centene as CEO in 1996 and led the company in its remarkable trajectory from a $40 million single health plan to a multinational $125 billion health care enterprise serving 25 million members. Centene is ranked #24 in the Fortune 500, #57 in the Fortune 500 Global list, and #7 on the 2019 Fortune Change the World list. Centene has grown to nearly 76,000 employees serving all 50 states and 3 international countries.
Michael made diversity and inclusion a central focus of his leadership, building an international corporation where women, people of color, LGBTQ, veterans, and people with disabilities all have opportunities to lead and excel. Thanks to his strong commitment, Fortune ranked Centene as the #2 company nationally for diversity and inclusion. In 2017, Michael was named Citizen of the Year by the St. Louis Post Dispatch for spearheading a $30 million investment in Ferguson, Missouri in the weeks following the racial unrest in the summer of 2014, bringing much needed opportunity and hope to the region and anchoring small businesses in the community.
Michael Neidorff was one of the most philanthropic individuals in the country. His philanthropy and personal generosity transformed the non-profit landscape throughout the state of Missouri and across the nation. His continual support for hundreds of not-for-profit organizations was widely celebrated.
He was dedicated to supporting arts and civic organizations. He served as chairman of the board of trustees for the National Urban League and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. For more than 30 years, he served on the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Boy Scouts of America and on the board of Concordance Academy.
Michael served as chairman of the board of trustees for his alma mater, Trinity University, in San Antonio, Texas, and in 2021, Trinity University named its business school, the Michael Neidorff School of Business in his honor.
Having had a love for the arts, Michael served on the board of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as a trustee for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and as Treasurer of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.
Michael was raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Trinity University and St. Francis College with a Master of Arts degree.
Memorial donations in his name may be sent to the Siteman Cancer Center, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, or a charity of your choice.
