health
February 19, 2026
Centene CEO: My stressful schedule ‘wasn’t actually making me better at my job’—how she avoids burnout today
Sarah London realized she was burned out less than a year after becoming the CEO of Centene. Today, she's prioritizing balance.
TL;DR
- Sarah London became the youngest female CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she took the helm at Centene in 2022.
- She experienced significant burnout in her first nine months, sacrificing family time and personal well-being for work.
- A conversation with her children revealed the extent of her stress and its impact on them.
- London worked with an executive coach to reevaluate her routine and priorities, focusing on managing stress and improving her job performance.
- She now prioritizes non-negotiable self-care, including seven hours of sleep and exercise, and finds reading fiction to be a crucial outlet.
- Other coaches emphasize that high achievers often sacrifice well-being for work, but self-care is vital for performance, creativity, and relationships.
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