USAA CEO Wayne Peacock addresses suicide on campus
Content warning: This story includes details of a suicide.
USAA's President and CEO addressed last year's suicide on the company's headquarters in San Antonio with other leaders during the Workforce Mental Health Summit Tuesday, September 17.
The importance of tackling the mental health crisis in America was the topic of discussion at the CEO-led event, an effort to promote and support workforce mental health. David Cordani, chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group, and Joshua Bolten, CEO of Business Roundtable, hosted the event and were joined by other leaders including senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Wayne Peacock, the outgoing CEO at USAA , Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, and Blake Moret, chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation.
Peacock addressed the suicide that occurred at the company's headquarters in San Antonio in August 2023, according to a report from The Cigna Group , a global health company. After the death, he said he realized companies needed to do more to support employees struggling with mental health challenges.
"There was a Saturday morning when one of our employees died by suicide on our campus," Peacock said. "That showed me that we really did need to step up our efforts."
Last year, a man jumped from a parking garage at USAA's campus and was pronounced dead at the scene by a medic, according to a report from the San Antonio Police Department. An officer located the person's vehicle at the top level of the parking garage, where a written note was found. A friend had also received a text from the person stating that they were going to jump, the report said.
In 2023, USAA also launched Face the Fight, a mental health initiative led by a "coalition of corporations, foundations and nonprofits working to prevent veteran suicide."
Cordani addressed the significant challenges our youth and the next-generation workers face with mental well-being. Sen. Murphy and Sen. Ricketts also discussed the importance of continuing efforts to combat the mental health crisis in our country. Ricketts shared his thoughts on virtual care options such as telehealth and how he believes it could improve access to mental health care, according to The Cigna Group.
"Telehealth is a great solution for a lot of reasons," Ricketts said. "Not everybody sees mental health like they see physical health, especially in rural communities. A lot of people just don't want to park their car at the doctors office, but they can get care through telehealth."
Peacock also noted the importance of organizations enabling employees to find their community within the workplace. He added that employees are more likely to be happier, healthier and more productive when companies create and environment where they feel safe to be themselves and feel comfortable talking about their challenges and issues, according to The Cigna Group.
"One of the fascinating things about talking about it with our veteran community is that it opened up our employees to be more willing to talk to each other about what was going on for them and work as well," Peacock said. "Today, more and more of our teammates are willing to say 'hey I got a problem and I need help.'"
Watch a synopsis of the event below:
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, Bexar County has help available at multiple sources. People can call the 24-hour crisis and substance use help line at 1-800-316-9241 or 210-223-7233. A mobile team is available to come and visit with people by calling 210-223-7233.
There is also a Bexar County crisis counseling program available by calling 210-540-7401, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The service is free, virtual or in-person, for all Bexar County residents. People can also call national help lines at 1-800-662-4357 or by dialing 988.
