The torch is being passed at the National Business Group on Health at a key juncture in the organization's evolution.

The group announced Monday that President and CEO Helen Darling will step aside next April. The new leader will be Honeywell's VP of compensation and benefits, Brian Marcotte. He will retire from Honeywell to take on the responsibilities as head of the group.

Darling oversaw the group's maturation into one of the most powerful business forces for changes in healthcare policies and laws.

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"Helen has been an outstanding leader and is widely considered one of the most influential and innovative authorities on health care in America," said Pamela Kimmet, chair of the board of directors. "Helen is a true visionary and under her leadership for the past 12 years, the Business Group has been transformed into a major force shaping health care policy and practices for its member companies."

Darling not only worked hard to build the national group's infrastructure, but she brought it into the health insurance conversation in innovative ways. For instance, her Twitter account, where she has nearly 1,200 followers, has become a resource for sharing important information about healthcare reform and its impact on the business world.

"It has been a thrill to work with so many iconic, creative companies, including in the past three years, during which we have seen tectonic changes. I love this business, but I'm ready to retire from such an intense full-time job," Darling said in a statement.

Darling will serve as a senior adviser to assist with the leadership transition through the end of 2014.

Her expertise on matters related to employer health benefits has been recognized many times. In 2012, she received the Health Quality Leader Award from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Modern Healthcare magazine included her on its list of most influential people in healthcare for the last three years, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2003 chose her as a National Associate "in recognition of her contributions to the Institute of Medicine." She also received the President's Award by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2010.

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.