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Group Dentistry Now (GDN) has been committed to the success of DSOs, dental groups, and the people who work for them since 2014. DSO People is the only comprehensive list of new hires, promotions and awards.
Staying informed about leadership changes within DSOs is critical for success, whether you’re a vendor or part of a DSO team. Understanding the shifts at the executive and C-suite levels gives you the insights needed to navigate the evolving landscape and enhance your performance.
With DSO People, you have a reliable source to stay up to date on key personnel movements. In today’s fast-paced DSO space, knowing who’s who is essential for driving growth and making informed business decisions.
Here is September’s DSO People list:
Lauren Eveland has been promoted to Senior Director of Operations at Guardian Dentistry Partners. Prior to this promotion, Lauren was their Director of Operations. She has also held operations positions at Penn Medicine and Simply Beautiful Smiles. Founded in 2018, Guardian has expanded rapidly and now supports dental entrepreneurs in Alabama, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. In 2020, Guardian made Group Dentistry Now’s Emerging Groups to Watch list.
Dental Care Alliance (DCA) announced personnel changes:
- Claudia Saenz Amlie has joined DCA as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Claudia has over 25 years of experience as an executive HR leader in various industries, in both private and public companies. Before joining DCA, she served as Chief People Officer of Pet Paradise and NewDay Veterinary Care, a high-growth, premium pet care and health provider with operations across the southeast and central United States.
- Christin Lisenby joins DCA as their Vice President of Hygiene. She will oversee DCA’s team of hygienists. Christin began her 24-year career in dentistry as a dental assistant, followed by a successful tenure at Northcutt Dental, where she rose from Lead Hygienist to become President and COO. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Field Operations at Lightwave Dental, where she oversaw operations for 55 practices.
- Tracy Petrovic was appointed Senior Vice President of Field Operations. Prior to joining DCA, Tracy was VP at Petco, Territory General Manger and before that she worked in territory management positions at 7-Eleven and Best Buy. She has over 20 years of multi-unit retail management experience.
- After four years with DCA, Jeff Koziel has left his position as President to become Chief Network Officer at VSP Vision.
Carli Casey has been promoted to Director, Corporate Social Responsibility and Service at PDS Health. She was previously held other corporate social responsibility leadership roles. Founded in 1994, PDS Health is a healthcare support organization that partners with dental and medical providers across the U.S., providing business services. With over 1,000 practices in 24 states, PDS Health has been recognized multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and named one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation.
Smile Doctors hired Tonya Ramsey as their new Chief Legal Officer. Dallas-based Smile Doctors was founded in 2015 and is the largest OSO in the country with over 415 locations across 28 states. In 2023, Smile Doctors received $550+ million capital raise to fuel continued growth and support strategic initiatives.
Rachel Poag joined Heartland Dental as their new Social Media Manager. Prior to joining the DSO, Rachel was Marketing Specialist at GPS Dental. Heartland Dental started from the entrepreneurial spirit of Rick Workman, DMD, with his single dental practice, has evolved into affiliating with over 2,800 doctors in over 1,700 locations across 39 states and the District of Columbia.
Gen4 Dental Partners announced:
- Steven Goldring as their new Operations Director. Steven joins Gen4 after spending five years as COO at Sky Dental AZ. He was also CEO and Founder at Arizona Dental Management which he sold in 2023. Prior to that he was Director of Operations at InterDent Service Corporation responsible for 40 dental offices.
- Korinne Cummings’ promotion to Digital Brand Manager. In her new role, Korinne will oversee social media, Google My Business, and listing management across the entire Gen4 platform in order to elevate their practices’ online reputation and brand awareness.
Huyen Vu was promoted to VP of HR at Onsite Dental. Huyen has also held various HR positions at Education Management Systems, Western Dental Services. Onsite is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, CA and was founded in 1997. Onsite delivers oral health care in customized practices located inside workplaces, college campuses, residential high-rise buildings, and stand-alone sites.
Eric Rice joined Hawaii Smile Designs as their COO. Prior to this position he was self-employed as the CEO of a contracting company. He was also the COO of Canna Meds Wellness Center. Hawaii Smile Designs has four locations on Maui and the Big Island. They are headquartered in Hilo, HI.
Susan Huff was promoted to Chief of Staff at MB2 Dental. She joined MB2 Dental in 2015 when they had 60 partner practices. They now have now have 729+ partner practices in 42 states. Susan will lead all acquisition & de novo integration and facility project management both for affiliated offices and MB2 HQ, while overseeing internal practice and owner transitions, and the events team.
Rob Daniel joined Benevis as their new VP of Field Operations. Rob is a DSO industry veteran, having held various operations positions at Marquee Dental Partners, Guardian Dental Partners, DECA Dental Group, Smile Brands, Inc, Aspen Dental Management, Inc., and Western Dental & Orthodontics. Over the past 20 years, Benevis has made demonstrable strides in delivering life-changing oral care and orthodontics to those who need it most, providing dental care to approximately five million children and adults. Today, they deliver treatment through 1.4 million visits each year.
Dana Soper, Co-Founder of CORDENTAL, has stepped down from her role as CEO to take on new responsibilities as an executive advisor, board member, and investor within the organization. Len Schiavone has been appointed as her successor. Len brings a wealth of experience, having most recently served as COO of SENTA Partners, a management services organization for ENT and allergy practices. His previous leadership roles include President of Hospice Pharmacy Solutions and COO of DaVita Kidney Care. CORDENTAL Group currently supports over 40 practices across nine states.
Chord Specialty Dental Partners (formerly Spark Dental Management) promoted Marjie Gaspar to Director of RCM Managment. She has held various AR positions within the group for the past 20 years. Chord is a multi-specialty DSO headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee with more than 60 locations across six states.
Dallas Business Journal has selected U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) Chief Operations Officer Alisa Ulrey as a 2024 C-Suite Leaders Awards program honoree. The C-Suite Leaders Awards program recognizes outstanding professionals for leadership at their organizations and their contributions to the DFW community. Honorees are selected based on evidence of exemplary leadership, performance and innovation. The Dallas Business Journal created the prestigious, merit-based award program by combining the CFO of the Year and Most Admired CEOs awards programs and expanding the parameters to highlight “other deserving stories of high-level leadership.” Nominations are gathered from all over North Texas.
Elevate Dental Partners welcomed Josh Ercolani as their new Director of Business Development. Prior to this position, Josh worked in M&A at Gen4 Dental Partners. He began his career as an anaylst at Riveria Investment Group and later Goldman Sachs. Elevate was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Denver, CO.
Pearl names McKenzie Fagan VP of DSO Sales. In her new role, McKenzie will spearhead the development and implementation of AI-powered solutions tailored for Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) and multi-site dental organizations. She brings nearly a decade of invaluable DSO experience to Pearl, most recently from Henry Schein ONE, where she led a high-performing sales team in navigating a diverse portfolio of products within the dental space.
Latha Youngren joined Kleer and Membersy as their Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to this position, Latha held various marketing positions in SaaS, hospitality, publishing, and a variety of other industries. In May 2024, Charlesbank Capital Partners announced that it has acquired and merged Kleer and Membersy, the dental industry’s two largest membership plan administrators.
Stuart Robinson joined Zyris as Director of Sales & Business development. Stu has spent the last 20 years in various executive sales leadership positions driving top line growth in the DSO and Special Market segments. Founded in 2001, Zyris is headquartered in Goleta, CA and provides dental isolations systems, mouthpieces and disinfection solutions.
John Klavon has joined CureMint, Inc. as their new VP of Sales & Business Development. Prior to joining the procurement platform, John was VP of Facilities & Procurement at Frontline Dental. He has also held various business developemnt positions at Divergent Dental, Benco Dental, and Burkhart Dental.
DSO People is sponsored by Fidler and Associates, the premier executive search firm in the DSO industry and proud partner of Group Dentistry Now. From startup and emerging groups to large, private equity backed organizations Fidler and Associates reputation and experience are unmatched within the industry. Whether you are looking to hire an executive or looking for a new career, please contact Fidler and Associates to discuss your next steps at www.fidlerandassociates.com.
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