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Board of Directors
Earl T. Winter, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Mr. Winter has more than 25 years of experience building and growing businesses, new ventures and industry-level practices within the healthcare, electronic commerce, telecommunications, data networking, CRM and business process outsourcing industries. He is Founder, Chairman and CEO of nTelagent, Inc., a Nashville-based company that has developed the “retail application” for the healthcare industry, the only point-of-service collection solution for healthcare that settles all accounts on the front end – regardless of whether the patient is insured, uninsured or charity. Moving workflow to the front end of the revenue cycle, nTelagent helps healthcare service providers to ensure a better patient experience through clearer communication and better handling of patient accounts, while improving upfront and overall cash flow, receivables and profitability by reducing bad debt.
Previously, Mr. Winter spent eight years at Nortel Networks, where he was one of the founding members of the Meridian Norstar Division, considered to be Nortel’s most successful new business launch. He spent over 10 years in electronic commerce and business process outsourcing at GE Information Services, Sterling Commerce, MSX and ClientLogic, where he built telecommunications, electronics and utilities practices. Mr. Winter also held the position of Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for Telco Research, a telecommunications software company, where he was instrumental in growing the business from $17 million to $40 million, resulting in its sale and an increase of over 500 percent in stockholders’ equity. While at Telco Research, Mr. Winter developed new Telco channels in North America and Europe and introduced a hosted services model to complement the company’s software distribution model. He was also the executive in charge of European markets.
Martin S. Rash, Director
Mr. Rash has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare operations and management. He founded Province Healthcare in February 1996 with Golder, Thoma, Cressey, Rauner Fund IV, L.P. Province became a publicly held company before it was acquired by LifePoint Hospitals in 2005. Previously, Mr. Rash was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Community Health Systems, a publicly held healthcare company based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Mr. Rash led the growth of Community Health Systems from 10 to 41 hospitals in 17 states while developing network-based delivery systems in each market. He supervised regional operations, information systems, physician recruitment, clinic operations and managed care development.
Christopher T. Hannon, Honorary Director
The late Mr. Hannon, former Chief Financial Officer of Province Healthcare, was a key nTelagent investor and was instrumental in the development of nTelagent’s solution and direction. He was skilled in identifying and analyzing the changing healthcare industry and in creating or repositioning an organization in the evolving healthcare business cycles. Mr. Hannon was an integral part of the financial team that grew a business from approximately $40 million to approximately $800 million in revenue. He was extremely adept at developing flexible capital structures and accessing capital markets to fund operational growth and acquisition strategies. He had excellent working relationships and a solid reputation with investment and commercial bankers and the investment community. Mr. Hannon most recently held the position of Senior Vice President and CFO for Province Healthcare, where he managed a financial team of 17 individuals.
Jeff Rice, M.D., Director
Dr. Rice has drawn on his medical background and leadership experience in serving as an executive in several public and private healthcare services organizations over the past 20 years. Dr. Rice founded and served as CEO of CareSteps and Axonal Health Solutions, providing high-end technology solutions for population health management and disease management programs. CareSteps and Axonal were acquired by Healthways (NASD: HWAY) in 2001; Dr. Rice subsequently served as a member of Healthways’ executive team and then as advisor until early 2003. Before founding CareSteps, Dr. Rice spent three years in executive positions with several operating subsidiaries of NYLCare Health Plans, an affiliate of New York Life. Dr. Rice received his combined medical and legal degrees from Duke University Schools of Medicine and Law and received postgraduate clinical training in radiology. He has authored numerous publications and frequently speaks on managed care, clinical research, evidence-based medicine and predictive modeling in healthcare.
Farsheed Ferdowsi, Director
A veteran entrepreneur for nearly three decades, Farsheed Ferdowsi is highly regarded for his ability to manage and grow complex businesses. In 1979, he founded Access Data, a software development firm. This was followed by a string of other companies in the information technology industry. In 1991, he founded PayMaxx, a payroll service outsourcing company, which took off on the national scene, reaching the rank of the sixth largest payroll outsourcing company in the United States. PayMaxx was included in the prestigious Inc. 500 list for four consecutive years. In July 2005, PayMaxx was sold to CompuPay, where Mr. Ferdowsi served as Chief Development Officer until July 2007. Most recently, he launched Victor Hope Capital to pursue opportunities in early-stage equity investments as well as real estate development. He was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002 and is an alumnus of Leadership Nashville, Class of 2003. Mr. Ferdowsi holds a master’s degree in structural engineering from U.C. Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Mike Hassell, Director
Mr. Hassell is founder, Chief Operating Office and Executive Vice President of Investments of ConduIT Corporation, which identifies promising university-based and private sector enterprises and research, and creates viable commercial endeavors through investment and other strategies. Mr. Hassell has more than two decades’ experience in executive management and marketing positions for new ventures. He has served as CEO for several Vanderbilt University start-up companies, as well as held the positions of Vice President of Marketing for MedPearl and President of Slingerland Drum Company. After receiving a Georgia Tech electrical engineering degree and beginning his career in marketing at Proctor & Gamble's brand management, Mr. Hassell received a Harvard MBA before launching his entrepreneurial career. Though his experience includes biotech, information technology (IT) and manufacturing businesses, he has chosen to specialize in IT ventures at ConduIT Corporation.
Jeffrey M. Pate, Director
With a strong background in growing healthcare businesses, Mr. Pate currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of MedCenterDisplay, LLC, a developer of customized digital communication networks for healthcare facilities looking to improve information flow to their patients, visitors and staff. Prior to joining MedCenterDisplay, Mr. Pate was President of OnSight Senior Care, an ancillary healthcare services provider to long-term care residents. Under Mr. Pate’s leadership, OnSight grew its revenues at a 40% annualized rate. Mr. Pate began his career in 1989 as an auditor with Ernst & Young, where he developed experience serving a wide variety of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, venture capital and retail-based organizations. After E&Y, he was a Partner with LBMC Financial Services, where he also served as Vice President of Business Development. Mr. Pate is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University, with a major in accounting and a minor in mathematics and English.
Thomas S. Smith, Director
Mr. Smith is a Managing Partner of SC Ventures Partnership based in Nashville, Tennessee. He brings over 25 years of investment and real estate experience to the board of nTelagent. Mr. Smith is the Chairman of the Board of Bridge Funding Corporation, a Business and Industrial Development Company (“BIDCO”) licensed by the State of Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Mission Property Company and also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Highwoods Properties, Inc. He was a co-founder and Chairman of Eakin & Smith, Inc. (ES), a commercial real estate leasing, management, development and investment firm. During the 1980s and 1990s, ES and ES-sponsored partnerships developed or acquired many significant properties in the Nashville area, totaling over 1.75 million square feet with aggregate values in excess of $175 million. Mr. Smith was instrumental in negotiating the merger of ES and its properties with Highwoods in 1996 in a $100 million transaction.
