Executive Leadership
BEN R. LEEDLE, JR.
President & Chief Executive Officer
As the Chief Executive Officer of Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY), Ben R. Leedle, Jr. is generally recognized for the vision, insight, purpose and drive with which he has led the company to its current position as the established market leader in population health management and well-being improvement solutions, both domestically and internationally. Building on the premise that healthier people cost less, he has committed Healthways to a value-creation/value-share business model to appropriately align incentives with customers. Leedle has continuously recognized the importance of a sound scientific base for the company's solutions and the importance of continuous innovation to assure customers' access to the most effective and efficient solutions available to improve health and performance and, thereby, reduce both direct and indirect cost.
Leedle joined the company in 1985 and since 1993 has led the development, marketing, sales, implementation, operations and strategy of Healthways' comprehensive programs for well-being. He has served in many different leadership roles during his tenure with the company, including Chief Operating Officer and President prior to 2003 when he was named CEO and elected to the Board of Directors.
He is an active member of numerous CEO round tables and initiatives including the Center for Health Transformation, the HealthCare Executive Summit, the Healthcare Leadership Council and the CEO Health Care Transformation initiative.
He is an active leader in his community, serving as Chairman of the Nashville Health Care Council and participating on the Vanderbilt Owen Health Care Advisory Board. His passion for the company purpose and mission, "To Create a Healthier World, One Person at a Time", stems from the roots of his unique background, expertise and experience as an Exercise Physiologist and AADE Board Certified Diabetes Educator working directly to help people with complex health issues live a better life. He is widely regarded as the strategic force behind the Healthways mission.
Leedle earned a Master of Science degree from Emporia State University and Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Central College, Pella, Iowa. He also completed the Executive Education Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
ALFRED LUMSDAINE
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Alfred Lumsdaine joined Healthways, Inc. in 2002 and became Chief Financial Officer in 2011. He is responsible for enterprise risk management including all financial functions, investor relations, regulatory compliance, procurement and project management. Previously he served as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer and his areas of responsibility included accounting, treasury, tax, financial reporting, internal audit and corporate systems. His 22 years of progressively responsible experience have been focused in healthcare services. Prior to joining Healthways, Lumsdaine held the position of Treasurer and Controller for Logisco, Inc., which followed senior level financial positions with Beverly Rehabilitation (a Division of Beverly Enterprises) and Theraphysics. Lumsdaine started his career with the Nashville office of Ernst & Young, spending over 8 years in the external audit practice, primarily focused on the healthcare industry, and subsequently directed the North America internal audit department of Willis.
In addition to his extensive experience in leading the financial function through growth and change, including systems implementations and acquisition integrations, throughout his career Lumsdaine has led and supported significant M&A activity and capital market transactions. Lumsdaine's financial leadership experience spans from small and fast-growing privately-held entities to larger public companies with complex accounting and financial reporting requirements.
Lumsdaine is a CPA and earned both his BS in Accounting and Masters of Accountancy from the University of Tennessee.
PETER CHOUEIRI
President, Healthways International
Peter Choueiri is responsible for overall strategy and operations of Healthways International. He has more than 15 years of healthcare experience. Prior to joining Healthways International in 2011 as Chief Operating Officer, Choueiri was Member of the Munich Health Board of Munich Reinsurance Group and as such in charge of North America, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Southern Europe. Before that he worked for various consulting organizations including Accenture. Choueiri has a diploma from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität in Germany with advanced leadership trainings at INSEAD in France, The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in the U.S. and the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. He is fluent in French, German, and English.
MICHAEL FARRIS
Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial officer
Michael Farris is Chief Commercial Officer of Healthways Inc. He is responsible for sales, marketing, account management and delivery operations of all services across the company's domestic markets.
Farris has more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience, and has been a driving force in the development, growth and transformation of healthcare organizations, providing expertise in creating strategies that align hospitals, physicians groups and payor partners toward optimal care delivery. Prior to joining Healthways, Farris was the Founder and CEO of the Farris Group, a specialty healthcare consulting practice, which focused on hospital mergers and acquisitions as well as medical practice acquisitions across the nation. He expanded this consultancy to form Navvis & Company in 2008, providing consultancy and advisory services to leading health systems throughout the nation. In 2011, Navvis & Company was acquired by Healthways, resulting in a partnership providing an unparalleled suite of capabilities to position and equip organizations to improve the health of their communities and gain competitive advantage in this era of healthcare reform. Farris also served as President and CEO of Lasersight Incorporated, a company which developed corneal refractive surgical lasers and other medical devices.
MARY S. FLIPSE
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Mary S. Flipse joined Healthways in 2011 and assumed the role of General Counsel and Assistant Secretary in 2012. Mary has responsibility for the legal and contracting functions.
Mary's legal career spans twenty years. Before joining Healthways, Mary served as a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel with King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Prior to that, Mary was with the American law firm, White & Case, in Bangkok Thailand. Mary began her legal career as the founding partner of Dirksen Flipse Doran & Le, the first international law offices in Laos and Cambodia.
Mary earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor of Arts from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
JAMES E. POPE, M.D. F.A.C.C.
Senior Vice President & Chief Science Officer
Dr. James Pope is Vice President and Chief Science Officer of Healthways, Inc., where he oversees medical and scientific integrity, analytic consultative services, process quality improvements, outcomes and applied research. He joined Healthways in 2003 and has served in various leadership roles during his tenure with the company, including Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer, prior to being named Chief Science Officer in 2008.
As Healthways Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Pope held responsibility for product development and delivery for all US business from 2006 to 2008, a time when Healthways achieved significant growth in revenue and net income. He established the Healthways Center for Health Research while serving as Chief Medical Officer, performing advanced analytics with data collected from millions of participants over twenty-five years of Healthways programming. As Chief Medical Officer he also led oversight of all medical quality initiatives and Informatics.
Dr. Pope has more than 25 years experience in health care, including 16 years operating a private cardiology practice in Tampa, Florida. He is the co-author of numerous journal articles and has held several executive positions, serving as President of the HeartCare Institute of Tampa and President and Medical Director of Florida Cardiac Network, an Independent Physician Association of over 100 cardiologists.
A past Consulting Associate at the Department of Medicine, Cardiology Section at Duke University, Dr. Pope has also served on the faculty at Wake Forest's Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He has served on the board of directors for DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance and currently is on the board of IBI, a nonprofit health and productivity research company.
Dr. Pope received a Bachelor of Science from Washington and Lee University in 1975, and a Medical Degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1978. He completed his postdoctoral training at Bowman Gray School of Medicine/North Carolina Baptist Hospital in 1983.