CloudMD Announces CEO Succession
Dr. Essam Hamza stepping down as CEO and President, Karen Adams appointed as Interim CEO
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CloudMD Software & Services Inc. (TSXV: DOC, OTCQX: DOCRF, Frankfurt: 6PH) (“CloudMD” or the “Company”), a healthcare technology and innovative health services company transforming the delivery of care, today announced that the Company’s founder, Dr. Essam Hamza, will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) as of Monday, May 2, 2022. Dr. Hamza will remain on the Board of Directors and act as a strategic advisor to the Company. The Board of Directors unanimously appointed President, Karen Adams to assume the role of Interim CEO until a successor is appointed.
Over the last five years, Dr. Hamza has led CloudMD through significant growth and transformation, resulting in the company that CloudMD is today: a comprehensive, connected healthcare ecosystem with over 800 employees across North America. The founding principles that have guided CloudMD through its aggressive growth phase will continue to be the Company’s guiding light as it transforms the way healthcare is delivered.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Essam for his entrepreneurial leadership and his hard work these past years, building an organization that is leading the industry in access to healthcare services,” said Mark Kohler, Chair of the Board of Directors of CloudMD. “Under Essam’s leadership, CloudMD’s business and revenue have increased in an extraordinary way. Essam has also gathered an impressive team with operational management depth throughout the organization, giving me confidence in the Company’s ability to transition to new leadership seamlessly, capitalize on strategic opportunities, and deliver value to all stakeholders.”
The Company’s Board of Directors unanimously appointed CloudMD’s current President, Karen Adams, to assume the role of Interim CEO effective Monday, May 2, 2022, until the permanent CEO is appointed to lead the Company. The Board has initiated a process to identify the permanent CEO. Ms. Adams has been with CloudMD for the last two years, being appointed to the role of President in June 2021 and joining the Board of Directors in November 2021. She has over 25 years of senior executive experience in transforming companies, building brands, scaling organizations, and driving change and improvement in the healthcare solutions industry. During her time with CloudMD, Ms. Adams has built the Company’s strategic road map within its Enterprise Health Division, Digital Health Services Division, and mental health support solutions, and has significantly increased revenues, driven cost optimizations and launched geographic expansion. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Adams held executive roles with Forum Corporation, Cira Health Solutions (SCM Insurance Services) and Morneau Shepell (Lifeworks) where she rebuilt brands, business strategies and positioned these companies for long term for growth.
Dr. Essam Hamza, CloudMD’s transitioning CEO comments, “Over the last few years, CloudMD has gone through significant growth including the completion of over 15 acquisitions, which are expected to add over $100 million in annual revenue. The business has changed from a connected network of clinics to a leading comprehensive healthcare provider, and I could not be prouder of the team on their ability to execute. It is time for the Company to move away from its founder, and I will be stepping down as CEO and passing the baton so a new CEO can lead the Company through its next phase of growth. I look forward to supporting the entire executive team through the Company’s next stage.”
Karen Adams, CloudMD’s Interim CEO said, “I am honoured that the Board has the confidence in me to begin to lead CloudMD into our next phase of growth. I am excited to work with the whole team to build the business, leveraging our differentiators to deliver results for our shareholders and stakeholders, including clients, network providers, and employees. The team will continue developing existing and additional capabilities underpinned by technology. We will continue investing in our employees through learning and development and create more opportunities for each employee to have a voice in new ideas, products, and services. I have worked alongside Essam for the last two years through the Company’s transformation and I am proud of what the Company has accomplished during that time.”
About CloudMD Software & Services
CloudMD is transforming the delivery of healthcare using technology and by providing a patient-centric approach, with an emphasis on continuity of care. By leveraging healthcare technology, the Company is building one, connected platform that addresses all points of a patient’s healthcare journey and provides better access to care and improved outcomes. Through CloudMD’s proprietary technology, the Company delivers quality healthcare through a holistic offering including hybrid primary care clinics, specialist care, telemedicine, mental health support, healthcare navigation, educational resources, and artificial intelligence (AI). CloudMD’s business is separated into three main divisions: Clinics and Pharmacies, Digital Solution and Enterprise Health Solutions, the Company’s fastest growing division. CloudMD’s Enterprise Health Solutions Division has built a leading employer healthcare solutions, including its Comprehensive Integrated Health Services Platform, which offers one comprehensive, digitally connected platform for educational institutions, corporations, insurers, and advisors to better manage the health and wellness of their students, employees, and customers.
CloudMD currently services a combined ecosystem of over 7,000 psychiatrists, approximately 4,500 therapists and counsellors, approximately 4,000 psychologists, over 22,000 family physicians, over 34,000 medical specialists, over 1,500 allied health professionals and over 5 million individuals across North America. For more information visit: https://investors.cloudmd.ca.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Dr. Essam Hamza, MD”
Chief Executive Officer
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Julia Becker
VP, Investor Relations
julia@cloudmd.ca
(604)785-0850
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the planned transition of the CEO; the addition of revenue as a result of the Company’s 15+ acquisitions; the Company’s plans and expectations with respect to the business; and the impact of such plans. These statements are based upon information currently available to CloudMD’s management. All information that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward‐looking statements. In some cases, forward‐looking statements may be identified by the use of terms such as “forecast”, “assumption” and other similar expressions or future or conditional terms such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “predict”, “project”, “will”, “would”, and “should”. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain factors and assumptions made by management of CloudMD based on their current expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs regarding their business and CloudMD does not provide any assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to them, they may prove to be incorrect. Such forward‐looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance and by their nature involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those risks described in the Company’s MD&A and most recent Annual Information Form (which are filed under the Company’s issuer profile on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com), that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward‐looking statements. Although CloudMD has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward‐looking statements, other factors may cause actions, events or results to be different than anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such forward‐looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward‐looking information. CloudMD does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.
