The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Sales Executives in Healthcare Technology of 2022. Sales executives are the key to successful interactions between an organization and its clients, leading a team of sales professionals who perform the vital tasks of introducing products, structuring deals, and offering advice. The awardees on this year’s list are responsible for overseeing all sales-related activities including assessing, implementing, and reporting on sales strategies that will bring in more revenue and grow their companies. And in the healthcare technology field, this growth directly equates to more patients benefited and more lives saved.
Some of the elite sales executives on this year’s list include Kortney Cooper, VP, Sales for AmerisourceBergen, which is making a positive impact on the health of people and communities around the world by advancing the development and delivery of wholesale pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. VP and Sales Executive Leslie Selby of Epic is focused on developing sales strategies globally and leading large enterprise sales for health organizations in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. And Simon Cotton, VP of Sales, Hematology & Oncology for Jazz Pharmaceuticals, which has continued to push the boundaries of oncology with the development of major new treatments in its product pipeline, including new applications of its Rylaze drug for the treatment of leukemia.
The development of new healthcare technologies is both incredibly difficult and supremely rewarding. But those rewards can only be maximized through the efforts of great sales executives who are able to get those technologies into the right hands. For companies across a range of healthcare specialties, the awardees on this year’s list have been able to do just that. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Sales Executives in Healthcare Technology of 2022.
1. George Zarkalis
Company: Viatris
Title: Global Head of Sales Excellence & Omnichannel Deployment
George Zarkalis is the Global Head of Sales Excellence & Omnichannel Deployment of Viatris, a global pharmaceutical and healthcare company. Formed in 2020, Viatris focuses on a wide variety of therapeutic areas, empowering people worldwide by expanding their access to a broad range of trusted, quality medications, regardless of geography or circumstance.
Most recently, Zarkalis served as the global head of sales & KAM execution for Novartis, a healthcare technology company he served for 17 years in various roles. He also introduced and managed its Voice of the Customer (VoC) initiative, a customer feedback system. Previously, he was a corporate sales manager at Germanos Group and a marketing and sales coordinator at SC Johnson.
He holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an executive certificate in technology & operations from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also received additional executive education at the Harvard Business School.
2. Melanie Fox
Company: Banner Health
Title: Chief Sales Officer
Melanie Fox is the Chief Sales Officer for Banner Health, a non-profit health system based in Phoenix, Arizona. Formed in 1999, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems, providing emergency and hospital care, hospice, long-term/home care, outpatient surgery, labs, rehabilitation services, pharmacies, and primary care. In 2021, it reported revenue in excess of $12 billion; Fox joined the company in her current role the same year.
Prior to Banner Health, Fox was a business development consultant with Clover Health and vice president of broker development at Bravo Health (Cigna). Her career in healthcare began in 2003 as director of business development for Health Net of Arizona. She also co-founded TROY Skincare in 2017. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business/healthcare management from the American InterContinental University and studied business and marketing at Oregon State University.
3. Kortney Cooper
Company: AmerisourceBergen
Sales: Vice President, Sales
With a strong work ethic and attention to detail, Kortney Cooper, PhD, has found success as the Vice President of Sales with AmerisourceBergen, an American drug wholesale company formed by the merger of Bergen Brunswig and AmeriSource in 2001. AmerisourceBergen fosters a positive impact on the health of people and communities around the world by advancing the development and delivery of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. Cooper joined the company in 2020 as a senior director of strategic accounts before ascending to her current role in 2022.
Prior to AmerisourceBergen, Cooper served as a Mid-Atlantic account executive at Cefaly Technology and an account executive at US Bioservices. In 2020, she served as a technical project manager at the University of Dayton Research Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Troy University, a PhD in nuclear chemistry from Michigan State University, and an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.
4. Leslie Selby
Company: Epic Systems
Title: Vice President and Sales Executive
Leslie E. Selby is a Vice President and Sales Executive for Epic, the healthcare industry’s #1-ranked creator of electronic health records software. Her areas of focus include developing sales strategies globally and leading large enterprise sales for health organizations in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., as well as large-scale procurements by U.S. government agencies.
Selby started in Epic’s implementation division, leading large healthcare organizations through successful software deployments. Before joining Epic, she served as Legislative Liaison and Sales Director for the Wisconsin Medical Association. She has also served as Home Health Care Coordinator for a private-duty home health agency. In 2021, Selby was recognized as one of the Top Women Leaders in Healthcare Software by the Healthcare Technology Report. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, which included time in the U.K. studying at the University of West London. She is a member and supporter of Daughters of the American Revolution as well as a volunteer fundraising for a local Veterans Memorial Park.
5. Gary Stapleton
Company: Bausch + Lomb
Title: Vice President, Sales
For more than 15 years, Gary Stapleton has been an exemplary leader at Bausch + Lomb, where he has served in multiple senior-level executive roles, currently serving as Vice President of Sales. Founded in 1853, Bausch + Lomb is an American healthcare technology company with nearly 170 years of expertise, making it one of the most trusted organizations of its kind. The company is one of the world's largest suppliers of contact lenses, lens care products, and other eye care products. It currently employs more than 21,000 professionals and makes healthcare products in about 100 countries.
Stapleton joined Bausch + Lomb in 2007 and has held roles in sales, marketing, and operations. He has served as VP of sales & marketing generics, VP of operations, and VP of U.S. pharmaceutical sales, leading a number of diverse teams as the company has amassed a market cap of more than $5 billion. During his tenure, the company has grown its revenue to more than $3 billion in multiple years. He attended the University of Phoenix.
6. Suzanne Haggard
Company: LCMC Health
Title: Chief Revenue Officer
In her capacity as Chief Revenue Officer at New Orleans-based nonprofit health system LCMC Health, Suzanne Haggard has repeatedly distinguished herself as a leader in the field of healthcare technology. Having contributed her leadership skills to the company’s continued growth over the last 18 years, Haggard has been honored as a Healthcare Hero by New Orleans CityBusiness and a standout female executive by publications including Becker’s Hospital Review.
Before joining LCMC, formerly Touro Infirmary, Haggard was an audit manager at Deloitte for seven years, and for nearly a decade she worked to provide top-tier healthcare consulting services to major hospitals and healthcare providers through the firm of Haggard & Associates. Haggard holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in professional accountancy from Mississippi State University, with specializations in computer science as well as accounting and finance.
7. Simon Cotton
Company: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Title: Vice President of Sales, Hematology & Oncology
One of the healthcare technology world’s leading figures in hematology and oncology product launches and sales, Simon Cotton has worked as the Vice President of Sales, Hematology & Oncology at Irish pharmaceutical manufacturer Jazz Pharmaceuticals since 2021. Under his guidance, Jazz has continued to push the boundaries of oncology with the development of major new treatments in its product pipeline, including new applications of its Rylaze drug for the treatment of leukemia.
Cotton boasts a long and storied career in the healthtech field: before joining Jazz, he was vice president of sales with Clovis Oncology, and he served in directorship positions with Genentech for more than a decade. Cotton holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from the University of Maryland as well as a master’s degree in exercise physiology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
8. Mitch Bernatsky
Company: Aegis Therapies
Title: Vice President, Sales
Texan healthcare technology company Aegis is fortunate to have Mitch Bernatsky as its reigning Vice President, Sales: Bernatsky is a seasoned veteran of sales not only in the healthcare world, but in a wide range of industries. Under Bernatsky’s leadership directing sales initiatives throughout the 42 states Aegis serves, the company has led the charge in improving healthcare outcomes for thousands of Americans needing critical therapies at home or in rehabilitation hospitals.
Before joining Aegis, Bernatsky worked as COO of logistics company Dedicated Carriers, building on his years of experience in key positions with PassportMD and telecommunications carrier Knology. Bernatsky earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Florida.
9. Kathy O’Malley
Company: Leica Biosystems
Title: Director of Sales – Pathology
Kathy O’Malley has worked as Director of Sales – Pathology at German medical device manufacturer Leica Biosystems since February of 2022. She has served the company in its mission to transform cancer diagnostics and treatment for over eight years, previously working in various senior sales and account management positions. She is recognized as one of the industry’s leading minds in fields including sales operations, life sciences, and oncology.
Before joining Leica in 2014, O’Malley distinguished herself as an agile and insightful leader in sales management positions with Agilent Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific. O’Malley holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Oregon State University, a certificate in genomics and genetics from Stanford University, and further certifications in business analytics and negotiation mastery from Harvard Business School.
10. Megan Pinter
Company: Tandem Diabetes Care
Title: National Sales Director
Tandem Diabetes Care’s National Sales Director is Megan Pinter, a veteran of healthcare technology with more than eight years in her current position. Under her considerable experience in medical device sales, the company has been recognized as the #1 most trusted name in insulin pump manufacturers in customer satisfaction. Pinter has achieved major success for Tandem through her mastery of the Challenger Sales Model and wide-reaching experience in sales training and product launches.
Before she began her most recent post with Tandem, Pinter served as regional development manager at Tempe-based medical equipment manufacturer Align Technology, delivering best-in-region growth in the company’s revenue. She also worked as senior territory manager with Medtronic, winning numerous awards for her work with that company. Pinter earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Arizona State University.
11. Krista Kelley
Company: MedImpact Healthcare Systems
Title: Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Since taking up her current position as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at MedImpact Healthcare Systems, the nation’s largest privately-held pharmacy benefit manager, Krista Kelley has helped the company continue to deliver next-level healthcare results across the industry. She has been with the company since 2018, rising from the position of vice president of strategic relations and sales support before serving two years as general sales manager.
Before she joined MedImpact, Kelley was a longtime vice president of large employer sales at hospitals and healthcare solutions provider Express Scripts. Additionally, she worked to build new business development with East Coast Lenders and implemented revolutionary marketing and customer service practices at Curl Up & Due, a company she co-founded in Chicago in 1998. Kelley studied at Frostburg State University as well as continuing executive leadership training through Columbia Business School.
12. Katie Higgins
Company: Crossover Health
Title: Chief Revenue Officer
Katie Higgins is passionate about creating a healthcare model that achieves easier access, greater affordability, and reliable outcomes for all individuals. Throughout her career, she has built and led teams that provide outstanding client service and innovative partnership opportunities for healthcare companies. Keys to her success have been identifying and cultivating great talent and creating strong team camaraderie, which combine to help achieve ambitious business objectives with clients primarily in the provider market. Higgins is also known for her commitment to cultivating rising female talent—a critical need in the healthcare industry.
Before joining Crossover, Higgins spent three years at Optum, leading teams that created innovative collaborations with health systems, which ensured the continued delivery of care and service in the local community. Prior to Optum, she spent 20 years with The Advisory Board Company, building account management and sales operations for new business endeavors. Her most recent role was General Manager of Strategic Accounts, where she facilitated and oversaw relationships with the nation’s largest health systems. In her role at Crossover, Higgins will oversee account management, employer sales, and payer sales, and will lead marketing and corporate communications. Higgins earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Davidson College in North Carolina.
13. Tom Maraday
Company: Omada Health
Title: Senior Vice President, Head of Sales
Tom Maraday, Senior Vice President and Head of Sales at Omada Health, leads a 40-person team of the finest sales executives in virtual healthcare. Omada Health is one of the largest and fastest growing clinical providers of virtual healthcare. Recently, Omada completed a series E fund raising round of $192 million, which included a $1 billion plus valuation.
Prior to Omada, Maraday was the Chief Development Officer at EHE Health. Before EHE, he served as Vice President of Client Relations at Bright Horizons Family Solutions. He started his career at Plus One Health Management, rising through nine positions to become the Chief Development Officer. He led the company to be the fastest-growing in the corporate fitness and wellness industry, including five consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies list.
Maraday earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance and Nutrition from Southern Connecticut State University and has received certifications from Columbia University, IESE Business School-Barcelona, and the Human Performance Institute. He currently sits on the board of directors for the DJ Dream Fund, a non-profit providing financial support to help underserved children participate in youth sports and the arts. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.
14. Larry Tischer
Company: Medartis
Title: Vice President of Sales
As Vice President of Sales for Swiss medical equipment manufacturer Medartis, Larry Tischer has been in charge of strategic execution for multiple sales channels for the company across the U.S. Most notably, in his two years with the company he has led the launch of new Medartis fracture and reconstruction implants.
Tischer can claim decades of successful leadership with multiple major healthcare technology providers, having worked in sales director positions with Ortho Solutions Group, Codman & Shurtleff, and Healthpoint. A passionate volunteer, he served on the board of the Orland Park Pioneers for three years, and has frequently contributed his time and effort to the Make-A-Wish Foundation children’s charity. Tischer earned a bachelor’s degree in business and corporate communications from Eastern Illinois University.
15. Maurizio Cevenini
Company: Wellspect HealthCare
Title: Vice President, Sales
Maurizio Cevenini is Vice President, Sales at Wellspect HealthCare. He first joined the healthcare solutions provider in 2012, working initially as managing director before rising to oversee sales throughout the South Europe region. Cevenini is regarded as a visionary, people-first manager, driving the company’s continued expansion in a growing market.
Among his numerous career highlights prior to joining Wellspect, Cevenini distinguished himself over eleven years as business unit director for Astra Tech, leading that company’s healthcare urology division in Italy. He also delivered major performance transformation at Antoine Brew Service, and worked as business manager of Becton Dickinson for more than ten years. Cevenini holds a degree in physics and economics from the University of Bologna.
16. Ben Beadle-Ryby
Company: AKASA
Title: Co-Founder
Ben Beadle-Ryby co-founded healthcare IT services provider AKASA in 2018. Building off his previous years of experience with Optum and The Advisory Board Company, he has helped AKASA grow into the world’s leading developer of AI-driven healthcare operations solutions. In addition to skillfully entering his company into a difficult, high-demand marketplace, Beadle-Ryby’s leadership has earned numerous awards for AKASA as one of the best workplaces in the healthcare industry.
An enthusiastic volunteer as well as a celebrated entrepreneur, he has captained numerous teams through the Movember Foundation to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to combat prostate cancer and other men’s health crises. Beadle-Ryby holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics from Colorado College and pursued studies in Mandarin and Chinese culture at Capital Normal University.
17. John Baird
Company: Visby Medical
Title: Vice President of Sales
As Denver-based medical equipment company Visby Medical’s Vice President of Sales, John Baird is responsible for bringing the latest developments in fast, accurate testing to healthcare providers across the nation. Visby’s work in delivering the world’s only instrument-free rapid PCR test has been particularly critical over the COVID-19 pandemic, and the company has also developed critical on-site sexual health PCR tests.
A major figure in the world of biopharmaceuticals, Baird has distinguished himself with years of leadership at medical equipment manufacturer Masimo and BioPorto Diagnostics. He first established his reputation as a visionary leader in the healthcare field as senior vice president for sales and business development with Critical Diagnostics. Baird holds a master’s degree in pharmacology from New York Medical College.
18. Kieran O’Kane
Company: Biodesix
Title: Chief Commercial Officer
Kieran O’Kane has served as Chief Commercial Officer of Biodesix since March 2020 and has been with the company in marketing management and corporate development roles since February 2018. He is an experienced commercial leader with a career focus in oncology. His depth of experience, stemming from an academic background in Pharmacology, more than 23 years in the industry including more than 10 product launches globally across pharma, medical device, and clinical diagnostics, and a strong personal motivation to positively impact health outcomes is the basis of his overall success in driving commercial growth at Biodesix.
Prior to joining Biodesix, O’Kane led the Global Diagnostics Marketing team at Nanostring Technologies, a biotechnology company focused on developing cancer diagnostic tools. He held various commercial leadership positions in sales and marketing functions, in addition to managing pricing, reimbursement, health technology appraisal, and national payor strategy at companies including Biotheranostics, CTI Biopharma, Eisai, Cephalon, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Roche.
19. Katrina Escandon
Company: Osso VR
Title: Director of Sales Operations & Development
Katrina Escandon is the Director of Sales Operations & Development for Osso VR, a leading virtual reality surgical training and assessment company. She is responsible for supporting the commercial organization by managing the company’s sales applications and CRM, forecasting and reporting, collaborating on and creating commission plans, and developing new and expansion pipelines. This includes leading the Sales Operations, Analytics, and Development teams.
Prior to her current position, Escandon was the VP of Commercial Operations at WebMD Provider Services (also known as Krames, formerly known as The StayWell Company). During her time at WebMD Provider Services, she had responsibility for reporting sales, forecasting revenue and expenses, pricing, and project management for custom print solutions, leading a team of admins and developers to maintain and enhance the CRM tool, developing commission plans with sales management, and processing commission payouts. In addition, Escandon led the inbound and outbound telesales teams along with the sales operations team, which included the deal desk, sales support processes, proposal writing, and contract billing functions. She worked at StayWell for more than 15 years in Sales Operations and Analytics roles.
Escandon gained valuable experience as part of the original team to launch Salesforce as the CRM tool for StayWell. In addition, as part of multiple acquisitions and mergers at WebMD Provider Services, she has been part of integrating and consolidating teams, reports, processes, and commission models. Escandon graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in classics and finance.
20. Lynn Wagner
Company: Pegasus Senior Living
Title: Divisional Vice President of Sales
In her position as Divisional Vice President of Sales for Pegasus Senior Living, Lynn Wagner has consistently pushed the boundaries of achievement for sales and growth. In the three years in which she has held her current post, Wagner has transformed multiple elder care communities run by Pegasus, increasing occupancy above 90% in multiple cases and frequently having her efforts recognized as a top-producing member of the company’s administrative staff.
On top of her considerable history as a change-maker in senior living community marketing and management, Wagner is a longtime veteran of the healthcare field, working for more than fifteen years in healthcare staffing and senior living enhancement. Wagner pursued her studies in nursing from Collin College.
21. Harish Panchal
Company: Health Gorilla
Title: Chief Revenue Officer
Health Gorilla Chief Revenue Officer Harish Panchal has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare technology and a proven track record of building high-performing sales organizations. At Health Gorilla, Panchal has used his data-driven approach to drive predictable, repeatable revenue and enhance efficiencies for a more seamless sales cycle. His focus is on executing against the go-to-market strategy, scaling operations, and activating the team at scale.
Panchal joined Health Gorilla from TigerConnect, where revenue tripled in his four years of leadership and a strategic growth investment from Vista Equity Partners was accepted. Previously, he was responsible for overall revenue for the Rhapsody Integration Engine at Orion Health. Under his guidance, the business unit grew to more than 700 enterprise customers in 36 countries with a successful transaction with Hg Capital. Panchal has a Bachelor of Engineering Science from Auckland University in New Zealand and an advanced certification in Disruptive Strategy from Harvard Business School.
22. Rachel Rearden
Company: Ever/Body
Title: Vice President, Sales
Rachel Rearden is the Vice President, Sales for Ever/Body. Ever/Body is a haven for high-performance beauty services founded around the mission to demystify cosmetic dermatology and make it more accessible. It offers a curated collection of clinically-tested face and body treatments, delivered by trusted medical professionals and designed to deliver natural-looking (not obvious) results. All in under 60 minutes.
Rearden is a visionary, seasoned, and innovative sales and operations executive with more than 30 years of progressive experience throughout the sales pipeline, including leadership and training, channel development, competitive analysis, and strategic implementation. She is recognized in the industry for turning around traditionally underperforming markets and teams through active problem identification and swift corrective action. Prior to Ever/Body, she was National Director of Sales Operations, Field Support & Clinic Openings for Ideal Image. Rearden holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and financial management services from Maryville University of Saint Louis.
23. Nicole Neutz
Company: VirtualHealth
Title: Vice President, Sales
Nicole Neutz is Vice President, Sales for VirtualHealth. The company’s HELIOS® platform is the first comprehensive care management platform purpose-built to power the entire ecosystem of care. Utilized by some of the most innovative health plans in the country to manage millions of members, HELIOS® streamlines value-based and person-centered care with intelligent case, disease, and utilization management workflows, standard and custom data integrations, broad-spectrum collaboration, patient engagement, real-time telehealth, and configurable analytics and reporting.
Prior to VirtualHealth, Neutz was VP of the Insurer & Group Business for GetInsured. She also served as a senior business consultant for Array Health and as an account manager for Aetna U.S. Healthcare. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Washington State University.
24. Amber Kerby
Company: Pain Specialists of America
Title: Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Amber Kerby is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Pain Specialists of America (PSA). PSA is a leading Interventional Pain Management company that identifies pain generators and interrupts the pain cycle with the latest technology available. Their purpose is to offer the most advanced interventional options while providing personalized treatment plans to get patients back to living a functional and quality life. At PSA, the patient is at the center of every decision made. The entire team is committed to staying at the forefront, from an exceptional patient journey to innovation and technology.
Amber joined PSA in 2018 as a seasoned leader fueled by 15 years of broad experience, assuring strategy and efficiency. Before joining PSA in 2018, Amber was senior vice president of the top pain management group in the U.S., helping to grow the company from 7 to 64 offices in 12 states, and implemented one of the first experience departments in a private practice setting, led by a Chief Experience Officer. She has worked with leading startup companies from healthcare technology to practice M&A. The foundation for her success is to motivate and inspire high-performing, accountable teams.
25. Matt McColgan
Company: Radiation Detection Company
Title: Vice President, Sales
Matt McColgan is Vice President of Sales for the Radiation Detection Company. He is an experienced senior sales leader with a passion for driving team members to achieve new levels of success. He believes in approaching every opportunity with an unrelenting commitment to integrity, customer service, and continuous improvement. The ability to learn, teach, and direct organizational strategic movements for both the team and the organization is what drives Matt to be successful every day.
Prior to Radiation Detection Company, McColgan served as Director of Enterprise Sales for Frontier Communications, and before that he was Director of Sales and Vendor Management for Vology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
