- Ralph Highnam, founder, transitions from Chief Executive Officer to Chief Science & Innovation Officer
- Teri Thomas, NZ-based, Epic veteran appointed Chief Executive Officer
- Appointments reflect pivotal inflection point in both artificial intelligence innovation and commercial opportunities
Volpara Health has announced key changes to its leadership team to support its next phase of growth and innovation. After 13 years at the helm, founder Dr. Ralph Highnam is transitioning from Chief Executive to the Chief Science & Innovation Officer. Teri Thomas, a highly experienced healthcare industry executive, has been named Chief Executive Officer.
“For the past 18 months Thomas and Highnam have been close collaborators in defining the company’s strategic direction,” said Paul Reid, Chairman of Volpara. “Volpara is fortunate to have them moving into key strategic roles that will deliver more value for patients, customers, employees and shareholders.”
Thomas has deep US healthcare commercial experience
Thomas is an American, based in NZ. She has a long history of executive management in the healthcare industry, ranging from strategy and operations to running global sales and marketing teams. This includes a successful 20-year career at Epic, a leading healthcare systems provider.
Thomas is also a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree, which gives her a unique perspective on the intersection of IT, clinical workflow, and patient experience. “Volpara is very purpose and values driven. I’m delighted that the board has chosen me to lead the company into a new era of profitable growth, accelerated by innovation.” Thomas was a key member of the decision-making team behind Volpara successfully acquiring Harvard spin-out CRA Health in February 2021.
“There’s never been a more exciting time for Volpara Health,” said Highnam. “I am turning commercial responsibility over to a gifted and experienced leader at a time where we are getting not just closer to early detection but prevention of breast cancer. Teri’s experience is ideal to help Volpara achieve its mission by reaching more patients in more ways.”
Highnam to focus on application of Volpara’s unrivalled dataset
Volpara has analysed over 56 million mammography images and has assessed the breast composition of more than 13 million women in 39 countries. Highnam will now focus on leveraging this data to develop the next wave of innovative AI enhancements and strengthen Volpara’s portfolio for its extensive customer network. These new solutions for leading hospitals and breast care clinics around the world will further the company’s purpose of saving families from cancer.
“Over the last decade, we’ve collated one of the world’s biggest datasets of breast images, a team of bright scientists and a diverse set of industry and academic partners,” said Highnam. “Our customers are among the most prestigious healthcare institutions in the world. I’m thrilled to focus my 30 years of experience in healthcare AI toward Volpara’s innovation engine and developing new revenue streams.”
US visit to lay groundwork for new CEO
For the next month, Thomas will be in the US engaging with Volpara’s US-based sales, marketing, development, and customer success teams as well as meeting with strategic partners and customers.
Source: Volpara Health
