SOC Telemed CEO John Kalix leaves

  • Push-out Score determined
  • After less than one year in the position
  • Praise and thanks for Kalix
  • Chris Gallagher taking over

(exechange) — Reston, Virginia, September 1, 2021 — John Kalix, chief executive of SOC Telemed, leaves. As announced by SOC Telemed Inc. in a news release and in a regulatory filing published on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, John W. Kalix leaves his post as chief executive officer at the provider of acute care telemedicine, after less than one year in the role, effective immediately.

John Kalix’s duties as CEO will be taken over by Christopher M. (Chris) Gallagher, a former Chief Executive Officer at Access Physicians Management Services Organization, LLC.

Already a director

Gallagher is already a director of SOC Telemed. Generally speaking, most director-turned-CEO appointments occur following a sudden resignation of the outgoing CEO and signal a lack of preparedness on the company’s part to groom internal talent. Directors-turned-executives represent a blend of outsider and insider.

They don’t have the constraints of a pure insider when it comes to leading painful changes or making unpopular decisions, and they have more company knowledge than a pure outsider.

Having been a director, Gallagher understands the expectations and dynamics of the board and has knowledge of SOC Telemed’s organization, risk-management practices and strategy.

John Kalix’s move coincides with a management shake-up also involving the position of Chief Operating Officer.

“Accelerate growth, drive operational effectiveness and efficiencies, and ensure the highest levels of client success”

SOC Telemed did not give an explicit reason for John Kalix’s departure from the CEO post. SOC Telemed said: “SOC Telemed, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLMD), the largest national provider of acute care telemedicine, today announced the appointment of a new leadership team and organization-wide realignment designed to accelerate growth, drive operational effectiveness and efficiencies, and ensure the highest levels of client success. With these changes, SOC Telemed is well positioned to respond to evolving industry demand for specialty telemedicine services, while continuing to innovate solutions which optimize clinical, operational, and financial performance.”

Precise information regarding John Kalix’s future plans was not immediately available.

“We understand investors may have questions”

SOC Telemed further stated: “We understand investors may have questions and we are working to schedule an introductory conference call with the investor community next week.”

“Stepped down/resigned”

SOC Telemed said: “The Board appointed board member Chris Gallagher, MD, as Chief Executive Officer effective immediately, replacing John Kalix, who has stepped down from this position and resigned from the Board.”

SOC Telemed further said: “On September 1, 2021, John W. Kalix resigned from his roles as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and from the Board.”

Share price decline since January 2021

The announcement follows a decline in SOC Telemed Inc.’s share price of 64% since January 2021.

In the position of CEO since 2020

John Kalix became CEO of the Company in 2020.

John W. Kalix has served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board since the closing of the Merger Transaction and previously served as the President of Legacy SOC Telemed since July 2020.

Prior to joining SOC Telemed, Kalix served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North American Partners in Anesthesia, a single-specialty anesthesia and pain management company, from March 2017 to July 2020. From July 2010 to March 2017, he held various positions at GE Healthcare, a subsidiary of General Electric Company that provides technologies and solutions to the global healthcare industry, including President of the Life Sciences Core Imaging Division for the U.S. and Canada (May 2015 to March 2017) and General Manager, Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the U.S. and Canada (March 2012 to May 2015).

Kalix holds a B.A. in zoology from Miami University.

Push-out Score determined

The Push-out Score™ determined by exechange gauges the pressure surrounding John Kalix’s move on a scale of 0 to 10.

exechange reached out to SOC Telemed and offered the company the opportunity to comment on the score.

Read the full story in the exechange report 36.2021 ($).