HealthPrize Technologies Adds Leading Healthcare Executives to Board of Directors: Dieter Weinand, President and CEO of Bayer Pharma AG, and Dawn Owens, Former CEO of OptumHealth

NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthPrize Technologies, an industry-leading medication adherence and digital patient engagement company, today announced the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors.

As President and CEO of Bayer Pharma AG, Dieter Weinand serves as a member of Bayer HealthCare's Executive Committee and is Head of its Pharmaceuticals Division.

Prior to joining Bayer in August 2014, Weinand served as President of Global Commercialization & Portfolio Management for Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. He brings more than 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in various commercial operations and strategic executive roles spanning markets including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the USA. Weinand has marketed products in therapeutic areas such as cardiology, oncology, pulmonology, dermatology, immunology and inflammation.

"Dieter Weinand's extensive industry expertise and leadership skills across global markets are particularly valuable to HealthPrize during this critical growth phase of the company," says Ruben J. King-Shaw, Jr., Chairman of the Board at HealthPrize and Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Mansa Capital. "We look forward to collaborating with him to realize our 2015 goals and beyond."

"The adherence of patients to medical treatment is a key element to obtain the optimal medical benefit for them," said Dieter Weinand. "Otherwise, health outcomes as well as quality of life are at risk and healthcare costs might increase. HealthPrize's educational approach represents an effective way to address this challenge."

Dawn Owens served as CEO of OptumHealth, a UnitedHealth Group company, from 2007 through 2012, during which time the company became one of the nation's largest and most respected health and well-being companies. Dawn joined UnitedHealth Group in 1997 and held numerous leadership positions, including chief marketing officer of Ingenix (now OptumInsight), and president of Uniprise Strategic Solutions (now a part of UnitedHealthcare). She began her healthcare career at Aetna.

Owens is a Partner with Triple Tree, LLC, the country's largest merchant bank and strategic advisory firm dedicated to healthcare. She also serves on the boards of Grove City College and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"We're thrilled to have Dawn Owens—such a well-respected leader in healthcare—on board with us," says Thomas Kottler, HealthPrize CEO and co-founder. "As we expand both within pharma and also beyond into the payer space, her knowledge and experience will be incredibly valuable. She is a tremendous addition to the HealthPrize team." 

"I am impressed by the HealthPrize platform, track record, and team. Improving medication adherence is an imperative across all major constituencies, and I look forward to helping the company reach its full potential as it addresses this central healthcare challenge," said Ms. Owens.

Weinand and Owens join current Board of Directors members in guiding HealthPrize's approach to increasing patient medication adherence rates and successful outcomes. Fellow board members include Mansa Capital Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer Ruben José King-Shaw Jr., Alumni Capital Network Managing Director and Co-founder and CEO of Ambio Health Kevin Jones, former corporate attorney and investment portfolio manager Doug Poling, HealthPrize CEO and co-founder Tom Kottler, and HealthPrize Chief Medical Officer and co-founder Katrina Firlik, MD.

About HealthPrize
HealthPrize's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) medication adherence and patient engagement platform provides an innovative approach to addressing the problem of medication non-adherence with an online and mobile-based program that is fun, educational and rewarding. The HealthPrize system leverages gaming dynamics, behavioral economics and proven concepts from consumer marketing to maximize engagement while also using education to strengthen the intrinsic motivation required for long-term persistence to prescribed medications. For more information, visit www.healthprize.com and follow us on Twitter at @HealthPrize.

Contacts:
Karen Sackowitz
Director of Communications, HealthPrize Technologies
978.697.3845

SOURCE HealthPrize Technologies

Related Links

http://www.healthprize.com