H.D. Smith creates H.D. Smith Specialty Solutions, names leadership team to drive the new business

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — H. D. Smith on Tuesday announced the establishment of H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions, an organization structured to provide focus and alignment around specialty and traditional brand products, solutions and services. The wholesaler also announced the realignment of select executive leadership positions to best capitalize on the growing needs resulting from recent geographic and service expansions. These expansions include the acquisition of Valley Wholesale Drug in October 2012 and a planned majority ownership investment in Triplefin announced in January 2013.

"With the recent additions of Valley Wholesale Drug and Triplefin to the H. D. Smith family of companies, our geographic and service-offering reach has expanded greatly — and our business structure must align to meet growing customer needs," stated Dale Smith, chairman and CEO H. D. Smith. "We are focused on growth that supports our manufacturing customers as well as our pharmacy, hospital and institutional care customers and the patients they serve. It is critical that we align talent to meet customer and partner needs efficiently and successfully, and place executives in roles with the highest potential to impact company growth and their own success."

Valley Wholesale Drug operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of H. D. Smith from its California headquarters, increasing the company's customer base in California and expansion into the Pacific Northwest. Triplefin is a brand and specialty pharmaceutical support services company headquartered in Cincinnati. With Triplefin, H. D. Smith's prescription pharmaceutical service offering to manufacturing partners and specialty pharmacy customers has significantly increased.

The largest structural change to the company is the formation of H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions, to be led by Joseph Conda, and which will serve as the umbrella organization, bringing together the company's specialty pharmaceuticals assets: Smith Medical Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary, that represents the company's legacy specialty distribution business;Triplefin, a partially owned subsidiary that offers brand and specialty pharmaceutical support services company; H. D. Smith's Specialty Commercialization team, a team that will accelerate the value of the combined resources of SMP and Triplefin for the benefit of the customer throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain, for both key products and services and key market segments; and H. D. Smith's third-party network, which includes Independence Holding Company, a wholly owned retail pharmacy operation. 

"We established H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions in order to ensure maximized performance and effective service offerings throughout the company's specialty business units," Smith said. "As the organization's new president, Joe brings a wealth of industry, brand and specialty pharmaceuticals and organizational leadership experience to our new umbrella organization. His talent will drive our strategy and manufacturing/patient support solutions portfolio targeted toward specialty and brand pharmaceutical products," Smith added. "Ensuring patient access, education and adherence/compliance to these life-saving medicines is a key aspect of H. D. Smith's strategic intent."

In addition to the creation of H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions, the company appointed the following senior executives to new positions:

• Tom Doyle was promoted to serve as EVP commercial solutions. Doyle will lead the commercialization teams across Smith Medical Partners and Triplefin.


• Karen Callaway promoted to serve as EVP human resources, where she will oversee the development and implementation of all human resources policies, programs and services. A member of the executive leadership team, she will provide expertise on personnel issues that impact performance and business relationships.


• Bob Appleby has been promoted to SVP category management. Appleby will lead all of the company's product category efforts, including branded and generic pharmaceuticals, home healthcare products and the HHC sales organization as well as the health, beauty and wellness product category.


• Tom Twitty was promoted to SVP supply chain management. Twitty will develop a company supply chain strategy that achieves company strategy and meets company performance objectives. His areas will include operations, purchasing, regulatory and compliance.


• Scott Wilson was promoted to SVP drug divisions, where he will lead the drug divisions, the sales organization and the Valley Wholesale Drug business, a wholly owned subsidiary.


• Mark Mehmet was promoted to serve as corporate VP product development and architecture. Mehmet is responsible for leading product development to support business initiatives, leading production teams from initial inception to final product. In this role he will also identify and propose new information technologies and systems to improve business processes and decision making.

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