MARK MCKENNA
Retired president and CEO of Novation, led the nation's largest group purchasing organization from 1999 through the summer of 2006. His distinguished career in supply chain management and supply cost control spanned 30 years with medical device manufacturers as well as provider-owned group purchasing organizations.

He has served on the boards of directors of Novation and HealthCare Purchasing Partners International since 1999. In addition, McKenna served as:

• Board member for Neoforma from 2000 to 2003
  
• Chairman of the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association from 2003 - 2004
  
• Board member for the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association from 2000 -2006
  
• Board of Advisors of NCI, Inc. from 1993 - 1997
  
• Board member for Arizona State University Supply Chain and Research Consortium from 2004 to 2006
  
• Board of Advisors for The Beryl Companies in 2006

DAN NIELSEN

Prior to creating NIHCL, for nearly fifteen years, Mr. Nielsen was the lead executive responsible for the national Education and Networking strategies and activities of VHA, America’s largest hospital and healthcare national alliance with annual revenue exceeding 25 billion dollars.  Dan’s area of responsibility within VHA was at the top of the company in both Customer Satisfaction and Employee Satisfaction during the same years that VHA was named by Fortune Magazine as one of America’s best 100 companies to work for in America. 

Prior to joining VHA, Nielsen was Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Fort Worth Medical Center.  Over a period of fifteen years, Dan led an organization without funding, property, or staff to become a successful, profitable, and rapidly growing medical center.

Nielsen received his master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the Washington University School of Medicine and his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Southern Nazarene University.

Mr. Nielsen has an extensive background in facilitating executive meetings, seminars, and conferences, and he has served as a faculty member at Washington University School of Medicine, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Dallas, and University of North Texas Health Science Center.

MARLOWE SENSKE
Mr. Senske’s distinguished career in health care management includes wide-ranging expertise in all aspects of creating, developing, leading, and operating a successful health care business.  He has created unique health care delivery systems and cost-reduction strategies for hospitals, and has special expertise in hospital operations, health care system development, the supply industry, GPO operations, and start-up health care service company development and operations.
Prior to joining the Healthcare Group, Mr. Senske served as executive vice president of VHA, Inc. of Irving, Texas, the leading health care alliance in the industry.  There he was responsible for VHA operations, leading and managing 18 regional hospital service organizations located throughout the country providing services to its 2,200 hospitals and their related companies.

Prior to joining VHA, Inc., Senske was president and chief executive officer of VHA Minnesota and VHA North Central in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In this role he created, developed, and operated a 32-hospital regional health care system located in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  He also served 10 years as an operational officer at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, now a part of the Allina Health System.

HAYS WALDROP
The Founder and President of IHES and The Council of Supply Chain Executives (Council) is W. Hays Waldrop. His office is located in historic downtown Franklin, Tennessee. Franklin is located just 20 minutes south of Nashville, Tennessee.

Mr. Waldrop has an extensive background in both healthcare and technology. He has been recognized twice as one of the Top 100 Healthcare executives in the talent rich Nashville, TN and surrounding areas. Additionally, he has been recognized by Manchester Who's Who Among Executives and Professionals. Mr. Waldrop spent considerable time within the healthcare industry selling orthopedic implants and related surgical products with a market leading orthopedic manufacturer.

Mr. Waldrop is married with two children. He is active in the Franklin community, serving on various Boards of Directors, namely, The Williamson County Chapter of the American Red Cross, The Citizens Police Academy and Co-Chair of Franklin Tomorrow. He is also a member of Leadership Healthcare, a division of the Nashville Healthcare Council and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Logic Media Group, a Nashville, TN based public relations firm. Additionally, he serves as advisor to multiple healthcare related companies, including Dominic & Irvine Research, a national healthcare research company located in Franklin, TN.

JAMES WETRICH
Mr. Wetrich has been deeply involved in health care for the past twenty-six years. Jim attended the University of Southern California (USC) where he earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences and began his exposure to health care delivery and community health initiatives through a number of roles.  He was one of the University’s first Health Advocates, highly trained peer counselors who provided unique health counseling services to students. U.S.C. awarded Mr. Wetrich with Outstanding Senior Recognition upon his graduation.

Following graduation from U.S.C., Mr. Wetrich attended Tulane University where he earned a Master of Health Administration with a concentration in financial management. He spent the next eight years of his career on the provider side of health care working in a variety of capacities.  He worked in hospital administration at Ochsner Hospital where he was involved in the redesign of the hospital’s material management department; he worked as Vice President of the Metropolitan Hospital Council of New Orleans, and as Vice President with Pitts Management Associates.  During his time with David Pitts at PMA, he played an instrumental role in the development of the University HealthSystem Consortium.  Jim late joined UHC as the Director of Business Development.  At UHC, Jim played a key role in developing a renal dialysis supply business and the distribution strategy for the group purchasing program.

Jim left UHC and the provider side of the industry to join Abbott Laboratories as Manager, Corporate Strategic Planning.  While at Abbott, Jim spent four years in product marketing, two years as Marketing Director for European Operations, two years as Director of HealthSystem Sales, and four years Divisional Vice President for National Accounts where Jim handled Abbott’s largest customer, Novation. At the time of his departure from Abbott, Jim’s responsibilities at Novation exceeded $1Billion.

Jim left Abbott to join Premier as the Vice President and General Manager of Supply Chain Relationship Management.  Three months after joining Premier, his position was eliminated in a restructuring.  Mr. Wetrich has formed The Wetrich Group to offer comprehensive sales and marketing advisory services to clients. During its first five years, The Wetrich Group worked with over 45 clients, both suppliers and providers, on a number of projects including marketing, sales, and operational improvements.

Jim joined Molnlycke Health Care in June of 2006 as the President, Wound Care, US and Latin America and General Manager of MHC US.

Mr. Wetrich is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Tulane University. Jim, his wife Nancy and sons Marc and Matt live in Colleyville, Texas.