Two New Members Appointed to Great Expressions Board of Managers

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI – Dec. 2, 2013 – Today, the Board of Managers of OPE GEDC Holdings LLC announced the recent appointment of two new members, Dr. Mert N. Aksu and John Payne.

Both bring diverse and relevant backgrounds to the Board. Dr. Aksu serves as the Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Detroit Mercy where he has helped position the dental school for strong growth in educating dental professionals while providing high quality patient care to the underserved. Dr. Aksu will have an advisory role relating to clinical policies and doctor relations, including improving the recruitment, transitioning, on-boarding, and retention of recent graduates, as well as helping define strategies for GEDC to become the employer of choice for graduates seeking careers in multi-group practices. He also will help GEDC understand the impact dental education will have on the continued growth of the dental service industry. In addition, Dr. Aksu’s insight will allow GEDC to stay informed of the latest dental practices being taught.

Payne has nearly 40 years of healthcare industry experience, including Founder and CEO of Pet Health Innovations, LLC, past President and CEO of Banfield Pet Hospital and past President and General Manager of Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health division for North America. He has widespread experience in delivering or surpassing profit goals in start-up, turnaround and growth environments. Payne’s background in running businesses in healthcare allows him to provide the Board with vision and assist in overcoming challenges in the industry.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Aksu and John to the Board and are confident their combined experience, diverse backgrounds and impressive track records of success will make them strong contributors,” said Richard Beckman, Board member and CEO of Great Expressions Dental Centers.

Both Aksu and Payne will serve open-ended terms.

The GEDC Board is comprised of seven financial, dental and academic industry leaders who provide counsel and guidance to GEDC. Board members focus on strategic initiatives and results for GEDC and assist in connecting GEDC executives with key resources to help business growth.

For more information on GEDC, visit www.greatexpressions.com.

About Great Expressions

For nearly 40 years, Great Expressions Dental Centers (GEDC) has been a leader in preventative dental care, orthodontics and specialty care with local offices in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virginia. One of the largest privately owned dental service organizations in the United States, GEDC is consistently recognized for contributions to improving oral health through quality and safety initiatives, affordable dental care services, patient convenience, research and more. For more information, go to www.greatexpressions.com.

Contact:
Kim Tassie
Lambert, Edwards & Associates
313-309-9523
ktassie@lambert-edwards.com