NVA Appoints Ken Burdick Executive Chairman Ahead of Future IPO
Burdick is a seasoned public company executive with more than 40 years of healthcare experience. He currently serves as Executive Chairman at LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST), a leading U.S. provider of outpatient mental healthcare. Since joining LifeStance as Chairman and CEO in 2022, he has led significant financial and operational transformation at the company. Previously, he spent six years as CEO of WellCare Health Plans, during which time the company delivered superb performance in both topline and profit margin expansion, resulting in exceptional value creation prior to being acquired by Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC). He previously held senior leadership positions at United Healthcare and Cigna Corporation. Burdick brings extensive public and private board experience. He has also devoted decades of service to non-profit organizations, including United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Tampa General Hospital.
Dr. McFarland also brings substantial public company experience, including more than 40 years in the veterinary healthcare industry. For the past 11 years, he held senior leadership roles at Zoetis, Inc., including Group Director of United States Companion Animal Marketing, Executive Vice President and Group President of the Accelerated Growth Businesses, and Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Before joining Zoetis, Mike spent 15 years in emergency medicine, including five years as the Medical Director for one of the country's first and largest after-hours emergency practices. Previously, he spent 13 years at Pfizer, Inc., serving as Group Director of CAD Veterinary Operations, Group Director of U.S. Veterinary Medical Services, and Director of Specialty Hospital Services for Pfizer Animal Health. Dr. McFarland earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1985.
Greg Hartmann, NVA Chairman, will remain on the Board and remains invested in the company, reinforcing his enduring confidence in NVA's strategy and profitable growth opportunities.
'It is a privilege to welcome executives of their caliber,' said Hartmann. 'Ken's extensive public company and multi-site clinical experience will be a tremendous asset for NVA, our care teams and the veterinary profession. Mike brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and strategic acumen, shaped by decades of leadership in animal health, that will further strengthen our Board. I am excited to work closely with Ken, Mike, the Board and the NVA leadership team as we continue NVA's journey of value creation.'
'I am honored to lead NVA as it continues on its pathway to becoming a blue-chip veterinary care company,' added Burdick. 'NVA's mission, culture, and commitment to compassionate clinical excellence resonate strongly with me, and I look forward to working with the Board and leadership team as we continue to build on NVA's strong foundation to create long-term value for all stakeholders.'
'Having spent my career in animal health, I've long admired NVA's focus on quality care, community, and clinical autonomy,' said McFarland. 'I'm pleased to join the Board and help advance NVA's continued growth and commitment to supporting veterinary teams and the pets they serve.'
About NVA
National Veterinary Associates Group is defining the future of pet health. NVA is a community of approximately 1,300+ premier locations across North America consisting of general practice veterinary hospitals, Ethos Veterinary Health, which consists of world-class specialty and emergency hospitals, equine hospitals and pet resorts. For more information, visit http://www.nva.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Amazon's AI-Powered AWS, Efficiency Gains, And Consumer Demand Fuel Bullish Q2 Outlook
(NASDAQ:AMZN) is poised to potentially outperform market expectations in its July 31 second-quarter earnings report, driven by a combination of robust U.S. retail sales, advantageous foreign exchange rates, and accelerating demand for its artificial intelligence-related services through Amazon Web Services (AWS). Strong consumer spending and ongoing efficiency gains in its e-commerce operations are also contributing to a positive outlook for the tech giant. Reinforcing this positive sentiment, Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post maintained (NASDAQ:AMZN) with a Buy rating and raised the price forecast from $248 to $265. Post raised its second-quarter estimates for the company, citing stronger-than-expected U.S. retail data, favorable foreign exchange (FX) movements, and rising AI-related demand via Anthropic. The analyst forecasted second-quarter revenue of $164 billion, exceeding Wall Street's consensus of $162 expects Amazon Web Services (AWS) to grow 16.5% year-over-year, slightly below the first-quarter's 16.9% but in line with Street projections of 17%. However, Post noted that robust AI demand and accelerating AWS infrastructure investments will drive growth reacceleration in the second half of the year. The analyst projects $17.8 billion in second-quarter profit, above the consensus estimate of $17.0 billion and the high end of Amazon's own guidance of $17.5 billion. Key drivers include resilient consumer spending, signs of acceleration in e-commerce trends, and FX benefits, especially with the euro up 5% year-over-year (Y/Y) and 8% quarter-over-quarter (Q/Q) against the dollar, potentially delivering a 130bps FX tailwind vs. the Street's modest 30bps estimate, he noted. In North America Retail, aggregated BAC credit/debit card data and Bloomberg Second Measure point to a 4-point acceleration in sales growth versus the first quarter, Post noted. The analyst said this sets the stage for Amazon to beat Street expectations by over 2% in the region. International Retail could benefit from FX trends, as the Street models only offer a modest boost. Amazon's guidance for the third quarter is expected to range between $169 billion and $174 billion (vs. Street at $172.8 billion) with GAAP EBIT projected between $14.0 billion and $18.0 billion (Street at $19.4 billion), Post noted. He suggested Amazon's historical conservatism could result in cautious guidance, but if second-quarter results show substantial upside, the third-quarter outlook could surprise higher. Post also highlighted reports of AWS job cuts, which may support margin expansion in the second half. The analyst estimates second-quarter AWS operating margins at 36.0%, slightly above the consensus of 35.3%, though down 3.5 points from the first quarter due to higher stock-based compensation. He further noted that AWS capex spending is scaling rapidly, up 38 points Y/Y, now accounting for 70% of Amazon's capex, signaling a ramp in infrastructure buildout that should alleviate previous supply constraints and support future growth. Post said positives that could boost investor confidence included solid second-quarter retail performance from resilient consumer demand, potential third-quarter boost from a longer Prime Day, retail margin leverage from hiring freezes and cost discipline, AWS revenue acceleration tied to increasing AI and chip demand and improved operating efficiency and tax savings from the Big Beautiful Bill, which could add $6.4 billion in incremental cash tax benefits between 2025–2027. Despite trading at 13.4 times 2026 EV/EBITDA, Amazon remains below its 10-year average of 16.5 times, the analyst said, suggesting potential for multiple expansion if growth momentum holds. Upcoming results from Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) may also influence sentiment ahead of Amazon's report, Post noted. Post projected second-quarter revenue of $163.92 billion and EPS of $1.40. Price Action: AMZN stock is trading higher by 0.26% to $228.05 at last check Wednesday. Photo via Shutterstock Latest Ratings for AMZN Date Firm Action From To Mar 2022 Deutsche Bank Initiates Coverage On Buy Feb 2022 Tigress Financial Maintains Buy Feb 2022 Credit Suisse Maintains Outperform View More Analyst Ratings for AMZN View the Latest Analyst Ratings Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Amazon's AI-Powered AWS, Efficiency Gains, And Consumer Demand Fuel Bullish Q2 Outlook originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boeing raises outlook for widebody freighters as 777-8 production begins
Boeing on Monday officially began production of the 777-8 freighter by drilling the first hole into a wing spar, while Airbus reached another milestone in building its new A350 freighter as the companies gear up competition for sales of large cargo jets. The developments come after Boeing (NYSE: BA) recently downgraded its 20-year forecast for air cargo volumes to 3.7% compounded annual growth from 4.1% in its 2024 commercial market outlook. Boeing also predicts total freighter aircraft entering the market by 2044 will be 2,900, up slightly from the 2,845 projection in last year's report. The lower traffic forecast reflects a higher annual growth in the 2024 base year of 11% and lower long-term economic estimates, Boeing spokesman Ted Land explained. The airfreight market experienced a strong recovery in 2024, driven by cross-border e-commerce demand, after an 18-month downturn. Boeing projects a 67% increase in the global freighter fleet by 2044, including 885 large widebody aircraft like the 777-8 and the A350 — up from 810 in the prior estimate. Total freighter production increased by 55 units despite a drop of nearly 100 narrowbody freighters over 20 years. Boeing attributes the change to growing demand for the payload and range of widebody cargo jets to support increased supply chain diversification and cross-border e-commerce at a time when airlines are accelerating retirement of older aircraft, new production has been slowed by post-pandemic supply chain backlogs and government certification for emerging 777 conversion companies has been delayed. Meanwhile, the market is oversupplied with narrowbody converted freighters. The analysis shows fewer factory-built freighters entering service than estimated last year, with 955 newbuilds versus 1,945 passenger-to-freighter conversions. 777-8 production begins The U.S. aerospace giant announced that manufacturing of the first 777-8 freighter began Monday at a plant in Everett, Washington, with a specialized robot drilling holes in the wing spar and filling them with fasteners. Spars are the backbone of a wing, serving as a critical support structure. Each wing has two spars — one in the front and one in the rear. The 777-8, now scheduled for first commercial delivery in 2028, will be the world's largest twin-engine freighter. Boeing says the plane will have 30% better fuel efficiency and emissions, with nearly identical payload and range capabilities, compared to the aging 747-400. The 777-8 also offers 25% better operating costs per ton and much quieter engines. Technical specifications include a maximum revenue payload of 123.7 U.S. tons, with main-deck capacity for 31 pallets, and a maximum range of more than 4,400 nautical miles. The 777-X program, which includes a passenger variant, was launched more than a decade ago, but has faced a series of technical and regulatory delays. The company began taking orders in January 2022 and now has 59 firm orders. Qatar Airways is the launch customer, with a firm order for 34 aircraft. Other 777-8 customers include Lufthansa, Silk Way West, Cargolux, ANA and China Airlines. To make the 108-foot long composite spars, Boeing machinists in the Wing Center guide machines that apply layers of carbon fiber tape onto large tooling to form the shape of the spar, which is then prepped and hardened through pressure and heat in an autoclave. The spars are then moved onsite for finishing work before they are moved to the main Everett factory. Airbus stays one step ahead Meanwhile, Airbus announced Wednesday that it has completed manufacturing the first horizontal stabilizer for the A350 freighter at its plants in Spain. The section will be shipped to the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse in the coming weeks, where it will be joined with the fuselage of the first test aircraft. Airbus is manufacturing two A350 cargo jets for flight testing in 2026 and 2027. In late May, Airbus finished the first ever set of wings for the A350F. Airbus benefits from an efficiency standpoint by building the horizontal stabilizer and wings in the same production lines as the passenger version. The manufacturer has received 66 orders for the A350 freighter. It expects to begin first deliveries in late 2027 after development delays of its own. The A350's main-deck cargo door will also be manufactured in Spain. Made from composite materials, it has the largest door opening of any freighter to make loading and unloading faster and easier. Airbus says the A350 will offer at least a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to large cargo aircraft currently in service. The widebody freighter has a payload of up to 122 tons and a range of up to 4,480 nautical miles. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@ RELATED STORIES: Saudi Arabia-based leasing company to buy 10 Airbus A350 freighters Airbus postpones rollout of A350 freighter until late 2027 China Airlines finalizes deal for 4 Boeing 777-8 cargo aircraft The post Boeing raises outlook for widebody freighters as 777-8 production begins appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
25 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Spok Sets Date to Report Second Quarter 2025 Results
PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), a global leader in healthcare communications, today announced it will release its second quarter 2025 operating results on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, after the close of the U.S. financial markets. Management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss these financial results on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The presentation is open to all interested parties and may include forward-looking information. Conference Call Details To access the call, please dial in approximately ten minutes before the start of the call. For those unable to join the live call, an OnDemand version of the webcast will be available following the call under the URL link and on the investor relations website. About Spok Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Plano, Texas, is proud to be a global leader in healthcare communications. We deliver clinical information to care teams when and where it matters most to improve patient outcomes. Top hospitals rely on the Spok Care Connect® platform to enhance workflows for clinicians and support administrative compliance. Our customers send over 70 million messages each month through their Spok® solutions. Spok enables smarter, faster clinical communication. Spok is a trademark of Spok Holdings, Inc. Spok Care Connect and Spok Mobile are trademarks of Spok, Inc.
