Strong as individuals
Invincible as a team

Neil F. Gordon

M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C.

CEO and Medical Director

Dr. Gordon obtained his M.D. and a Ph.D. in exercise physiology in Johannesburg, South Africa. He relocated to the United States in 1987 and obtained a master's degree in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and is board certified in public health and general preventive medicine. Dr. Gordon served as director of exercise physiology at the world-renowned Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas for six and a half years where he worked with numerous elite athletes. In 1995, Dr. Gordon relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where he founded INTERVENT USA. In his capacity as INTERVENT USA's Chairman and CEO, Dr. Gordon successfully led the company's national and international expansion which culminated in its acquisition by Nationwide Better Health (a subsidiary of Nationwide, one of the world's largest mutual insurance and financial services companies) in April 2007.

After the acquisition, Dr. Gordon served as the chief medical and science officer for Nationwide Better Health until 2011 when he led the initiative which resulted in INTERVENT re-acquiring global rights to the INTERVENT programs. Other key past positions include:​​

• ​Clinical professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Vice-president of the American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Trustee of the American College of Sports Medicine
• Chairman of the American Heart Association Committee on Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention​​

Dr. Gordon has authored over 100 published scientific manuscripts, eight books and numerous scientific abstracts in the area of preventive medicine.

Richard D. Salmon

B.D.S., M.B.A.

Chief Operations Officer

Dr. Salmon obtained his B.D.S. from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and an M.B.A. from the Judge Institute of Management at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. After completing his military service, he was a registered dentist in private practice in South Africa and the United Kingdom and a member of the General Dental Council. At the University of the Witwatersrand he received the Jan Breyer Award in pharmacology. At the University of Cambridge, he received the Remedy Award for entrepreneurship and the KPMG Award for his dissertation on customer satisfaction and its relationship to loyalty in health care. In England, Dr. Salmon worked in the English National Health Service in varying capacities both as a clinician and as a manager.

Dr. Salmon co-founded INTERVENT USA, Inc. and led all of the operations and technology development, which helped culminate in its acquisition by Nationwide Better Health (a subsidiary of Nationwide, one of the world's largest mutual insurance and financial services companies) in April 2007. After the acquisition, Dr. Salmon served as vice president of product development for Nationwide Better Health. He also helped launch operations for INTERVENT in Southern Africa, Asia, South America and Canada. When INTERVENT International acquired the intellectual property from Nationwide in 2011, he successfully led the INTERVENT team tasked with implementing the re- acquired systems to allow for program implementation in the U.S. and globally. His current responsibilities at INTERVENT include the operations of all technology-related products and services, including the coaching and call center platforms and interfaces. Dr. Salmon and his team have developed state-of-the-art outcomes measurement applications and tools that continue to enable INTERVENT to compile an impressive publication record.

G. Chipstead "Chip" Faircloth

M.B.A., M.H.A.

Executive Vice President

Mr. Faircloth received a bachelor of business administration degree in finance from the University of Georgia as well as master's degrees in business administration and health administration from Georgia State University. He has more than 35 years of experience as an executive with various health care organizations, with much of his career spent as a hospital and cardiology practice CEO developing and executing programs aimed at the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

At INTERVENT, Mr. Faircloth works primarily with developing, implementing and managing relationships with large complex clients and with developing and managing other strategic relationships with other organizations. His involvement as executive leader of an account team typically begins during the sales process, continues into the implementation process and is sustained through long-term account support and growth. In addition, Mr. Faircloth has detailed experience with the INTERVENT health promotion platform and programs. As one of INTERVENT's co-founders, he was involved with the creation of its platform, its services and many of its relationships.

Brenda Shepherd Wright

Ph.D., NBC-HWC

Vice President - Behavioral Science

Dr. Wright received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and master of education and doctor of philosophy degrees from the University of North Texas in Denton. For more than 12 years she served as director of behavioral science and health promotion at the Cooper Institute in Dallas. With more than 30 years of experience in health promotion and disease prevention, she has worked with a variety of clients and populations in the U.S. and internationally, including over 200 corporate health promotion programs. Her publication record includes numerous scientific abstracts and manuscripts, newsletters, books for lay and professional audiences and other technical works.

Dr. Wright is one of INTERVENT's co-founders. At INTERVENT, she has served as the primary author of educational and training materials and adapted materials for global audiences. She has provided training and consultative services to lifestyle and disease management coaches on both subject matter content and coaching practices and competencies, particularly stages of change and motivational interviewing. As requested by specific clients, Dr. Wright has developed customized on-site health promotion programs, such as fatigue risk management training for shift workers, interactive seminars and challenges/competitions, and has assisted with preparation of customized evaluation reports.

Prabakar Ponnusamy

M.S.

Chief Technical Officer

Mr. Ponnusamy obtained his bachelor of engineering degree from Bharathiyar University in India and his master of science degree in electrical and computer engineering from Oklahoma State University. Before joining INTERVENT, he worked as a consultant for Perficient. He then served as a consultant to Nationwide Better Health, where he was involved in implementation of numerous successful projects with Fortune 100 companies, such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, Heinz and the New York Stock Exchange.

At INTERVENT, Mr. Ponnusamy is responsible for all engineering and technology. He fulfills a key role of managing and integrating product development with business and operations requirements within the organization and with external stakeholders. He has a keen sense of integrating information technology with business strategy. He has built and architected large systems designed for scale that delight users. He has been responsible for implementing large mobile responsive systems that integrate with population health management applications and electronic medical records. He has also developed INTERVENT's APIs to allow for seamless integration with business partners.

Kevin S. Reid

Director

Information Technology

Mr. Reid holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. Areas of specialization include natural sciences, mathematics and computer sciences. Kevin has over 30 years of IT experience in senior management, data analysis and systems design and implementation. He has designed and developed commercial software and has served as a group IT manager for large UK corporations.

At INTERVENT, Kevin works closely with the IT team on implementation and management of IT systems. Based in Cambridge, England, Kevin has worked with INTERVENT for more than 20 years and was instrumental in establishing the design and implementation of the INTERVENT's SQL database in 2001. Much of the original design is still very relevant and appropriate for today's market.

Kim Allen

B.S., R.D., L.D. NBC-HWC

Director – Lifestyle Health Coaching

Ms. Allen is director of lifestyle health coaching. A registered dietitian, Ms. Allen joined INTERVENT as a health coach in 2001. She has coached thousands of participants at all risk levels and in all lifestyle areas and stages of readiness to change. She has served as lead trainer for U.S. and international implementations (including Angola, Thailand, the Philippines, Canada, South Africa, Australia and Bangladesh) for INTERVENT and Nationwide Better Health lifestyle health coaching programs. She currently manages the health coaches and customer care representatives and conducts ongoing training and quality assurance processes. Ms. Allen also consults with clients regarding implementation of onsite wellness programs. She has a level 1 and level 2 certificate of training in adult weight management and has completed numerous diabetes education training courses.

Waynette Nation

RN, MSN, CDCES

Director - DSMES Services

Ms. Nation is director of DSMES services and quality coordinator. Ms. Nation provides oversight of the INTERVENT diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) services and manages certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) professional coaches and paraprofessional coaches. She also contributes to the development and review of the diabetes prevention and management curriculum to ensure it is evidence based and meets the needs of the target population. Ms. Nation, a registered nurse with a master of science degree in nursing education, has more than 30 years of experience in nursing in both hospital and clinic settings, providing patient care and serving as a manager or supervisor. As a CDCES, Ms. Nation has helped thousands of people prevent and manage diabetes.

Amie Queensland

B.S., NBC-HWC

Compliance and Quality Assurance Coordinator

Ms. Queensland received a bachelor of science degree in school and community health from Winona State University in Minnesota. She has taught health in the school setting and also worked as a public health educator. For nearly 15 years, Ms. Queensland served as a health and wellness coach, working with participants at all risk levels. She was among the first group of coaches to receive the NBC-HWC credential from the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching. As compliance and quality assurance coordinator, Ms. Queensland manages INTERVENT's internal audit process. She also trains and mentors coaches as part of the INTERVENT coach training and education faculty.

Pam Eling

MSN, GNP-BC, CDCES

Senior Diabetes Specialist

Ms. Eling is senior diabetes specialist. Ms. Eling advises on clinical matters related to INTERVENT diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) services, including evidence-based practice, service design, evaluation and continuous quality improvement. She assumed a leadership role in the submission of the application for accreditation of INTERVENT DSMES services by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) and will work closely with other staff to ensure that the national standards for DSMES are maintained through systematic planning, staff training and ongoing evaluation. Ms. Eling has practiced in all aspects of chronic disease management for over 20 years and has specialized in diabetes management for over 10 years.

Thomas J. Savona

M.A.

Director – Product Management, Engagement and Quality Assurance

Mr. Savona has a master's degree in applied physiology from Teacher's College, Columbia University in New York City. For more than 20 years, he worked as an exercise physiologist and manager of cardiac rehabilitation programs. In 2001, he became an INTERVENT licensee, providing programs in the mid-Hudson region of New York State. In 2008, Mr. Savona joined Nationwide Better Health as a senior client services manager where he served large multi-national corporate clients including Chevron and others. When INTERVENT was re-organized in 2011, he joined the team as a health coach and engagement manager. He has coached thousands of patients/participants at all risk levels on comprehensive aspects of lifestyle management.

In his current role at INTERVENT, he has responsibility for ensuring a consistent, standardized and high quality experience for client organizations and individual participants. He tracks and reports operational and clinical metrics related to outreach, enrollment, engagement, program completion, incentives/rewards, clinical outcomes and participant satisfaction. Mr. Savona works closely with INTERVENT's IT team to test new platform features prior to release. He also conducts regular, structured audits of the communications of lifestyle health coaches and customer care representatives.

Terri L. Kridl

M.P.H., NBC-HWC

Director – Product Development

Ms. Kridl received her master's degree in public health and physical activity from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. While at USC, she worked as a graduate assistant with the university's campus wellness program, leading health promotion programs, assisting with health screenings and organizing health fairs. Her bachelor of science degree in psychobiology is from the University of California, Los Angeles College of Letters and Sciences, where she was a member of Alpha Lambda Delta national academic honor society. At UCLA, she was a research assistant for multiple studies completed through the UCLA School of Public Health.

Ms. Kridl joined INTERVENT in 2013 as a health coach, where she has worked with participants from diverse corporate wellness programs as well as patients referred from physician networks and a medically supervised weight management program. She is involved in development of educational materials, including e-learning and social media applications, and serves as a lead trainer for INTERVENT's coach training and education program. Ms. Kridl also consults with clients to implement health fairs, delivers lunch and learn presentations and organizes other onsite events. Ms. Kridl has served as a coauthor on several lifestyle-related manuscripts and abstracts published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. She is an ACE-certified group fitness instructor and teaches fitness classes in her leisure time. She was among the first group of coaches to receive the NBC-HWC credential from the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching.

Saul Quint

M.D.

Chairman and CEO, INTERVENT Canada

Dr. Quint received his medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has been practicing family medicine in the Toronto area since 198l. Dr. Quint has more than 35 years of experience in business, management and clinical practice. Positions have included chief executive officer of CareClinix, a provider of online patient and management tools and co-founder of Canadian Legal Copies, a facilities management company.

In 2007, Dr. Quint founded INTERVENT Canada and introduced INTERVENT programs and services to employers, healthcare providers and others in Canada. In 2017, Dr. Quint launched INTERVENT Weight Management with OPTIFAST, a medically-supervised weight management program, in the Canadian marketplace. This innovative, evidence-based INTERVENT program option includes the OPTIFAST meal replacement and an evening meal of prepared foods supported by physician office visits and telephonic health coaching with dietitians and health coaches. To date, the intervention has proven extremely successful, especially with overweight patients with diabetes. The business plan is to expand the weight management program to medical practices throughout Canada. Dr. Quint works closely with the INTERVENT International team.

William L. Zinn

M.D.

Medical Director and Executive Advisor – Provider Initiatives

Dr. Zinn obtained his M.D. at New York University and following an internship in pathology, he completed his residency in radiology and fellowship in neuroradiology at New York University Medical Center.

After spending 15 years in private practice radiology he created his own professional corporation dedicated to imaging interpretation, wellness screening and forensic reviews. He has served as a primary reviewer and adjudicator in clinical trials. He helps in business development of young and established companies in telemedicine, PACS and image quality platforms.

Dr. Zinn joined the INTERVENT team in 2016 as an advisor with a focus on growth and diversification, especially in the provider space.

Jody Hereford

MS, BSN, RN, NBC-HWC and MINT Member

Executive Advisor – Prevention and Rehabilitation

Jody is a member of the INTERVENT Executive Advisory Team with her primary participation being chronic disease prevention, management and rehabilitation coaching services.

Jody has a passion for health and how we create it in individual lives and within organizations and populations. A forward-thinking healthcare leader, coach, and entrepreneur with an eye to the future and a strong belief in the possibilities to improve care and outcomes for people living with chronic illness. Jody brings a breadth of experience in technology, clinical care, and the power of human touch and connection. Motivated to transform the way we provide healthcare and empower people to take a more active role in their health and wellbeing.

Other key career highlights include:

- Past President and Master Fellow of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR).
- Board of Advisors for the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC).
- Member Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and National Board Certified – Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC)
- Working history and relationship with Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute, The Boeing Company, and dozens of health systems.
- Decades of consulting work in project design and implementation, author of two books on clinical operations and standards, numerous book chapters, and Jody has delivered hundreds of hours of continuing education and invited presentations.

Terry Thomas

MSN, BSN, RN

Executive Advisor – Nursing & Chronic Disease Risk Reduction

Terry is a member of the INTERVENT Executive Advisory Team with a focus on nursing and chronic disease risk reduction.

Throughout her career, Terry has pioneered national organizations and clinical programs leading the way in population health. She has educated hundreds of providers on early risk detection for cardiometabolic disease, helping them achieve improved patient outcomes.

Terry spent 20 years as a clinician in cardiovascular nursing and preventive cardiology, including work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, she drove innovations in clinic-based preventive services and heart disease prevention programs. She created the first Women’s Heart Disease Prevention program in North Carolina.

Terry is a founding member and past President of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA). In addition, she is a founding member of the Southeast Lipid Association (SELA), which was the inspiration for establishing the National Lipid Association (NLA).

Tony Wilson

Executive Advisor - Marketing Strategy

Tony is a strategic thought leader who has proven experience helping companies succeed and drive profitable results at scale. Tony has spent 15 years developing and executing performance marketing strategies for both enterprise Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups. Tony brings strategy, creative, media and analytics capabilities to INTERVENT in order to fuel our next level of growth.

Tony works with high growth potential businesses focusing on building their performance marketing capabilities while creating a differentiated customer experience. Throughout his career, Tony has strategically deployed hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising spend delivering against both immediate and long term business objectives. Tony's goal is to connect businesses and consumers to INTERVENT's services with creative and media strategy that delivers an exceptional customer experience and exponential growth in a cost-effective manner.

Darren D. Youngleson

B.Comm B Acc CA (SA) MBA

Executive Advisor - Strategic Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions

Darren is a member of the INTERVENT Executive Advisory Team with his primary participation being head of Strategic Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions.

Darren is an experienced principal, director and executive with extensive public and private market experience across industries, primarily focusing on healthcare and real estate. His career spans nearly three decades as a corporate finance executive focusing on business strategy, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, private equity & investor relations, with his M&A track record spanning over 50 transactions valued in excess of $5 billion.

Darren's career included 9 years as head of M&A, Corporate Finance & Investor Relations with Netcare Limited, a healthcare services group which grew to 120 hospitals, 118 primary care and dental centers, 88 pharmacies, interests in pathology and radiology, emergency services, managed care, dialysis centers, travel clinics and specialized medical centers and entailed extensive travel to various markets which were pursued by the group including, inter alia, countries in Europe, Australasia, North America, the Middle East and Asia. Darren's final transaction prior to emigrating to the USA in 2006 was the acquisition by Netcare of a controlling interest in the UK-based General Healthcare Group for an enterprise value of ~£2.65 billion.

Since moving to the USA, Darren's healthcare experience includes being a Principal of Global Healthcare Investments & Solutions, a global healthcare investment & advisory company that engaged primarily in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and Brazil with one of the focal areas being the involvement in, and on the Board and Sub-Committees of, a Canadian publicly listed company which is the largest provider of specialty pharmacy services to seniors in Canada. In addition, Darren is the Principal of Magna Legacy Partners, an investment group targeting predominantly senior housing and healthcare real estate.

Greg Arms

Executive Advisor - Development

Greg is a member of the INTERVENT Executive Advisory Team with his primary participation being strategic partnerships and other core development activities aimed at scaling INTERVENT’s client base.

Greg is a 40-year insurance industry veteran with deep, global experience in the Life, Health, Disability, and Pension sectors on both overseas assignments and U.S. based postings.

Over the course of his career, Greg has held senior executive roles with some of the industry’s foremost carriers and brokers.

His specific leadership roles have included:

* CHUBB – Global Head of Accident & Health
* MARSH – Global co-Leader of Mercer Marsh Benefits
* WILLIS – Chairman & CEO of the Global Employee Benefits Practice
* UNITEDHEALTH – Chief Marketing Officer and International CEO
* AIG – VP Life Insurance & President/Worldwide Director of Group Management Division

Currently, as President & CEO of The Arms Group, Greg advises companies on ways to elevate their operational performance and brand prominence by fostering innovation, developing new products, sharpening value propositions, forging strategic partnerships, attracting private equity/venture capital interest, coaching executives and developing talent. Greg’s clients range in size from Insurtech start-ups and midsize health related firms up to Global 500 organizations and private investment firms.

Greg is a member of the Self Insurance Institute of America (SIIA), where he sits on the SIIA International Committee, having served as its Chairman for three years. He is an active participant at the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers (CIAB), the WorldCaptives Forum, the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS), and the South Carolina Captive Insurance Association.

A graduate of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, Greg also received the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Jane Farnham

B.Sc. Pharmacy, MBA, NBC-HWC

Executive Advisor – Pharmacy Strategy and Healthcare Innovation

Jane is a seasoned healthcare executive and growth-oriented strategist with a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions to complex challenges in the healthcare sector. Recognized for her inspirational leadership, she excels as a thought partner, connector, and mentor, aligning and energizing teams to achieve impactful results.

With extensive experience in both the private and public healthcare arenas, Jane brings unique insights into navigating complex healthcare systems. Her expertise encompasses strategy, business development, marketing, advocacy, government relations, and communications. Throughout her career, Jane has held senior executive positions, consistently driving outstanding results in the Pharma, Pharmacy, and Specialty Drug sectors.

A passionate advocate for patients and her profession, Jane has chaired the board of directors for the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD), the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), and the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA).

Jane holds certifications from the Wharton School and Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania (SmithKline Beecham - LDI Fellow), the Executive Management Program for Pharmacy Leaders, and the Wholebeing Institute (Certificate in Positive Psychology).

Additionally, she is a board-certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and a certified Wholebeing Positive Psychology Coach. Jane also serves as an executive mentor with Rotman’s Global Executive MBA for Healthcare and the Life Sciences.

John E. Thiel

M.Ed.

Lead - Specialized Clinical Resources

Mr. Thiel has a Master's degree in exercise science from Georgia State University. He has worked as a clinician and manager in medical and corporate settings for more than 30 years. For approximately eleven years, Mr. Thiel was on staff at the prestigious Emory University HealthCare System where he was director for cardiac rehabilitation programs. He joined INTERVENT in 2000 as a relationship manager for the Emory executive health program, which was offered in conjunction with INTERVENT.

At INTERVENT, Mr. Thiel currently serves as a senior clinical resource and lifestyle health coach. He has been involved in important multi-center clinical trials for the National Institutes of Health that helped patients who have had strokes take steps to improve their lifestyle, exercising, eating healthfully, managing stress and taking medications as directed. He has developed and delivered fatigue risk management training to managers, trainers and shift workers at several refinery locations across the United States.

Julie Blakely

B.S.

Lead - Clinical Trial Coordinators

Ms. Blakely has a bachelor's degree in food science and nutrition from California Polytechnic State University. She has worked in the field of nutrition, health education, lifestyle management and disease management for more than 20 years. She has coached thousands of INTERVENT participants, many for over the course of several years. Her participants consistently rate their satisfaction with their coaching experience as “excellent.” In addition to coaching, Julie has served as coordinator and coach for two large multi-center clinical trials funded by National Institutes of Health that have served patients at more than 150 medical centers in North America over multiple years.

Brett McCurdy

B.S., R.D.N., NBC-HWC

Lead - Coach Trainer

Mr. McCurdy obtained a bachelor of science degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Idaho. He is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and has also received the NBC-HWC credential from the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching. He has worked in the area of wellness counseling/coaching since 2012. In addition, his work experiences include food service for hospitals, school districts and advanced care facilities, onsite health coaching and nutrition counseling for large employers. As lead trainer, Mr. McCurdy is a member of INTERVENT's training and education faculty and serves as primary contact to the NBHWC. Mr. McCurdy continues to deliver telehealth coaching to a small cohort of INTERVENT participants.

Michael Vines

B.I.T.

Lead - System Administrators

Mr. Vines has a bachelor's degree in information technology from Georgia Southern University. He joined the INTERVENT team in 2007 and worked in varying capacities for Nationwide Better Health. This included network support and operations, project management, eligibility file management and telecommunications support.

As a senior systems administrator Michael is responsible for LAN, WAN and telecommunications administration and support.

He is also responsible for the management of the INTERVENT call center network operations.

He plays an important role in integrating and managing eligibility, incentive administration and claims file processing. Additional responsibilities include integration with the reporting, analytics and operations teams.

Jennifer Ward

B.F.A.

Lead - Designers

Ms. Ward has a bachelor of fine arts degree from Savannah College of Art and Design. Jennifer leads the design of multimedia, marketing and print materials for both internal projects and external clients. 

Ms. Ward is responsible for establishing product identity, look and feel, proposing designs, and creating prototypes. She specializes in creating products and resources that meet the specific needs and branding of external clients and companies. 

Ms. Ward also heads the production of all web-related designs and works closely with engineers on various aspects of the website.