Newtopia Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Three Executive Leaders
Industry veterans join tech-enabled disease prevention company to drive the next stage of growth; Company issues Incentive Stock Options
TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2020 /CNW/ - Newtopia Inc., a tech-enabled disease prevention company focused on healthy habit change, today announced the appointment of three growth leaders – Lara Dodo as Chief Growth and Operating Officer, Bill Van Wyck as Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product, and Anthony Lam as Chief Financial Officer.
"As we scale to become the category leader in disease prevention, we are building our leadership team with the right industry background and expertise essential for delivering a hyper-personalized experience for our participants alongside a proven value on investment for our risk bearing partners," said Jeff Ruby, Founder & Chief Executive Officer. "These three outstanding individuals will help fuel our continued growth in disease prevention. I am delighted to welcome our newest additions to the Newtopia team and look forward to a long, successful future innovating together."
Newly appointed executives:
- Lara Dodo is a passionate business leader, with a proven record of revenue and operational success across Fortune 1000 firms and start-ups. Her leadership philosophy and style are deeply rooted in leading by example and instilling team cultures that incubate innovation, top performance and positive morale. Over the past 20-years, Lara's core value has been community leadership, including speaking on topics such as women in technology, career navigation and personal development. Lara is a proven entrepreneurial leader, having previously served as CEO of TimePlay, COO of Newtopia and Co-Founder of Bedrock Affect.
- Bill Van Wyck comes to Newtopia as a seasoned founder and leader of tech-enabled companies such as Zillion. Throughout his career, he has leveraged technology to innovate across multiple industries including healthcare, e-commerce, shipping and logistics and transportation. Previously, Bill founded CSI to deliver high-speed networking systems to the securities sector where he led the company to an acquisition by Elcom International, then further grew the company to a successful IPO. Recently, he was founder, CEO and CIO of Zillion which became the backbone digital health platform for the US's largest health insurer. Bill is focused on transforming the company's product and technology infrastructure and use of data science to lead product innovation and enhance participant engagement.
- Anthony Lam is a results-driven executive business leader with over 20 years of international senior finance and operational leadership experience in a number of successful, high growth public and private organizations spanning the Digital Media, Loyalty, SaaS, Software, Gaming, eCommerce and Technology Licensing sectors.
His experience spans a number of companies with a presence in North America and Europe with successful listings on the NASDAQ, TSX and London AIM. Anthony's philosophy is to build scalable teams on a foundation of integrity, resilience, mutual respect and ongoing professional development, leveraging technology to improve efficiency and a continuous desire to inspire exceptional performance.
In addition, Newtopia today announced the issuance of incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants to purchase up to an aggregate of 4,888,028 common shares in the capital of Newtopia pursuant to Newtopia's stock option plan. The options are exercisable on or before November 16, 2025, subject to earlier termination in accordance with Newtopia's stock option plan, at an exercise price of CDN$0.85 per share. The options are subject to certain vesting conditions.
About Newtopia
Newtopia is a tech-enabled disease prevention company focused on healthy habit change. Newtopia's platform leverages genetic, social and behavioral insights to create individualized prevention programs with a focus on type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and weight. With a person-centered approach that combines virtual care, digital tools, connected devices and actionable data science, Newtopia delivers sustainable clinical and financial outcomes. Newtopia serves some of the largest nationwide employers and health plans. To learn more, visit newtopia.com.
Forward Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, and forward looking statements, within the meaning of applicable United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), which reflects management's expectations regarding Newtopia's future growth, results from operations (including, without limitation, future production and capital expenditures), performance (both operational and financial) and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "predicts", "projects", "targets", "plans", "expects", "does not expect", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "anticipate" or "does not anticipate", "believe", "intend" and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative or grammatical variation or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology have been used to identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect Newtopia's current views and intentions with respect to future events, based on information available to Newtopia, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation, the Company's successful completion of its bank financing and current financial trends remaining at or above current levels in respects of revenue, gross profit, gross margin percentage and adjusted operating expenses. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. While forward-looking statements are based on data, assumptions and analyses that Newtopia believes are reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results, performance or developments will meet Newtopia's expectations and predictions depends on a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition of Newtopia to differ materially from its expectations. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, clients continuing to offer Newtopia's platform pursuant to agreements entered into, the timing and ability of the Company to complete the bank credit facility, the Company being confident that it will continue to increase its revenue, gross profit, gross margin percentage and adjusted operating expenses among other financial metrics and current financial trends remaining at or above current levels. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee and are based on a number of estimates and assumptions management believes to be relevant and reasonable, whether actual results, performance or developments will meet Newtopia's expectations and predictions depends on a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition of Newtopia to differ materially from its expectations. Certain of the "risk factors" that could cause actual results to differ materially from Newtopia's forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation: the termination of contracts by clients, risks related to COVID-19 including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, economic activity, financing, supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession; and other general economic, market and business conditions and factors, including the risk factors discussed or referred to in Newtopia's disclosure documents, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com including Newtopia's final long form prospectus dated March 30, 2020.
Should any factor affect Newtopia in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, Newtopia does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and Newtopia undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
SOURCE Newtopia Inc.
please contact: Chief Executive Officer: Jeff Ruby, [email protected]; Media Contact: Rikki Bennie, [email protected], 1.888.639.8181 ext 208
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