Autism therapy provider Hopebridge Inc. has named David McIntosh its new CEO.
The Indianapolis-based provider announced Monday that McIntosh — Hopebridge’s chief operating officer and president — will succeed the current CEO Dennis May, effective May 1, 2023. May has been CEO since 2016 and will transition to executive chairman of the company’s board.
“I could not be more confident in this selection, as I have had the opportunity to observe his success in operations and leadership for the last three years,” May said in a news release.
Hopebridge lists 126 locations in 12 states. Kim Strunk founded the company in 2005. It provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) and supportive therapies for autism. These include occupational, speech and feeding therapies.
The company ran a year-long search process to find a new CEO, according to the release. McIntosh joined Hopebridge in 2020 as vice president of operations and was promoted to president and COO in 2021. Before coming to Hopebridge, he was the vice president of operations at PT Solutions Physical Therapy. He was previously a physical therapist.
“David is a well-loved and well-respected leader within the organization with a true ability to connect with employees of all backgrounds,” Strunk said in a news release. “His tenacity, clinical background and passion for autism advocacy makes him a clear leader and destined for the role in leading our company to the next chapter of success in 2023.”
McIntosh said his priorities include investing in professional development, continuing therapy innovations, doubling down on research initiatives and enabling the company to serve underserved communities.
Hopebridge is one of the nation’s largest providers of ABA services. In 2019, the private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners acquired the company. The company is focused on de novo expansion and grew quickly to become a national player in the ABA space.
The appointment of McIntosh is a significant marker in a mix-up in the company’s leadership. In April 2022, The company announced that it named three top-level executives focused on clinical outcomes and value-based care model innovation. This included bringing Strunk back to the company’s leadership role as head of clinical strategy.
The leadership changes come at a time of turmoil for large, private equity-backed ABA providers. Top leaders in the ABA space expected a confluence of several market trends — notably wage inflation and troubles with payers — to come together to make 2023 a “year of reckoning.”
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