Key Takeaways
- Willis Chandler will serve as the new CEO of Knipper Health.
- Frazier Healthcare Partners, where Chandler served as executive in residence, also made an investment in Knipper.
- Chandler succeeds previous CEO Michael Laferrera.
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Knipper Health Announces Willis Chandler As new CEO
Author(s):
Chandler previously held leadership positions at Cencora and CVS Health.
Willis Chandler
Courtesy Knipper Health
Willis Chandler is the new president and CEO of Knipper Health. The news came alongside the announcement that Frazier Healthcare Partners is investing in the therapy initiation partner company. Chandler most recently served as executive in residence at Frazier.
Who is Knipper Health's new CEO?
Prior to that, Chandler served as president of global pharma services at Cencora and was a co-founder of Shields Health Solutions. He has also held leadership roles at CVS Health and Health Systems and Provider practices.
In a press release, Nathan Every, general partner at Frazier, said, “Knipper is at the forefront of transforming therapy initiation through a data-enabled, patient-centric platform. We are excited to partner with Willis and the Knipper team to build on the Company’s strong foundation and accelerate its growth. Willis’s experience across commercial pharma services makes him well-suited to lead Knipper through its next chapter.”
In the same press release, Chandler added, “I’m thrilled to join Knipper at a time when we are redefining how quickly and efficiently patients begin therapy. By embedding real-time medical and pharmacy automation at the point of care, aligning fulfillment to patient needs, and powering decisions with actionable data, I look forward to accelerating our mission to create a faster, more efficient path from order to therapy.”
Frank Segrave, Knipper’s Chairman of the Board, also said, “Knipper is very well positioned to lead the next evolution in therapy access through a fully integrated, technology-driven platform. Willis brings the expertise and vision to scale this model for Biopharma, and we look forward to his leadership in our next phase of growth.”
This is the latest update to Knipper’s leadership team. In April of this year, the company announced multiple additions to key roles in the company.2 Alexis Rose serves as president of Knipper 3PL and distribution. She also previously worked at Cencora.
Champ Burgess stepped into the role of president of pharmacy services, while Tony Martin is chief growth officer of pharma services. Prior to Knipper, Burgess served as vice president of health system strategy at Shields Health Solutions. Martin is another transplant from Cencora.
In a press release issued at the time, Knipper’s then president and CEO Mike Lafrerrera said, “These three new team members bring us a wealth of expertise to draw upon as we grow. Importantly, they also share Knipper’s core values and our commitment to both our customers and to patients. I am as excited as ever about the future of Knipper Health and am confident these changes will position us for long-term success.”
Knipper also previously announced a partnership with RxLightning, a company the provides a platform for streamlining specialty medication access and affordability.3 The partnership, announced in March of last year, will allow RxLightning users to access free-drug and patient assistance programs offered by KnippeRx through a co-branded portal.
In a press release issued at the time, KnippeRx VP of patient support Luke Austin said, “We are thrilled to partner with RxLightning to transform the specialty medication enrollment experience. Together, by delivering a fully-digital enrollment workflow to patients and providers, we can accelerate access to quality care while ensuring patients receive support for the medications they need.”
In the same press release, Julia Regan, founder and CEO of RxLightning, also said, “This partnership is only the beginning, and is a significant step forward in our mission to simplify and expedite access to critical medications. Together, KnippeRx and RxLightning are committed to creating a seamless and efficient enrollment process that benefits both patients and providers.”
Sources
- Willis Chandler to Lead Knipper Health as New President and Chief Executive Officer. KnipperHealth. July 8, 2025. https://www.knipper.com/2025/07/08/willis-chandler-to-lead-knipper-health-as-new-president-and-chief-executive-officer/
- Knipper Health Announces New Executive Leadership Team Additions. KnipperHealth. April 23, 2025. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.knipper.com/2025/04/23/knipper-health-announces-new-executive-leadership-team-additions/
- KnippeRx and RxLightning Partner to Streamline Provider Experience and Accelerate Patient Access to Specialty Medications. KnipperHealth. March 28, 2024. https://www.knipper.com/2024/03/28/knipperx-and-rxlightning-partner-to-streamline-provider-experience-and-accelerate-patient-access-to-specialty-medications/
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