OptimizeRx Announces Finance Leadership Appointments to Support the Next Phase of Growth
Rhea-AI Summary
OptimizeRx (Nasdaq: OPRX) announced a planned finance leadership transition effective January 1, 2027. The Board appointed Andy D’Silva as the next Chief Financial Officer and Heather Favazza as Chief Accounting Officer, while current CFO & Strategy Officer Ed Stelmakh will remain in his role through December 31, 2026.
According to the company, Stelmakh will then serve as Strategic Advisor through 2027 to support continuity. The company credits him with expanding margins, improving cost of capital through debt refinancing, integrating the Medicx acquisition, divesting non-core assets, and building a high-performing, succession-ready finance organization. The company states that its financial and growth strategy remains unchanged.
Positive
- Orderly CFO and CAO transition effective January 1, 2027
- Outgoing CFO stays as Strategic Advisor through 2027 for continuity
- Internal promotions reflect depth in finance leadership bench
- Company highlights improved margins and lower cost of capital under current CFO
- Medicx acquisition integration and non-core divestitures completed under existing leadership
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29 | Conference call notice | Neutral | +0.5% | Scheduled second-quarter results conference call for August 12, 2026 |
| Jul 23 | Marketing leadership appointment | Neutral | -3.9% | Appointed Sarah Bast as chief marketing officer effective July 23 |
| Jun 30 | Product launch | Positive | +5.3% | Launched CopayCue with reported prescription lift across two program types |
| Jun 25 | Product launch | Positive | +3.4% | Launched Natural Language Audience Builder for life sciences media platforms |
| Jun 01 | Investor conference notice | Neutral | +3.7% | Announced management participation in two June investor conferences |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
OPRX's recent product launches aligned with gains, while leadership and conference announcements generally diverged from the stock's subsequent direction.
Key Terms
artificial intelligence technical
internal controls financial
direct-to-consumer technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
The Company Names Andy D’Silva as the next Chief Financial Officer and Heather Favazza as Chief Accounting Officer effective January 1, 2027
Planned Transition Reflects Strong Succession Planning and Deep Leadership Bench
WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OptimizeRx Corp. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OPRX), a leading healthcare technology company enabling life sciences organizations to deliver smarter, more personalized engagement across the healthcare ecosystem, today announced a finance leadership transition that reflects the Company’s disciplined succession planning, deep leadership bench, and confidence in its long-term strategy.
The Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Andy D’Silva to succeed Ed Stelmakh as Chief Financial Officer, effective January 1, 2027. The Board has also appointed Heather Favazza as Chief Accounting Officer, effective January 1, 2027.
To enable a seamless leadership changeover, Stelmakh will continue serving as Chief Financial & Strategy Officer through December 31, 2026. During this period, he will work closely with D’Silva and Favazza to ensure an orderly transfer of responsibilities and continuity of execution. Stelmakh will stay on as a Strategic Advisor through the end of 2027 to ensure a smooth transition.
Over the past five years, Stelmakh helped transform OptimizeRx’s financial foundation and position the Company for its next phase of growth. Under his leadership, the Company significantly expanded gross and operating margins, strengthened operating discipline, refinanced its debt to materially improve its cost of capital, completed the acquisition and successful integration of Medicx, streamlined the portfolio through the divestiture of non-core assets, and built a high-performing finance and strategy organization capable of supporting the Company’s long-term strategic objectives.
Stelmakh also established a culture of disciplined capital allocation, operational excellence, and financial rigor that continues to strengthen OptimizeRx’s ability to create sustainable shareholder value. Equally important, he prioritized the development of outstanding leaders and built a finance organization with the depth, capabilities, and succession readiness to support the Company’s continued growth.
“Ed has been an exceptional partner to me, our Board, and our executive leadership team,” Silvestro said. “His guidance has strengthened our financial foundation, sharpened our strategic execution, and helped build an outstanding finance organization. Perhaps his most enduring contribution is the talented team he has developed, which gives us confidence in this leadership change.”
“Andy has most recently served as Chief Business Officer and has worked closely with the executive leadership team and the Board on the Company’s financial strategy, capital allocation, investor relations, corporate development, and long-range planning,” said Silvestro. “His work has been vital to the strong financial foundation we have established, which makes him well-positioned to step into this new role.”
“Heather has been the Company’s Corporate Controller for the past eight years and has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, technical expertise, and an unwavering commitment to excellence,” Silvestro added. “She has been instrumental in strengthening accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, compliance, and the Company’s finance infrastructure and is well prepared to serve as our Chief Accounting Officer.”
Today’s announcement reflects years of thoughtful succession planning by the Company and depth of talent across our finance organization. The Company’s financial and growth strategy remains unchanged. OptimizeRx is well-positioned to capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead and to create long-term value for our shareholders.
About OptimizeRx
OptimizeRx is a leading healthcare technology company that’s redefining how life science brands connect with patients and healthcare providers. Our platform combines innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools like the Dynamic Audience Activation Platform (DAAP) and Micro-Neighborhood Targeting (MNT) to deliver timely, relevant, and hyper-local engagement. By bridging the gap between healthcare professionals (HCP) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies, we empower brands to create synchronized marketing solutions that drive faster treatment decisions and improved patient outcomes.
Our commitment to privacy-safe, patient-centric technology ensures that every interaction is designed to make a meaningful impact, delivering life-changing therapies to the right patients at the right time. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, OptimizeRx partners with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to transform the healthcare landscape and create a healthier future for all.
For more information, follow the Company on X, LinkedIn or visit www.optimizerx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “continue”, “ensure”, “will”, “will”, or other similar words and expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. All statements in this press release that reflect the Company's expectations, assumptions, projections, beliefs or opinions about the future, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to the Company’s finance leadership transition, orderly transfer of responsibilities, the Company’s financial and growth strategy, including continued expansion of gross and operating margins, Company being well-positioned to capitalize on significant opportunities, and Company’s ability to create long-term value for its shareholders. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and involve assumptions regarding the Company's business, the economy, and other future conditions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted, or quantified. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to the effect of government regulation, seasonal trends, dependence on a concentrated group of customers, cybersecurity incidents that could disrupt operations, the ability to keep pace with growing and evolving technology, the ability to maintain contracts with electronic prescription (eRx) platforms and electronic health record (EHR) networks, competition, and other factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and in other filings the Company has made and may make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the future. One should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as may be required by law.
OptimizeRx Contacts
Andy D’Silva, Chief Business Officer
adsilva@optimizerx.com
Jennifer Dinkel, SVP Marketing
jdinkel@optimizerx.com
Investor Relations Contact
Douglas Farrell LifeSci Advisors, LLC
dfarrell@lifesciadvisors.com
