Smile Direct Club Taps Chris Thompson, Orthodontic Industry Veteran, To Lead Wholesale Expansion
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmileDirectClub today announced the appointment of industry veteran Chris Thompson to the newly established role of Vice President of Sales, Professional Channel. Mr. Thompson will play a critical role as the company continues to build its Office Direct program, through which participating dentists and orthodontists may offer SmileDirectClub clear aligner therapy starting in-office, with treatment completed using the company’s proprietary telehealth platform.
With this leadership team addition, the company will focus on further broadening its reach into the dental community. Mr. Thompson will lead the company’s efforts to build the program while providing ongoing support and education to dental practices on how to adapt to the increasing integration of teledentistry. Since launching in January 2020, dentists and orthodontists representing 21 U.S. states have joined the program.
Mr. Thompson previously served as Global Head of Sales, Orthodontic Channel at Carbon, a leading digital manufacturing platform. During his time at Carbon, Mr. Thompson built and scaled new teams from start-up to fully operational and led the company’s sales efforts in 3D printing for dental solutions. He also previously served in senior roles at Align Technology and Johnson & Johnson Vision.
“We are confident that with the addition of Chris to our management team, we will further strengthen our capabilities into the office direct and wholesale channels and ensure that dentists and orthodontists are able to provide patients with an affordable, convenient teeth straightening solution while also continuing their business via teledentistry through these unprecedented times and beyond,” said Alex Fenkell, Co-Founder of SmileDirectClub.
Following its announcement in January 2020 that the company would begin selling its clear aligners at dentist and orthodontist offices, SmileDirectClub has further built its wholesale program by offering the free use of its telehealth platform to dentists and orthodontists in the U.S. and Canada. The company is also providing its groundbreaking, sterile at-home impression kits for sale to the dental community so that they may continue to treat their patients during COVID-19. In March, SmileDirectClub, the largest 3D printing manufacturer in the U.S., began manufacturing personal protective equipment and donating face shields to dentists and orthodontists to assist with emergency procedures during the pandemic.
Dentists and orthodontists interested in learning more about SmileDirectClub’s programs may contact resilience@smiledirectclub.com.
About SmileDirectClub
SmileDirectClub, Inc. (Nasdaq: SDC) (“SmileDirectClub”) is an oral care company and creator of the first direct-to-consumer medtech platform for teeth straightening, now also offered directly via dentist and orthodontists’ offices. Through our cutting-edge teledentistry technology and vertically integrated model, we are revolutionizing the oral care industry, from clear aligner therapy to our affordable, premium oral care product line. SmileDirectClub’s mission is to democratize access to affordable and convenient care, unleashing the power of a person’s smile to positively impact their place in the world. SmileDirectClub is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and operates in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit SmileDirectClub.com.
Contact: SmileDirectClub Media Relations: Press@SmileDirectClub.com
