Healtheon names new CEO
Healtheon announces that Mike Long, former chief executive of CSC Continuum, joins the company as CEO.
Long, 45, becomes CEO of the third high-technology company founded by Jim Clark, following Netscape Communications and Silicon Graphics. Clark is chairman of Healtheon as well as Netscape.
Long succeeds David Schnell, cofounder and acting president and CEO of Healtheon. Schnell is leaving to help start a venture capital firm called Prospect Venture Partners. He and one other Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner, Alex Barkas, are starting the firm.
CSC, an applications software supplier, was bought by Computer Sciences last August in a deal worth more than $1.5 billion.
"Mike is the perfect leader for Healtheon," Clark said. "His exceptional background in growing a services business will be invaluable to Healtheon's ability to deliver electronic services to health care."
Schnell said Long was chosen from a "small field" of candidates.
Healtheon also is naming Dennis Drislane, former president of EDS's Health Care division, to vice president of field operations. Ron Alvarex, Informix's vice president of North American sales, has joined Healtheon as vice president of sales. Clark called the threesome a "formidable management team."
Healtheon also said it has closed a new found of financing led by Integral Capital Partners, Kleiner Perkins's Java fund, as well as original investors Clark, Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, and Sierra Ventures.
The company also announced that it signed the National Account Service Company to offer its benefits administration service to Healtheon's member health plans.