SENIOR ADVISOR
Mr. Willens is a seasoned chief executive officer, board member and advisor with over 30 years of experience in healthcare, consumer services and product companies, private equity and residential and commercial real estate. He supports AEP from an advisory capacity on portfolio management and oversight, as well as industry and new investment diligence. Mr. Willens currently oversees his family office and serves as Senior Healthcare Advisor to Norwest Venture Partners, Vice-Chairman of Sage Dental Management Services (“Sage”) (a leading regional multispecialty dental services organization sponsored by Linden Capital), Chairman of the Boards of Smile Management Services (an orthodontic specialty dental services organization operating as Epic Smiles), Simply Keto Nutrition (a ketogenic packaged foods manufacturer) and AW Property Funds (a private equity fund investing in on-campus, medical office properties). He is also a Board Member of Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers (a national organization of ambulatory surgery centers providing pediatric dental care sponsored by TPG) and On-Site Dental (the leading national workplace dental services organization sponsored by Norwest Venture Partners). Mr. Willens co-founded Sage in 2002 and served as Chief Executive Officer until 2013. Previously, he held senior executive roles at Dental Care Alliance, InterDent and Universal Standard Medical Laboratories. Prior to his operating career, Mr. Willens was a corporate lawyer in the venture capital / private equity group of Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago and New York City. He holds a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University and earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.