Premier Inc. has handed the keys to the corner office to Emad Rizk, M.D., naming him chief executive officer, president and chairman on Tuesday. The Ballantyne-based company announced the leadership change as it moves into its next phase under private ownership after a $2.6 billion buyout in November.
In a May 5 press release, Premier said Dr. Rizk will steer its work linking supply-chain scale, data analytics and clinical performance improvement across its national network. “I’ve seen healthcare from every angle, and I know what is at stake for Premier’s members,” he said in the statement.
Rizk most recently served as chairman, president and CEO of Cotiviti before shifting into a senior-advisor role in March, according to that company. As Cotiviti notes, he led the business through roughly a decade of acquisitions and platform expansion and previously held senior positions at R1 RCM and McKesson Health Solutions.
A high-stakes leadership test after a $2.6 billion buyout
According to Premier’s Nov. 25, 2025 press release, Patient Square Capital completed a $2.6 billion acquisition that took the company private and led to its stock being delisted. The transaction put strategy in the hands of the board and Patient Square, freeing the company from quarterly public-market scrutiny as it plots its next moves.
Why private investors picked Rizk
Industry coverage points to a broader playbook in healthcare: private equity investors have been gravitating toward platform companies that knit together supply-chain leverage, analytics and advisory services. That approach helped set the stage for Patient Square’s bid for Premier, and the choice of a leader steeped in both payer and provider operations fits neatly into that script, signaling an emphasis on technology-driven growth and sharpening margins. Becker's Hospital Review recently highlighted the Premier deal as part of this broader wave.
Local reaction and what comes next
The appointment quickly landed on local radar. The Charlotte Business Journal reported the hire and noted company comments that the board would conduct a targeted CEO search while leadership transitions are completed. For Charlotte-area hospitals and vendor partners, the immediate questions are whether Rizk will speed up product integration, how Patient Square will deploy capital, and how soon the company will spell out its strategic priorities.
Early clues are likely to come in the form of a strategy update or executive-team hiring plans in the weeks ahead, as Rizk settles into his new role and Patient Square lays out its agenda. We will continue to track developments as more details emerge.
