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Doug Present

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whartonadvisorpe-boardshealthcare-servicesreferral-source

Background

  • 3 years at Deloitte post-MBA
  • Started managed care consulting firm in 1993 — grew to 10 people
  • Had a physician buying group alongside it ($250-300K/year profit)
  • Sold both to the wrong buyer, bundled them when he should have kept them separate
  • Buyer crashed, asked Doug to run the turnaround — did it, still didn't get paid well
  • "Didn't really start getting paid until 30"
  • Eventually built a successful career in PE-backed healthcare services boards

What He Cares About

  • Productization vs. consulting: His #1 message to us. He lived the consulting trap and doesn't want us to repeat it.
  • Replicability: "What could you say to somebody — how could you get paid for somebody new for the work you're doing today that isn't just an hourly process?"
  • Long-term career thinking: Advises everyone to think 10-20 years out, not just current revenue
  • Revenue cycle management: Sees this as the highest-impact area for AI in healthcare services
  • The Shields model: Embed with one big client, build product, sell to others

His Network (mentioned)

  • Ken at Frazier — Doug brought him to guest lecture at Wharton. We've already connected with Ken separately.
  • Patrice Wolfe (AGS Health) — Personal friend, CEO who used AI to transform RCM, sold to Blackstone for ~$1.4B. Doug considered her as a Wharton case study.
  • Daughter — Works at Accenture healthcare practice in NYC (Chelsea). Just moved onto a major company's AI strategy project. May apply to Wharton HCM fall 2027 (already admitted to Kellogg, holding spot).
  • Golf buddy — Chairman of a major healthcare company that just hired Accenture for AI strategy. Doug's daughter is on that project (chairman doesn't know). Playing golf in ~2 weeks.

What He Sees in Boardrooms

Every PE-backed healthcare services board is asking about AI. Most are doing lip service. Frazier and Summit are the exceptions — actually systematic. Most CEOs/CFOs/COOs are "no more sophisticated on this than I am" and are hiring junior people to figure it out.

Interactions

DateTypeSummaryNotes
2026-02-19Catch-up callAdvisory conversation — consulting trap warning, offered referrals, recommended RCM + Shields modelcall note

Who

  • Wharton HCM adjunct faculty — teaching one class per fall for 20 years, extensive 1-on-1 mentoring with first years
  • Thomas took his class
  • Chairman of 4 PE-backed healthcare services companies (names unknown — he's discreet)
  • Runs "Douglas Present Associates" — his advisory/board practice
  • Based in Boca Raton, FL
  • Email: dpresent@wharton.upenn.edu

Connection to Us

  • Advisory / referral source. Not an investor (doesn't do early stage, doesn't invest in what he doesn't understand).
  • Well-positioned to refer portfolio companies that need AI consulting help
  • Can make introductions to PE firms and healthcare services executives
  • 30 years of healthcare services experience — strategic perspective
  • Explicitly offered: "If I can help you with introducing you to other people that might be interested in what you're talking about, you know how to get ahold of me."

Daisy

v1

What do you need?

I can pull up the fundraise pipeline, CRM accounts, hot board, meeting notes — anything in the OS.

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