The Ensign Group will have a new CEO, new president and new board chairman effective May 30, the Mission Viejo, CA-based company announced Thursday.
These and other leadership changes will occur immediately following the Ensign annual shareholder meeting, the company said.
Current President and CEO Christopher Christensen, who also is a member of Ensign’s board, will become the company’s executive chairman, a position in which he will continue to work full-time on strategic growth initiatives and new business ventures. He also will become chairman of the board.
“I will also work tirelessly to ensure that we stay true to our cultural values that have and will continue to make us strong,” he said in a statement.
Roy Christensen, who currently is a director and chairman of the board, will continue as a director and will become chairman emeritus.
Barry R. Port, chief operating officer of Ensign Services, a wholly owned subsidiary that oversees the company’s assisted living and skilled nursing services, will expand his responsibilities to include the role of CEO of Ensign.
At its next annual shareholder meeting, Ensign plans to recommend a charter amendment that would expand the number of directors from seven to eight. Then Port would be nominated to serve as the eighth director, meaning the board would have five independent directors and three non-independent directors.
Spencer Burton, president of Ensign’s Northwest-based portfolio company, Pennant Healthcare, since 2014, will assume the role of president and chief operating officer for Ensign.
Suzanne Snapper, Ensign’s chief financial officer since August 2009, will add the title of executive vice president, and Chad Keetch, Ensign’s executive vice president and secretary since June 2014, will add the title of chief investment officer.
“I am delighted that Barry, Suzanne, Chad and Spencer have also agreed to assume additional responsibilities,” Christensen said. “These changes ideally position Ensign to continue profitably growing our post-acute care businesses around the country and into the future.”
