Real Chemistry founder becomes chairman, replacement CEO appointed

Real Chemistry founder becomes chairman, replacement CEO appointed

Real Chemistry founder and CEO Jim Weiss became chairman and Shankar Narayanan was named chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors effective January 3, 2022. In addition to his role as chairman and founder of Real Chemistry, Weiss joined New Mountain Capital (NMC) – Real Chemistry’s investment partner – as an executive advisor.

Weiss and Narayanan partnered closely to ensure a seamless transition, which is expanding the business potential of the company amid a fast-shifting healthcare landscape, according to management. As chairman, Weiss continues to serve actively as a mentor and strategic advisor to the company’s people and clients, while additionally opening new pathways for growth via M&A, partnership and the expansion of capabilities. In his new role at NMC, Weiss is concentrating on identifying and integrating opportunities at the intersection of technology and life sciences and converting them into actionable investments.

Management says Narayanan brings a unique breadth and depth of experience to Real Chemistry, with a background including senior executive roles at Equian, Cognizant and McKinsey & Company, that provides a 360-degree understanding of the health ecosystem. Narayanan has experience operating and growing large organizations at the center of services and technology within healthcare, enabling Real Chemistry to capitalize on the company’s strategy of bringing together multiple integrated capabilities to deliver data-driven, tech-enabled solutions that address the highest strategic priorities for its clients.

“This is an exciting moment for the company, our people and our clients, and will help us fully realize the value of what we started,” Weiss stated. “Bringing new people, technology and ideas together to create value, drive impact and ignite positive change for our clients is what Real Chemistry is all about and why our mission has never wavered over two decades. Shankar brings the exact right expertise and leadership track record at the right time to continue building a company based on helping clients transform in the post-pandemic age of digital health.”

Weiss founded Real Chemistry (previously W2O) 20 years ago and has grown the company from a one-person consultancy into an 1,800-person company with expected 2021 revenue of $475 million. Since investment by NMC during mid-2019, Real Chemistry has more than doubled revenue and nearly doubled EBITDA. Management says the company has been able to achieve this growth while maintaining an intense focus on client-centricity as well as a commitment to innovation, data analytics and strategic relevance that have been hallmarks of the business from its origins.

“Jim and the team at Real Chemistry have built an outstanding business that I’m thrilled to be able to steward into its next phase,” Narayanan commented. “Joining Real Chemistry is a rare opportunity to continue the legacy of innovation, agility and entrepreneurialism that the company is known for – and to take it even further and build in new directions. It brings me back to my roots and relationships in life sciences, where I’ve built businesses and worked with clients to achieve their goals. I’m excited to join and work alongside this talented team to carry on the journey that’s been under way for two decades.”