Chris Meenan to Lead Product Innovation at Blackford

Blackford has named Chris Meenan as chief product officer. 

“I am delighted to welcome Chris to the Blackford leadership team,” Blackford Founder/CEO Ben Panter said. “His experience and leadership in the healthtech space will help accelerate our focus on innovation, furthering our mission to improve the lives of patients and populations. I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to pave the way for healthcare AI adoption.”
 
Meenan has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare imaging informatics. He is the former CEO and co-founder of Analytical Informatics (Analytical.info), an award-winning health analytics startup that was acquired by Philips Healthcare, where he then served as global head of Product and Strategy for Data Management and Interoperability. Most recently, Meenan was chief technology officer at Digital Diagnostics, which created the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. He previously served as associate vice chair for Clinical Informatics in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at The University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is well recognized across the healthcare technology space for his technical and AI expertise, previously serving as chairman for the American Board of Imaging Informatics. Recently, he was also named a Fellow of the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine.

“I am excited to join a company whose priorities of patient care improvement and nurturing a positive business culture closely align with my own values,” Meenan stated. “The technology created by Blackford was one factor that attracted me to join the team, but its long history of innovation, commitment to scientific validation, and the people behind the tech were a huge draw as well. Blackford recognized the potential for the healthcare industry to leverage AI to help support overburdened radiologists and their patients. I’m really excited about the future of the healthcare AI space and look forward to advancing innovation with the individuals on my team.”
 
Blackford operates as a strategic AI partner, providing access to a tried-and-tested core platform, tailored services, and a portfolio of more than130 applications to help healthcare providers drive clinical efficiency and improve patient outcomes. Blackford was acquired by Bayer in February 2023 and operates within the company’s well-established arms-length model. Blackford has more than a decade of experience working in partnership with hospitals and technology providers. The firm is based in Scotland.