Capella’s Denise Warren Named CFO of the Year

Tops List for Nashville Business Journal

Business Wire

posted: 98 DAYS 14 HOURS AGO

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Denise Warren, Chief Financial Officer of Capella Healthcare, has been named “CFO of the Year” by the Nashville Business Journal’s 2009 CFO Awards. Warren was considered for the large, private company category .

“Denise’s expertise in business finance paired with her optimism and desire for excellence makes her an ideal recipient for this award. She is an integral part of our leadership team and never forgets that our people are our most important asset,” said Dan Slipkovich, Co-Founder and CEO of Capella Healthcare.

Warren is credited with leading the company through a successful $535 million debt transaction in February 2008 to purchase nine hospitals. The transaction, which came during a time that capital markets were freezing, more than tripled the size of the company.

“Denise knows the value of strong relationships,” added Slipkovich. “She puts an extraordinary amount of time into continually reaching out to financing firms, ratings agencies and others to make sure our company and our hospitals are well-positioned and well-resourced. We are proud to have individuals, like Denise, who believe in our mission and are committed to quality throughout the spectrum of our business.”

A panel of independent judges determined the winners of the 2009 CFO Awards based on several criteria: demonstrated financial growth during the year, success in overcoming significant business challenges or barriers and examples of team leadership and superior management. Other factors included contributions to the community, demonstrated commitment to the company’s financial best practices and accounting standards or success as strategic visionary for the enterprise.

“I am honored by this distinction,” said Warren. “I’m proud of Capella’s success and growth to date and am delighted to be a part of such a strong, forward-looking organization. My job is to make sure our hospitals have the resources they need to exceed expectations in the communities we serve. It’s a responsibility I take seriously.”

Other nominees for this category were CFOs from SMS Holdings Inc., Broadcast Music Inc., Bell & Associates Construction, and Ardent Health Services.

Prior to joining Capella, Warren was Director of Equity Research for Avondale Partners, LLC. Previously, Warren served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Gaylord Entertainment Company, and Director and Senior Equity Analyst for Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York. Warren’s background also includes working with Ernst & Young, E.F. Hutton, Ford Capital, LTD, and CS First Boston.

Warren graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School. Denise is married to Michael Warren and has one daughter. She is currently on the board of the American Heart Association and a member of the executive leadership team for its Go Red for Women movement. She has also held board positions with the non-profit Fannie Battle Day Home for Children.

About Capella Healthcare

Based in Franklin, Tenn., Capella Healthcare partners with communities to build strong local healthcare systems that are known for quality patient care. Capella’s senior leadership team has more than 200 years of combined experience managing over 200 hospitals. With the financial backing of GTCR Golder Rauner, the company has access to significant resources for the expansion and improvement of its hospitals and the services they provide. Capella operates thirteen hospitals across the nation. For more information, please visit www.capellahealth.com.