Experienced CEO, COO & Consultant

Steady leadership when it matters most.

I help founders, boards and private equity sponsors stabilize behavioral health operations, fill critical leadership gaps, and build organizations that grow without losing what makes them good at care.

20+ years in behavioral health Board-certified psychiatric NP + MBA PE-backed, multi-state operator
Allan Benham, smiling, in a light blue shirt outdoors in the Arizona desert
$69M → $104M Revenue growth led as COO at 23.6% average EBITDA
$100M+
Revenue & P&L oversight
14
Inpatient & outpatient facilities led
12+
States served at once, in person and virtually
600+
Employees led
23.6%
Average EBITDA as COO
20+
Years in behavioral health
Executive leadership when it matters most

Most organizations don’t fail for lack of vision.

They struggle when execution, structure or leadership bandwidth breaks under pressure. Census softens, time-to-admit stretches, good people leave, and the numbers stop telling a clear story.

That is where I do my best work. I diagnose the real constraints quickly, restore operational discipline, and build the systems and leaders that keep performance steady after I’m gone. My approach is hands-on and accountable. I don’t hand you a binder and wish you luck; I roll up my sleeves alongside your team.

I started my career as a nurse at the bedside and grew into the C-suite of PE-backed healthcare companies. That combination matters. I can sit with your clinical director and your CFO in the same afternoon, speak both languages, and help them find the answer that is right for patients and right for the business.

  • Stabilize underperforming operations and restore profitability
  • Scale from single-site to multi-site, multi-state organizations
  • Align leadership teams, decision rights and accountability
  • Guide organizations through acquisition, restructuring and change
More about my background
Executive team reviewing performance data together in a conference room
21 → 10 daysTime-to-admit cut by more than half during a CEO turnaround
How I help

Senior leadership, sized to what you need

From a few hours of advisory a month to a full-time interim CEO, every engagement is built around one outcome: a stronger organization that runs well without me.

Interim & Transitional Leadership

CEO or COO coverage during leadership gaps, restructuring, acquisitions or change, with the steadiness to keep teams focused and patients well served.

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Executive Advisory & Consulting

Strategic and operational guidance for leaders facing growth strain, complexity or decision paralysis. A seasoned operator in your corner.

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Operational Performance & Stabilization

Improve execution, accountability, throughput and operating cadence across teams and sites, and find and fix the constraints that are costing you.

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Growth & Scalability

Repeatable operating models for admissions, utilization management, staffing and reporting that support expansion without losing performance or culture.

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Board & Ownership Support

Clear reporting, decision frameworks and leadership alignment so boards, investors and owners can see what’s really happening and act with confidence.

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Private Equity Partnership

Pre- and post-acquisition support: operational diligence, 100-day plans and value creation from someone who has run PE-backed platforms.

For sponsors
My approach

Assess. Align. Execute. Transition.

A simple, disciplined path that respects your team, moves quickly, and leaves capability behind.

1

Assess

Quickly understand the organization’s priorities, risks and constraints. Data first, then the people closest to the work.

2

Align

Clarify objectives, decision rights and success metrics with owners, boards and the leadership team.

3

Execute

Hands-on leadership, implementation and accountability. Weekly cadence, visible scorecards, no surprises.

4

Transition

Leave stronger systems, developed leaders and clear frameworks so the organization moves forward on its own.

Where I focus

Access, admissions and the operating engine behind them

In behavioral health, the front door drives everything: census, revenue, reputation and, above all, whether a person in crisis gets help today or gives up.

Admissions optimizationStreamlined intake that improves patient access and conversion. One redesign lifted admissions 15% month over month.
Access-to-care enhancementClearer patient pathways, stronger referral relationships and fewer barriers to timely treatment.
Operational stability & growthScalable models for staffing, utilization review and reporting, plus interim leadership through critical transitions.
Clinician's stethoscope resting beside a laptop, symbolizing clinical and business fluency
Clinician & executiveBoard-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who has also run $100M+ P&Ls

What leaders say

“Allan is the man you want in charge when a specific division or department is struggling clinically or operationally, and a ‘turnaround’ project is required.”
David E. Anderson, PhDFormer Executive Director, The Meadows
“He has an uncanny ability to balance clinical excellence and fiscal responsibility. It is rare to find a C-level administrator with his depth and breadth of clinical fluency.”
Greg StruveExecutive Clinical Director, Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare
“As COO, Allan oversaw and led our inpatient and outpatient programs and ensured top-quality clinical care, regulatory compliance, and fiscal/budget responsibility.”
Sean WalshCEO, Meadows Behavioral Healthcare
“Allan has provided guidance, wisdom, and industry intelligence that has led to fiscal success for the company and a successful exit strategy for the owners.”
B. DenDooven, LPCGateway Recovery Network (retired)

Organizations I’ve led, served and advised

Meadows Behavioral HealthcareAlsanaGentle Path at The MeadowsRemuda RanchValiant RecoveryBeondMana Recovery Center
Who I work with

Built for the people carrying the weight

Two executives shaking hands across a table after closing an agreement

Private equity sponsors

Before you buy, an operator’s read on what’s really happening. After you close, leadership to deliver the plan.

PE support
Founder leading a strategy session at a whiteboard covered in planning notes

Founders & owners

You built something that helps people. I help you grow it, professionalize it, and get your time back without losing your culture.

Services
Board members in discussion around a meeting table

Boards & leadership teams

When a CEO or COO seat is empty, or a turnaround is needed now, I step in quickly and lead with steadiness and transparency.

Track record
Start with a conversation

Facing growth pressure, a leadership gap, or a stalled turnaround?

Twenty minutes, no pitch. Tell me what’s happening and I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help and what I’d look at first.