About Us: Leadership Team

Amy L. Wrightsel

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO of Preferred Medical, Amy Wrightsel has transformed the company into an industry leader that is top of mind to insurance carriers, self-insured employers and third-party administrators nationwide. In her role, Amy leads the development and execution of long-term strategies for Preferred to ensure the needs of customers and their injured workers are always at the forefront of consideration.

Amy joined Preferred in 2003 as a client service associate and after many different responsibilities over time became a successful and trusted leader with an extensive knowledge in workers’ compensation claims management across all lines of business. Her leadership philosophy is to utilize proactive claims management to optimize clinical and financial outcomes.

Amy is a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). If you want to know a little more about Amy, read this Q&A as published by Business Insurance.

Craig Towner

Chief Operating Officer

As COO, Craig leads the design and implementation of Preferred Medical’s day-to-day operations, processes and resources to ensure the company runs efficiently and meets customer needs for all service offerings. Since Craig joined Preferred in 2015 he has been a proven leader of growth and innovation within the company in both strategies and tactics.

Prior to joining Preferred, Craig worked with Fortune 100 companies, hospitals, and individual consumers of healthcare products. He has built a solid reputation for delivering results by effectively communicating horizontally and vertically.

Craig earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Marketing from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and his MBA in Healthcare Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN.

Jim Andrews

Chief Clinical Officer

As Chief Clinical Officer, Jim Andrews is responsible for guiding our clinical strategy and new program offerings for PBM and Ancillary services to drive value-based care to all of our customers and their injured workers. He is focused on bringing together the Preferred Medical team and our clinical partners to align care across all aspects of the business and enhance clinical effectiveness. His personal passion is establishing a “voice of customer” approach to ensure all stakeholders are involved in the process of pursuing the best possible clinical and financial outcomes for each work comp claim.

Jim brings over 45 years of total experience in pharmacy, with the last 15 years dedicated to workers’ compensation PBM operations, clinical services and executive leadership. Prior to joining Preferred Medical, Jim served as General Manager of Clinical Products and Services for Optum Workers’ Compensation. Prior to that he was the Executive Vice President of Pharmacy Services for Healthcare Solutions (the parent company of Cypress Care, ScripNet, Modern Medical and Procura Management).

Additionally, Jim is a registered pharmacist and a member of many professional affiliations. He is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia. He is a thought leader in the industry, presenting at various events and published in industry publications.

Jeff Pirino

Executive Vice President of Business Development

As Executive Vice President of Business Development, Jeff Pirino will be responsible for establishing, developing, and implementing key strategic initiatives and account growth for Preferred Medical’s Pharmacy, Ancillary, and Medical Bill Review services. Jeff has more than 25 years of experience in sales and customer service and has a proven track record in selling, leading, and managing high-performing sales and customer success teams.

His previous roles have been in network, clinical and information services within the property and casualty insurance industry, holding a variety of roles as both an individual contributor and a senior leader in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Jeff describes himself as a process- and systems-oriented professional with a proven ability to institutionalize best practices and operational excellence. He is passionate about creating a culture of collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork.

Jeff earned a BA in Business Economics from the University of San Diego.

David Price

Director of Government Affairs

David Price is Director of Government Affairs for Preferred Medical. David oversees the compliance program and client education initiatives, leveraging his extensive legal and regulatory experience. He plays a crucial role in enhancing, building, and maintaining the company’s relationships with legislatures and regulatory bodies as changes are proposed to state workers’ compensation systems.

David has built a strong reputation for his expert analysis on workers’ compensation regulations and their implications for stakeholders. Prior to joining Preferred Medical, David served as Compliance Counsel for a nationwide workers’ compensation medical cost management company.

Additionally, David is an established speaker and author on topics related to the evolving regulatory and policy landscape of workers’ compensation. He holds a Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Arts from Berry College in Government and International Studies.

Aaron Schram

Senior Vice President, Information Technology

Aaron Schram joined Preferred Medical as senior vice president of information technology in 2018. He oversees all aspects of IT infrastructure, data management and security. Aaron works closely with every aspect of the business to ensure technology strategies and initiatives align with organizational goals. He identifies and manages all relationships with key technology partners.

Aaron has extensive experience in systems and application design for business and client reporting and analytics, EDI, billing and industry specific reporting requirements. Prior to joining Preferred Medical, he served as vice president for information technology for a national pharmaceutical processor.

Aaron has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Sheila Miles-Dial

Director of Provider Relations

Sheila Miles-Dial brings 25 years’ experience in the workers’ compensation industry to her current role as director of provider relations. Sheila builds and manages provider networks for all of Preferred Medical’s ancillary lines of business.

Sheila has a BS Degree in Human Resources from Florida Southern College. She is actively involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and has earned her Six Sigma Lean certification.

Sara Beth Young

Director of Employee Relations

As Director of Employee Relations, Sara Beth Young develops and implements HR programs to ensure best-in-class standards and provide strategic support to all business partners. Sara Beth provides comprehensive leadership with respect to employee relations, training and development, succession planning and recruitment, compensation, benefits and legal matters, including employee relations and employment law.

Sara Beth has 15+ years of experience as a Collaborative Human Resources Leader, building strong business partnerships and championing operational excellence in HR. She has experience in a variety of industries including retail and restaurant, professional services and insurance. Companies have ranged from successful family owned/privately held to publicly held and from small locally owned to large international companies. Sara Beth believes in partnering with business leaders to identify and achieve short and long term goals and enjoys the most success when engaging with senior leaders who are open to new ways of seeing things and who want to continuously improve.

Sara Beth is a graduate of Indiana University and member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Outside of the office, Sara Beth enjoys spending time with her family and dogs in the great outdoors and is an avid adventure traveler.