Back in the early days of Practice-Web, most dentists using the software interacted with CEO Samir Kothari at some point. With entire teams now on the frontlines handling support and account management, you’re a bit less likely to catch the head honcho on the phone by chance, but his mission and values are still felt throughout the company at every level. In this edition of Meet the Team, you’ll get a brief introduction to Samir and learn a bit about his background.
Samir’s Background
Title: CEO
Year Started Practice-Web: 2003
Secret Skill: Photography
Affiliations: American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Toastmasters International
Fun Fact: He’s been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who for his contributions to dentistry through software development.
Career Track
Born and raised in India, Samir obtained a Bachelor of Science in engineering from M. S. University of Baroda in 1976, and then his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1978 after immigrating to the United States. Shortly thereafter, he completed postgraduate coursework at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
His early career included time as a Design Engineer and Engineering Supervisor for Roche Pharmaceuticals and Computer Systems Manager at Procter and Gamble where he helped optimize overall energy consumptions.
Seasoned dental professionals may recall Samir’s launch of Dentisoft in 1994. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer until 2000 when sold the company to Dentalxchange Inc. In 2002, he began strategizing the development of Practice-Web, which formally launched in 2003.
A Day in the Life of Practice-Web’s CEO
With degrees in engineering and having founded two dental software companies that date back to the early 1990s, Samir oversees every aspect of software development for Practice-Web. On any given day, you’ll find him identifying opportunities for improvement in Practice-Web and guiding the development team’s work to ensure each upgrade release is loaded with impactful features that help dentists thrive and helping troubleshoot challenges to ensure releases run smoothly for practices.
True to the nature of the traditional CEO role, Samir oversees all other aspects of Practice-Web, interfacing with the executive suite and working with vendors and partners to ensure dentists are getting maximum value from their software.
Q&A with Samir
Q: Why do you love helping dentists thrive?
A: I’ve been involved in the dental community since 1994 when I developed the first web-based practice management system for dentists. Because of this, I’ve been able to help improve the oral health of more than 2.5 million patients over my career. Some of the developments I’ve worked on, such as electronic prescribing, have the ability to save lives by ensuring the correct medication and dose is selected. By supporting dentists and providing them with cost-effective tools, I’m able to enrich the lives of millions of people. It’s very rewarding!
Q: What’s one problem dentists are dealing with that you want to solve?
A: Practice management software has the ability to do so much more than simply hold patient chart data. A great system not only enhances patient care, but helps the dentist run a more efficient and profitable practice. It eliminates their headaches from cancellations and no-shows, empowers them to perform at their best clinically, and serves as a silent business partner. Programs that do this are traditionally very costly, which puts them out of reach for the very dentists who can benefit from them the most. I want every dentist to be able to afford a robust system and be able to operate a thriving practice.
Q: What’s your life like outside of work?
A: I enjoy spending time with my family and traveling the world. I also like to stay active. I play golf, table tennis, tennis, pickleball, and badminton.
Q: What’s a personal goal you’d like to accomplish in the next year?
A: My business goals and personal goals are often interchangeable. I’m very much looking forward to the release of ThriveCloud, our new cloud-based dental software. We’ll be inviting select dentists to try it out during Q1 of 2022 and are planning a formal launch around the middle of the year. Right now, dentists that want a cloud-based solution are overpaying and still getting disjointed systems that don’t give them the intelligence they need to operate profitability. ThriveCloud is a game-changer. There’s nothing like it on the market today.
Get in Touch
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Want to meet more of us? Click here for the “Meet the Team” series.