PainChek Picks US MedTech Veteran to Lead Its Commercial Push

PainChek has appointed US-based medical technology executive Karen Holzberger as chief executive, signalling that the company’s next phase will be judged less on regulatory milestones and more on commercial execution.

Karen Holzberger

Holzberger will begin the role on 17 August 2026, replacing interim chief executive Andy Hoggan, who will return to his position as chief operating officer. The appointment follows the departure of former chief executive Philip Daffas earlier in July.

For investors, the timing matters. PainChek secured US Food and Drug Administration De Novo clearance in 2025, giving the company access to the world’s largest healthcare market. Regulatory clearance, however, is only the admission ticket. The harder task is persuading healthcare operators to adopt the product, integrate it into clinical workflows and pay for it at scale.

Holzberger’s résumé appears tailored to that challenge.

She has 26 years of healthcare leadership experience spanning early-stage businesses and large international medical technology groups. Most recently, she was president and chief executive of SpinTech MRI, a US developer of FDA-cleared imaging software designed to improve neurosurgery workflows and diagnostic decision-making.

Before SpinTech, Holzberger held senior roles at Nuance Healthcare, including responsibility for its diagnostic division and the adoption of artificial intelligence tools in radiology. Nuance Communications was acquired by Microsoft in 2022 for approximately US$19.7 billion.

She also previously worked at GE Healthcare, where she was responsible for service, implementation and product management within global radiology workflow operations.

That mix of commercialisation, healthcare software and hospital workflow experience is highly relevant to PainChek. The company is not merely selling a piece of software. It is asking aged care providers, clinicians and healthcare systems to change how pain is assessed, documented and monitored.

America moves to centre stage

PainChek’s technology uses artificial intelligence and clinician input to assess pain, including in people who cannot reliably communicate their symptoms. The platform has regulatory clearances across Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and several Asia-Pacific markets.

The company says it has contracts with more than 2,000 aged care facilities and has supported over 20 million digital pain assessments.

Those numbers demonstrate established usage, particularly in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The more important question for the next chief executive is whether PainChek can translate that track record into a meaningful US revenue base.

An early foothold has been secured through a master services agreement with Nasdaq-listed Sabra Health Care REIT, covering up to 20,000 beds. Initial deployments are under way.

The phrase “up to” is important. It describes the potential reach of the agreement, not guaranteed adoption across every bed. Investors will therefore be watching deployment rates, customer conversion, usage levels and the revenue ultimately generated from the relationship.

Holzberger made her priorities clear, saying her focus would be on commercial outcomes, building PainChek’s North American customer base and expanding the company’s position in Australia and the UK.

That wording suggests the new chief executive will be measured against tangible sales progress rather than broad strategic ambition.

A US-level salary for a US-level task

Holzberger will receive annual remuneration of US$387,000, plus eligibility for short-term and long-term incentive plans. The specific incentive terms will be disclosed in PainChek’s next remuneration report.

The package reflects the company’s decision to recruit an experienced US medtech operator through an international search. It also lifts the stakes.

A US-based chief executive should improve PainChek’s proximity to prospective customers, commercial partners and healthcare decision-makers. It may also help the company navigate the fragmented nature of the US market, where purchasing decisions can involve operators, clinical teams, insurers and technology departments.

The appointment does not remove the usual risks facing a small medical technology company. Sales cycles can be lengthy, implementation can be resource-intensive and regulatory clearance does not guarantee rapid adoption. PainChek must also show that expanding into the United States can produce attractive economics without placing excessive strain on its balance sheet.

Investors now need evidence of conversion

PainChek has selected a chief executive whose experience aligns closely with its commercial ambitions. Holzberger has led an emerging medical imaging company and held senior roles within global healthcare technology businesses. She also brings direct experience with AI-enabled clinical workflows, an area central to PainChek’s proposition.

The strategic logic is straightforward. The company has a cleared product, an established operating history and an initial US customer pathway. It now needs to turn those assets into recurring commercial growth.

The next useful milestones will be less glamorous than regulatory approval but more important financially: new customer contracts, wider deployment, stronger recurring revenue and evidence that US expansion can scale efficiently.

PainChek has hired a leader with the credentials to pursue that agenda. The market’s focus will now shift from the calibre of the appointment to the numbers she can deliver.