Health Management Associates, a Lansing, Michigan-based healthcare consulting firm specializing in publicly funded health programs and policy, named Arda Ural as chief operating officer effective July 6, marking a significant operational shift for the firm. Ural, 30-year healthcare veteran and most recently the Americas Life Sciences leader at Ernst and Young, brings deep expertise in pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device operations to the role. The appointment reflects HMA's ambition to expand its presence in the life sciences sector beyond its traditional government and Medicaid consulting roots, a market where private equity and hospital systems increasingly seek guidance on complex transactions and operational transformation.
The move comes as CEO Chuck Milligan, who ascended to the top role in May 2024 after serving as chief operating officer, seeks to leverage HMA's growing portfolio of acquired consulting practices including Wakely, Edrington Health Consulting, and Leavitt Partners. Milligan said Ural is "an internationally recognized expert in the life sciences sector" with "an exceptional track record of leading growth and innovation." The appointment was announced by press release without involvement of an external search firm. Ural will be based in HMA's New York City office, positioning him to manage national operations from the healthcare capital while maintaining proximity to life sciences hubs in the Northeast.
Ural's background spans pharmaceutical giants and emerging biotech firms. During a decade-long career at Pfizer, he led the global marketing launch of Viagra and managed the U.S. Celebrex franchise. He later served as senior vice president of marketing and sales at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, where he built commercial capabilities for the biotechnology company through its initial public offering and subsequent acquisition by Astellas. At Becton Dickinson, a Fortune 500 medtech company, Ural held roles in strategic marketing and business unit leadership. Before joining EY, he was managing director of Accenture's Life Sciences M&A practice, where he led deal activity for the consulting firm. Ural holds advanced degrees including a PhD in General Management and Finance from Marmara University, an MBA from the same institution, and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Boğaziçi University. In 2024, he was named a PharmaVoice 100 Standout Leader and serves on several industry advisory boards including BioNJ and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.
HMA was founded in 1985 and operates more than 27 offices across the United States with over 900 consultants. The firm focuses on publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, and financing, serving government agencies, health plans, providers, and foundations. Over the past four years, HMA has aggressively expanded through acquisitions and organic growth, now spanning multiple disciplines from actuarial services to behavioral health strategy. The firm generated over $2 billion in revenue from its life sciences and healthcare business when Ural led that segment at EY. HMA is backed by private equity investors including BPOC, InterWest Partners, and Community Health Systems, which suggests the firm may be preparing for further growth through transactions or geographic expansion.
The appointment suggests HMA is positioning itself to compete for work in life sciences transactions and operational challenges at a time when pharmaceutical and biotech companies face intensifying pressure to optimize costs and evaluate portfolio strategy. Ural's background managing major brand launches and M&A activity at both Accenture and EY indicates HMA may be cultivating capabilities in deal advisory and strategic operations consulting for life sciences clients. Whether the move signals an expansion of HMA's life sciences consulting practice beyond its traditional government-focused work, or represents a strategic effort to better integrate life sciences expertise across its broader consulting platform, remains to be seen. The timing also reflects broader consolidation in the consulting sector, where smaller, specialized practices are increasingly acquired by larger firms seeking to offer integrated services to complex healthcare organizations.
