Acentra Health Taps M&A Pro Deborah Ricci as CFO, Signals Growth Push

MCLEAN, Va. – January 14, 2026 – Acentra Health, a rapidly growing health solutions company, today announced the appointment of Deborah Ricci as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The move is being widely interpreted as a clear signal of the company's intent to accelerate its aggressive growth strategy, leaning on Ricci’s extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions, and corporate transformation to fuel its expansion in the competitive government and commercial healthcare markets.

Ricci joins Acentra Health from Guidehouse Inc., where she was a key architect of the firm's growth as Partner and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer. Her appointment comes as Acentra, backed by global investment firm Carlyle, is actively seeking acquisition targets to bolster its capabilities in managed care and data analytics.

“Debbie is a proven financial executive with deep experience building scalable financial systems, leading through change, and enabling organizations to grow with discipline and confidence,” said Todd Stottlemyer, Chief Executive Officer of Acentra Health, in a statement. “Her leadership, strategic insight, and collaborative approach align directly with our growth and transformation plans.”

A Strategic Play for Aggressive Expansion

Ricci’s recruitment is far more than a routine executive placement; it is a strategic move that aligns perfectly with Acentra Health’s declared ambitions. The company, formed in 2023 from the merger of CNSI and Kepro, has been on a remarkable growth trajectory. It recently celebrated triple-digit revenue growth and was recognized on the Washington Business Journal's "Fastest Growing Companies" list in 2024. Serving clients in all 50 states and impacting over 170 million beneficiaries, Acentra has established itself as a major force in the health-tech sector.

This organic growth has been complemented by strategic acquisitions. In January 2024, Acentra acquired Espyr, a leader in workplace mental health programs, to broaden its service offerings. CEO Todd Stottlemyer has been public about the company's appetite for more, stating in late 2024 that Acentra is actively scouting for targets that can enhance its data analytics capabilities and strengthen its position in the market's shift toward managed care models.

This is where Ricci’s background becomes critically important. Throughout her 35-year career, she has developed a reputation as a specialist in navigating the complex financial mechanics of corporate growth. At firms like Constellis, Centerra Group, and A-T Solutions, she led organizations through mergers, financial restructurings, and operational integrations. Her tenure at A-T Solutions, a counterterrorism firm, culminated in her leading the successful sale of the company to a larger government contractor, a feat that earned her a CFO of the Year award from the Washington Business Journal. Her arrival at Acentra provides the company with the seasoned leadership required to execute a sophisticated and aggressive inorganic growth strategy.

A Veteran of Government and Corporate Finance

Beyond her M&A prowess, Ricci brings a deep understanding of Acentra Health’s core market: government contracting. Her most recent role at Guidehouse, a major consultancy serving public sector and commercial clients, involved overseeing not just finance but also risk, security, and quality control—all critical functions in the highly regulated government healthcare space. Acentra partners with 45 state Medicaid agencies and multiple federal agencies, processing over 1.5 billion claims annually and disbursing more than $26 billion in payments. Navigating this landscape requires a CFO who understands the unique financial and compliance challenges of public sector work.

Ricci's experience at Constellis and Centerra Group, both significant players in government operational support, further cements her credentials in this area. Her consistent focus on simplifying complex processes and strengthening operational foundations is particularly relevant for Acentra, which prides itself on delivering efficiency and innovation, such as executing the fastest-recorded Medicaid Enterprise System implementation in Wyoming's history.

Her appointment is a vote of confidence in Acentra’s mission-driven approach, a sentiment Ricci echoed in her statement. “The company’s mission-driven work, commitment to excellence, and focus on long-term value creation strongly resonate with me,” she said. “I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to support Acentra Health’s continued growth and impact.”

The Carlyle Playbook in Action

This strategic hire also fits squarely within the investment playbook of Acentra’s private equity backer, Carlyle. The global investment giant, which has approximately $20 billion dedicated to healthcare, employs a “buy and build” strategy. This involves acquiring a platform company and then fueling its growth through bolt-on acquisitions to consolidate fragmented markets and achieve economies of scale. Carlyle initiated this strategy by acquiring CNSI in 2021, merging it with Kepro to form Acentra Health, and has supported its subsequent growth, including the Espyr acquisition.

Installing a CFO with a strong M&A and integration track record like Ricci is a classic next step in this playbook. It equips the portfolio company with the internal expertise to identify, execute, and successfully integrate future acquisitions, thereby maximizing value and accelerating the path to market leadership. With the health services M&A landscape expected to regain momentum in 2026, particularly for tech-enabled service platforms, Acentra Health is now perfectly positioned to act decisively.

The market is ripe with opportunity. Industry trends show a strong investor appetite for companies specializing in AI-driven analytics, revenue cycle management, and member engagement tools—all areas central to Acentra’s mission. With Ricci managing the financial strategy, Acentra is poised to not only continue its organic growth but also become a formidable consolidator in the health-tech space, transforming data and technology into better health outcomes on a national scale.