Founding Leadership
KIAN SANEII
FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CHAIRMAN
Kian Saneii brings more than 25 years of leadership experience to Independa as our CEO. Prior to Independa, Saneii was GM of Websense Wireless from 2005-2008. From 2001-2005 Saneii held roles as VP Marketing and VP Business Development at Websense, responsible for all aspects of global marketing, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, OEM sales, and business development through new strategic channels.
Before joining Websense, Saneii served as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and Business Development for IMA, Inc and IPNet Solutions, 1997-2001. From 1985 – 1997, Saneii served in management positions at AT&T Bell Laboratories, DIS Research and FileNet Corporation (acquired by IBM).
Saneii is a board member of The United Way of San Diego. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Honors, from New York University, Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, NYU President’s Award; also a Master of Computer Science from Rutgers University.
Why Independa?
“I experienced first hand the difficulties and related anguish of providing care to an elderly loved one, and set out to create an offering that would allow caregivers to “be there” regardless of their physical distance. This is long overdue, but now our partners and customers can improve their businesses while also improving the lives of those in their care, and the family members who support them.”
RICHARD DELLA PENNA, MD
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Richard Della Penna, MD, brings more than 32 years of medical experience to Independa as our Chief Medical Officer. He was a physician with Kaiser Permanente from 1977 until November 2009. From 1999 until 2009 he was on the staff of the Permanente Federation and the Care Management Institute in Oakland, California. During that time he held the positions of Medical Director of the Kaiser Permanente Aging Network and the National Clinical Lead for Elder and Palliative Care. In these roles, Dr. Della Penna collaborated with Kaiser’s regional elder clinical care leaders and Kaiser Health Plan’s Medicare leadership in strategic efforts to improve the care of Kaiser’s nearly one million older adult members. His clinical and care improvement activities have focused on depression, dementia, interdisciplinary team training, long term care, transitional care, and palliative care.
He is a member of the Veteran Administration’s National Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Commission and was on the Board of Directors of the National Alzheimer’s Association from 2005 thru 2013. He is a member of the advisory board of the Practice Change Fellow Program, which provides leadership training to early and mid career physicians, social workers and nurses specializing in geriatrics and gerontology. He is the 2010 recipient of UCLA’s David H. Solomon Award, which recognizes influential leaders in the field of Geriatrics.
Della Penna earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross, M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine and was an Intern and Resident at Harvard Medical Service, Boston City Hospital.
Why Independa?
“I spent the entirety of my career in the elder care segment of the healthcare system. When I learned about Independa, I could not pass up an opportunity to help them succeed. The need is so great in the marketplace today and Independa is the only company I have found that is truly solving the critical issues facing caregivers and their loved ones.””