LDC Top 50 2024
Dan Jones
CEO
Neo G
After working for accounting giant Grant Thornton and US medical device powerhouse ArthroCare, Dan Jones joined Neo G, the family business founded by Paul and Mila Starkey, in 2014.
“I was employee number eight,” he says. “My first task was to get under the hood of the business and put systems in place to help it flourish even further.” Neo G manufactures consumer-focused medical grade orthopaedic devices and advanced wound care products, selling an item every eight seconds in retailers such as Boots and Walgreens. Since Jones became CEO in 2021, the business has doubled revenues. “People trust us to help them stay active. That’s a huge responsibility and privilege.”
I’m passionate about helping people to stay active and healthy.”
Q&A
How have you cracked the States?
Pain is universal, not specific to one demographic or geography, and Paul and I were confident that we could make a difference to consumers across the US in the same way that we had in the UK.
We established our own legal and physical presence, rather than relying on distributors or other third parties, and travelled frequently between the UK and the US for meetings with major retailers whenever we could secure them. We partnered with our first big American retailer – Rite Aid – in 2017, then Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and the hospital group, Kaiser Permanente, followed. In 2023 we expanded our operations and moved into a new purpose-built office and warehouse facility in Lake Park, Florida.
Where will growth come from in the next five years?
Our growth has been fuelled by factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, long NHS waiting lists in the UK and the high cost of medical treatment in the US; people are now taking much more ownership of their own health outcomes. We recently launched into wound care and will continue to expand into adjacent categories. There’s also huge international growth potential. We’ll also make sure we grow without compromising on the quality of our products or service.
What motivates you?
I’m passionate about helping people to stay active and healthy. My dad was a mountaineer, and my mum was an NHS nurse. Growing up, their influence meant I spent a lot of time outdoors, which not only fostered my love for nature but also made me more health-conscious, making my role at Neo G feel very natural. I’ve always been active and have faced multiple injuries that have stopped me in my tracks; I’ve got a high level of empathy for our customers because I’m one too!
