Meikle’s and Larkin’s New Roles at The Fertility Partners
By: Lisa Munger
MidCap Advisors' Vice President of Healthcare Brijinder S. Minhas was quoted by Inside Reproductive Health following the appointment of new CEOs at both The Fertility Partners and First Fertility.
Dr. Minhas was COO and Partner at Florida-based NewLIFE for 22 years before its acquisition by First Fertility in 2022. In the transaction, MidCap Advisors served as the investment banker for NewLIFE and Dr. Minhas joined MidCap following the closing.
It is through the courtesy of Lisa Munger and Inside Reproductive Health that our team can share her article with our audience. You can read Dr. Minhas’ comments regarding fertility experience as essential for senior management executives that acquire fertility practices to maximize both profitability and productivity here:
The Fertility Partners (TFP) announced Derek Larkin as its new CEO on August 16, the same month that Cara Reyman took over as CEO of First Fertility, Larkin’s old post. Reyman was the CEO of a different fertility clinic network, Fertilitas, from July 2022 to July 2023.
Andrew Meikle, founder of TFP, served as the company’s first CEO from September 2019 to August 2023. Meikle will continue to serve as founder and executive chairman as the transition occurs to supporting partner relationships, corporate development and strategic decision-making.
The Fertility Partners, founded in 2019, is a network of fertility practices with 36 clinic locations across North America, including 14 IVF centers. With more than 75 physicians and 1,000 employees, TFP operates in six provinces in Canada.
Larkin's experience extends beyond his time as CEO of First Fertility from May 2020 to July 2023. He held various leadership positions over a span of 12 years at Boston IVF, including CEO. In his roles at Boston IVF, Larkin demonstrated developed expertise in managing operations and guiding strategic direction, according to TFP.
This background places him in an ideal position to lead TFP and further enhance its offerings to partner clinics, according to TFP.
"My life's work has been in fertility, striving to improve the patient experience along their journey of family building," Larkin said in a statement. “I am excited to continue to lead this amazing organization with that purpose.”
“This is a transformational time in our business, and we are very excited to have Derek guide the TFP team as we continue our growth across North America,” Meikle said in a statement. “We have a tremendous alignment of vision and values, and his extensive operational expertise, sector knowledge and leadership will enhance our offering to partner clinics.”
Dr. Brijinder Minhas was a partner and COO at NewLIFE in Florida for 22 years before it was acquired by First Fertility in 2022. MidCap Advisors were investment bankers. After the sale, Minhas joined MidCap as vice president of healthcare.
“It is important that management companies truly understand the nuances of the practice they are dealing with,” Minhas said.
“Having managers and C-suite folks with prior fertility experience, in my opinion, is essential and leads to a much more productive and profitable relationship … The reasons for the shake-up at First Fertility are not known. A good warning for other CEOs: ‘Hire the right team and keep both the practices and private equity bosses happy.’ Ultimately, clinicians want to provide the best patient care, and management partners want to maximize profitability. A good balancing act is required.”
Meikle and Larkin declined to comment on the transition for the purposes of this article.
About MidCap Advisors, LLC
MidCap Advisors is a New York-based M&A advisory firm providing sophisticated financial advice and M&A transaction services to private companies. MidCap Advisors offers industry-leading analysis that integrates both quantitative and qualitative factors to accurately assess the total value of a transaction, ensuring it meets the client’s definition of success. Over the past 20 years, MidCap has become a recognized leader in insurance M&A and transactional support services. The firm also has extensive M&A expertise in other sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, business and technology services. The MidCap team’s deep experience as investment bankers has enabled additional focus on due diligence, consulting, and direct investing.
To learn more about MidCap’s healthcare M&A experience, visit Healthcare M&A .
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