Roger Holstein will succeed Kerry Hicks as CEO of HealthGrades, a Denver-based healthcare ratings company, effective immediately. Hicks has held the CEO position since founding the company in 1999.

Holstein is a managing director with Vestar Capital Partners. He also chairs HealthGrades board of managers, a role he has held since an affiliate of Vestar acquired HealthGrades for $294 million in 2010.

Hicks will assume the chairmanship of the board, according to a joint news release.

“In his role as chairman, Mr. Hicks will step back from day-to-day operations to focus on broad company strategy, the impact of public policy on the industry and building key external relationships,” the companies said in the release.

Holstein

Following the management change, Holstein will continue to serve as a partner at Vestar. He will also remain on the boards of Press Ganey and DynaVox Corp., two Vestar portfolio companies, according to the release. Holstein and Hicks' ages were not available at deadline.