Only weeks after announcing his departure as president of Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak in Michigan, Shane Cerone is joining Van Conway's new advisory firm.
Cerone will become a partner at Van Conway and Partners, serving clients in the healthcare industry.
Also joining the firm as a partner is Billy Martinez, CEO of Troy-based One Lily Pad. The company works to attract investment, using the EB-5 visa program, to develop, manage and operate Marco's Pizza franchises.
The hires are the first for Conway, who is suing his former firm, Birmingham-based Conway MacKenzie.
The lawsuit, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court last week, alleges the board of Conway MacKenzie removed Conway as CEO while he was on medical leave and cut his compensation by roughly 80% in an attempt to transition control to co-founder Don MacKenzie.
The contentious lawsuit is also against certain board members of the firm, including MacKenzie, Joseph Geraghty, Gregory Charleston, John Young and Jeffrey Zappone.
Conway MacKenzie is expected to file a countersuit.
Conway leased space in the floor above Conway MacKenzie on Old Woodward in Birmingham for his new firm.
Cerone has served as president of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak since 2009 and his resignation is expected early next month. Also in 2009, Cerone was named a Crain's 40 Under 40.
Prior to joining Beaumont, Cerone served as hospital director at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City. He earned a bachelor's from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a master's from University of Iowa.
Martinez is expected to remain at One Lily Pad while directing the Conway enterprise on immigration and franchise advisory. Prior to One Lily Pad, Martinez served in several senior advisory roles, including CEO of Lansing Future Development—which led the impending development of the Lansing Kewadin Casino.
"Beaumont Royal Oak president to join Van Conway in new firm" was originally published in Crain's Detroit Business.
