Esteban López
About Esteban López
Independent director since January 2021; age 52. CEO of Alation Health and founder/Chief Medical Officer of Hopscotch Health; prior roles include Market Lead–Americas, Healthcare & Life Sciences at Google Cloud (Sep 2020–Mar 2023), VP U.S. Growth at Babylon Health (May–Aug 2023), CMO for Clinical Strategy & Innovation at HCSC/Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (2013–2019), and CMO at Doxy.me. Dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; M.D. (Michigan State University), MBA (University of Texas at Dallas), B.A. Biology (UC Santa Cruz) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alation Health | Chief Executive Officer | Current (as of 2025) | Health plan leadership |
| Hopscotch Health | Founder & Chief Medical Officer | Current | Pediatric urgent care leadership |
| Google Cloud | Market Lead–Americas, Healthcare & Life Sciences | Sep 2020–Mar 2023 | Strategy, thought leadership, product development |
| Babylon Health | Vice President, U.S. Growth | May 2023–Aug 2023 | U.S. commercial growth initiatives |
| Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) | Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Strategy & Innovation | Mar 2013–Dec 2019 | Clinical strategy; innovation; previously President/CMO Southwest Texas Region (oversight of 1.8M-member business) |
| Doxy.me, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Prior role | Telemedicine software clinical leadership |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | President Southwest Texas Region; Chief Medical Officer | Prior role | Oversight of sales, network, medical and community affairs |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axonics, Inc. | Director | Prior (public company) | Previously public medical technology company; acquired by Boston Scientific; no ADUS-related interlock disclosed |
| Texas Lyceum | Director (prior) | Prior | Civic leadership; no ADUS-related interlock disclosed |
| UNIT Innovations | Advisor (prior) | Prior | Advisory role; no ADUS-related interlock disclosed |
| San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council; San Antonio Hispanic Chamber | Executive committee roles (prior) | Prior | Community/health initiatives |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; chair is Susan T. Weaver .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than CEO R. Dirk Allison are independent under Nasdaq rules (López is independent) .
- Attendance: Board met 9 times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
- Years of service: Director since January 2021; nominated and elected as Class I director in 2025 to a term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting .
- Shareholder support (2025 election): For 15,434,772; Withhold 1,121,271; Broker non-votes 875,876 .
- Board leadership: Combined CEO/Chair with Lead Director Mark L. First; Lead Director presides when Chair absent and sets agendas with CEO .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (independent directors) | $85,000 (2024) | Paid in cash |
| Lead Director additional retainer | $25,000 (not applicable to López) | Paid to Lead Director |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit $25,000; Compensation $15,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $15,000; Government Affairs $15,000 (not applicable to López) | Chair fees only; López is a member, not chair |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | Expenses reimbursed |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Year | Instrument | Grant Value | Grant Timing | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Restricted Stock | ~$119,990 | Awarded following 2024 annual meeting | Vests June 12, 2025 |
| 2023 | Restricted Stock | ~$120,019 | Awarded following 2023 annual meeting | Vested June 14, 2024 |
| Unvested shares held (as of 12/31/2024) | Restricted Stock | — | — | 1,013 unvested shares (López) |
- No performance metrics tied to director equity grants disclosed (time-based vesting) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Positions | Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axonics, Inc. | Director (prior) | Not disclosed | No ADUS-related interlocks disclosed; company later acquired by Boston Scientific |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; clinical and payer leadership experience across HCSC/BCBSTX and Google Cloud healthcare .
- Education: M.D. (Michigan State University), MBA (University of Texas at Dallas), B.A. Biology (UC Santa Cruz) .
- Board qualifications cited by ADUS: healthcare industry experience, medical knowledge, and prior board service .
Equity Ownership
| Date | Beneficial Shares | % of Outstanding | Unvested Restricted Shares | Options Held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 23, 2025 | 3,366 | ~0.0183% (3,366 / 18,399,139) | 1,013 | None disclosed |
| April 17, 2024 | 3,353 | ~0.0205% (3,353 / 16,370,336) | 1,289 | None disclosed |
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, holding in margin accounts, and pledging of Company stock by directors .
Governance Assessment
- Committee effectiveness: López serves on Nominating & Corporate Governance, which oversees director nominations, Board/management evaluations, succession planning, and independent director compensation—providing influence over board refreshment and governance practices .
- Independence and attendance: Independent under Nasdaq rules with at least 75% attendance threshold met in 2024; supports investor confidence in oversight quality .
- Shareholder support: Strong 2025 vote in favor for López (15.43M For vs. 1.12M Withhold) and robust Say‑on‑Pay support (For 15.22M; Against 1.33M; Abstain 8,662; broker non-votes 875,876), with annual Say‑on‑Pay frequency endorsed (1‑year: 15.90M) .
- Alignment: Director pay mixes cash retainer plus time‑vested stock; modest personal stake (3,366 shares; ~0.018% of outstanding) combined with anti‑hedging/pledging policy supports alignment while limiting risk-shifting .
- Conflicts/related parties: No related‑party transactions involving López disclosed; a tech‑enabled services agreement with Metasource (affiliate of Eos, where director Mark First is Managing Director) was reviewed/approved by the Audit Committee; monitor ongoing committee independence and RPT governance . Prior year proxy reported no RPTs over $120,000 (other than compensation arrangements) .
- RED FLAGS: None specific to López identified (no pledging, no disclosed RPTs, independent status); general structural consideration remains combined CEO/Chair offset by Lead Director role .
Notes: Director compensation amounts reflect 2024 policy and grants; 2025 proxy provides 2024 director compensation details and confirms independence/committee composition .