NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blink Health today announced it has hired former Kayak Chief Architect and General Manager of Mobile Bill O’Donnell to lead its engineering team. O’Donnell will serve as Executive Vice President, Head of Engineering, overseeing the rapid growth of Blink’s technology and engineering efforts.

With more than 25 years of software development experience, O’Donnell also has an impressive track record of managing talent and building superior teams. He was instrumental in Kayak’s success from its inception in 2004 culminating in the $2.1B sale to the Priceline Group in 2013. Bill served for ten years as Kayak’s Chief Architect and General Manager of the company’s industry leading mobile business, where he oversaw both technology and monetization.

“At a time when skyrocketing drug prices are a national crisis, Blink Health is leveraging technology to provide all Americans with access to affordable prescription medications,” said Blink Health CEO and Co-Founder Geoffrey Chaiken. “With a deep well of engineering expertise as well as a knack for scaling software that consumers love, Bill is the ideal person to lead Blink’s technology work as we bring transparency and lower prices to patients.”

“As the first e-commerce platform where patients can purchase their medications online at significantly lower prices and pick them up at their local pharmacy, we have seen the power that our technology has to transform people’s lives,” said Blink Health COO and Co-Founder Matthew Chaiken. “Bill’s impressive engineering skills, commercial acumen and inspiring leadership will drive us to keep innovating and building products that put patients first.”

“Bill is the most talented technologist and team leader I’ve ever worked with,” said Lola CEO and Kayak Co-Founder Paul English. “He led the creation of our technology development and brought out the best in his people. Kayak wouldn’t be the company it is today without him.”

“Our current system isn’t serving patients, who pay more and more for their prescriptions. Blink is committed to building a transparent system that’s affordable for everybody,” said Bill O’Donnell. “I’m thrilled to join in this mission, and I’m excited to lead the talented team of engineers at Blink as we work to improve the lives of millions of Americans.”

After Kayak, Bill cofounded Blade, LLC, a Boston-based accelerator, where he also cofounded travel startup Lola (lola.com). Prior to Kayak, he was Chief Architect at Boston Light Software which was acquired by Intuit.

O’Donnell will be based in the Boston area, where Blink will eventually build a second office.

Blink Health Expands NYC Office to Accommodate Rapid Growth

Blink also announced today that it is expanding its New York City headquarters and operations to handle growing demand for access to affordable prescriptions.

Nearly twice as large, the new office in downtown New York will support the company’s continuing growth at a time when the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs is becoming an urgent national crisis. In 2017, Blink Health grew its workforce by almost 30% to nearly 100 employees and expanded its leadership team with the addition of EVP of Product and Marketing, Robert Birge and Chief People Officer Rochelle DiRe.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team and what we’ve accomplished since we started,” said Geoffrey Chaiken, Blink Health CEO and Co-Founder. “We’re fortunate to call New York home, where so many companies are leveraging technology to make people’s lives better.”

Blink Health is bringing transparency and lower drug prices to all Americans by negotiating on patients’ behalf on more than 15,000 medications. With no membership fees and no monthly premiums, Blink Health allows patients to pay online and then pick up their prescription at the pharmacy.

Blink Health has helped hundreds of thousands of patients -- the Blink Health Nation -- get their prescription drugs at a significant discount from retail prices.

Blink Health announced last year that it had raised a $90 million Series B led by 8VC, bringing its total financing to $165 million. 8VC also led Blink Health’s $75 million Series A in 2016 and has been a strong supporter since the company’s inception.

About Blink Health

Founded in 2014, Blink Health is a technology platform that enables consumers to access the medications they need at prices they can afford at over 40,000 pharmacies nationwide. Blink’s website and free mobile app allow users to purchase their medications online and pick them up at their local retailer for significant savings relative to the average retail price. Blink Health groups patients together to leverage their purchasing power and secure significantly lower prices for the most-prescribed medications in America.