– Key hires across organization help drive expansion and optimization efforts in 2025 –
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ZT Corporate, a private equity firm that specializes in healthcare and automotive investments, announced today several strategic hires on the corporate level as well as industry veterans to guide its healthcare portfolio. The organization is excited to welcome these esteemed leaders, each bringing a unique skillset to further ZT’s vision over the next five years.
Taseer Badar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ZT Corporate, said, “ZT is actively expanding our reach, enhancing our service approach and creating efficiencies across our operations, and I am confident this team will continue to strengthen our company as we grow. The new members of our leadership team have years of experience, and each member embodies the ‘ZT Way’ of doing business. Their knowledge will enable us to mitigate risks and further optimize our current operations while exploring new opportunities.”
ZT Corporate leadership team updates:
- Wajid Mirza, ZT Vice Chair, is a recognized thought leader in the new venture launch, finance transformation and business performance measurement fields with over 30 years of management and consulting experience with Fortune 100 corporations across the world. He is the managing partner at Arthur Lawrence LP, a global management and technology consulting firm.
- Judy Ku, Chief Experience Officer, brings 25 years of expertise in client relations management, business development, sales, and marketing, with experience at Giorgio Armani and LVMH. With involvement in foundation and philanthropic work, she will play a key role in shaping ZT’s customer experience strategy, driving innovative initiatives, and strengthening relationships across all industries ZT serves. Her leadership and deep understanding of luxury and high-touch client engagement will help foster long-term success and meaningful community connections.
- Howard Levine, Chief Business Officer and Managing Partner, Miami, brings deep expertise from over 15 years in senior banking leadership, most recently serving as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Banking Officer at Amerant Bank. In his new role at ZT, Levine will lead the firm’s Miami expansion, with a focus on developing strategic partnerships, optimizing operations, and advancing stakeholder relationships. He is widely respected for his collaborative leadership approach and ability to align teams and investors around long-term value creation.
Altus Community Healthcare leadership updates:
- Dr. Muhammad Ali Chaudhry, Altus Global CEO, brings extensive leadership experience, backed by more than 15 years at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He is board certified in Nuclear Medicine and has a successful track record of leading large integrated health systems, transforming strategic priorities into operational plans and managing change in complex systems. Dr. Chaudhry brings a focus on creating value and has held positions at TVM Capital Healthcare, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Mubadala Healthcare, Makkah Healthcare Cluster, Emerging Health International and Noor Care Health Network. He has a record of establishing world-class healthcare facilities with strong emphasis on quality and financial sustainability.
- Ben Frank (MHA), Altus COO, is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 30 years of leadership in healthcare organizations across the U.S. and internationally. He has held senior leadership roles at world-class institutions, including Cleveland Clinic and Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, where he consistently delivered strategic growth, clinical and operational transformation, and measurable increases in revenue and financial stability. With a unique blend of expertise in healthcare delivery, innovation, and investment, Frank is a strategic leader for organizations seeking to navigate transformation, scale operations, and invest in the future of health.
- Marko Korlat, Altus Chief Financial Officer, brings more than 15 years of strategic leadership and financial healthcare experience in both private equity-backed and nonprofit organizations, ranging from $140M to $5B in net revenue. As EOC Financial Chief, he was a key member in upstanding and operating Emergency Operating Center (EOC) of Michigan’s largest health system during COVID. Korlat facilitated organic and M&A driven net revenue growth from $140M to over $320M in just under two years, making his previous organization the largest private equity-backed group in the country within the Ear Nose Throat space. He brings a focus on risk mitigation and a fact-backed structure that helps shape and elevate the financial wellbeing of organizations.
- Dr. Khalid Siddiqui, Altus Chief Medical Officer, offers over 25 years of experience as an emergency medicine physician and healthcare executive, overseeing multiple emergency medicine, ICU and hospital programs across Florida. He previously served as Chair of Emergency Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital and held key leadership roles at Team Health and Winter Haven Hospital, where he specialized in strategic decision-making, patient-centered leadership, and financial discipline.
- Kaleem Siddiqui, Altus VP Supply Chain, brings over 15 years of experience in healthcare supply chain management. During his tenure at Emerus, he was a key leader in the development and launch of more than 35 micro-hospitals across the country. He guided the organization through rapid expansion and historic supply shortages, while positioning Emerus’s strategic, centralized supply chain model as an industry benchmark. Following his time at Emerus, he served as the Head of Global Logistics, Inventory, and Warehousing at Noble Drilling Services, the world’s largest offshore drilling company.
- Gus Forward, Altus SVP Marketing, bolsters over 15 years of experience in healthcare marketing, reputation management and business development, including the successful activation of campaigns across multiple service and product industries. Before joining the Altus Community Healthcare leadership team, he held leadership roles at mid-level and billion-dollar revenue companies, such as Lockton Companies, Emerus Holdings, Inc. and New Quest properties.
About ZT Corporate
Established in 1997, ZT Corporate is a Houston-based private equity firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. The firm focuses on healthcare and auto dealerships as core investment verticals. ZT Corporate’s investment team collaborates with its operators to support the day-to-day operations of the firm’s portfolio investments. This close collaboration drives value creation by developing stronger operator-investor relationships, cross-functional expertise, and a deeper understanding of the target industries. Since its founding, ZT Corporate has successfully completed more than 60+ investments, including platform companies and follow-on opportunities with multiple liquidity events for its investors. For more information: www.ztcorporate.com
Contacts
Media Contact:
Victoria Cook
Pierpont Communications for ZT Corporate
[email protected], 713-627-2223
