Ex-Salesforce Leader Joins Planet DDS as COO

Planet DDS strengthens the leadership team to boost customer engagement and drive growth.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Planet DDS, a leading provider of cloud-based dental practice management solutions, today announced the appointment of two executives to the senior leadership. Matt Zelen joins the company as chief operating officer. Bringing more than twenty years of executive leadership experience in private equity-sponsored and publicly held companies, Zelen will lead operations and customer success initiatives as Planet DDS continues its strong growth trajectory as the go-to platform for growth-minded dental businesses.

Molly Gapp, former WorkForce Software executive, will also join the company as Vice President of Professional Services, reporting to Zelen. She will provide strategic direction for onboarding and delivery of DentalOS^TM solutions, including conversion, implementation, and training programs to the company’s growing customer base.

Zelen joins Planet DDS after a half-decade at UserTesting, a SaaS leader in experience research and insights. There, he served as chief customer officer, led global customer success initiatives, and drove UserTesting’s customer implementation, enablement, and training programs. Zelen participated in multiple capital market transactions, and mergers and acquisitions, including UserTesting's initial IPO, and the sale of the company to Thoma Bravo and Sunstone Partners in 2023. His background in guiding customer success programs at major global technology companies includes leadership roles at Salesforce and Oracle.

"I am very excited to serve Planet DDS employees and customers as Chief Operating Officer. The company’s core values and growth mindset distinguish the company and make it a great place to work,” said Zelen. “I have spent my entire career listening to the voice of the customer and providing innovative solutions that allow our customers to better service theirs. In this new chapter, I look forward to partnering with the Planet DDS leadership team to take the company through its next phase of growth."

"We are thrilled to have Matt Zelen as our new COO. His experience, combined with his unwavering commitment to customer experience, make him the ideal candidate to lead our operations,” said Eric Giesecke, Chief Executive Officer of Planet DDS. “Both Matt and Molly are the perfect fit for our company and our leadership team. I am honored to welcome them to our team."

Planet DDS has achieved many remarkable milestones within the last year, with a rapidly expanding customer base. The company’s cloud-based solutions have facilitated over $7 billion in production while catering to the dental needs of more than 75 million patients. Planet DDS now boasts one of the largest dental databases globally, demonstrating its technological prowess and dedication to helping its customers grow their practices.

In addition, the company’s commitment to innovation and employee engagement has also received other recent accolades, such as being recognized on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list, Fast Company’s List of Top 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators and has secured a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list five times.

To learn about Planet DDS, visit planetdds.com.

About Planet DDS:

Planet DDS is the leading provider of cloud-enabled dental software solutions, serving over 13,000 practices in the United States with over 118,000 users. The company delivers a complete platform of solutions for dental practices, including Denticon Practice Management, Apteryx Cloud Imaging, Cloud 9 Ortho Practice Management, and Legwork Practice Marketing. Planet DDS is committed to creating value for its dental practice clients by solving the most urgent challenges facing today’s dental practices nationwide. To learn more, visit: PlanetDDS.com.