Dr. Sulman Ahmed

Founder, Chairman and CEO

About

Dr. Sulman Ahmed is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of DECA Dental Group, the holding company for the consumer-facing brand Ideal Dental. He is the influential leader shaping and motivating DECA’s strategy and culture. In 2008, Dr. Ahmed opened his first dental office with a vow to establish a genuinely patient-centered model. Today, the rapidly growing brand has around 200 locations in nine states and serves around 3,000 guests daily.

His natural ability to scout talent and cultivate strong leaders has allowed him to architect a first-class organization of leaders from the top down. Under his leadership, DECA has become a vanguard as one of the industry’s fastest-growing and well-respected organizations, earning numerous honors, awards, and recognitions.

In his personal career, he has achieved many honors and awards, including receiving The University of Texas at Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award (2024). He has also been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), one of Glassdoor’s Top CEOs (2021) with a 98% approval rating, and one of Dallas Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs (2023). As part of his commitment to giving back, Dr. Ahmed established the Dr. Sulman Ahmed Scholarship Fund, an endowment at the University of Texas at Dallas, to support underserved and first-generation students.

More recently, he garnered the Silver Stevie Award for People-Focused CEO of the Year and became an official member of the Forbes Business Council. He is also a newly published author with his book, “Make Them Smile: Why Customer Satisfaction Is the Key to Rapid and Sustainable Growth” by Dr. Sulman Ahmed. It’s a must-read for professionals seeking rapid and sustainable growth.

He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where he now serves as the Chair of the Board of Advisors as of 2024. He also serves as President of the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), the premier association for businesses in the dental industry.

Meet the rest of
leadership

Dr. Shalin Patel

Partner & Chief Medical Officer Read Bio

Scott Wasikowski

Chief Operating Officer Read Bio

Lyndsay Lord

Chief Human Resources Officer Read Bio

Sean Gantley

Chief Financial Officer Read Bio

Robert Boone

Chief Information Officer Read Bio

Dr. Matthew Doan

Owner Doctor & Managing Clinical Director Read Bio

Chad Luhn

Chief Development Officer Read Bio

Sean Thompson

Chief Revenue Officer Read Bio

Steve Allred

VP of Development Read Bio

Carol Canava

VP of Revenue Cycle Read Bio

Ben Alderson

VP of Real Estate Read Bio

Dr. Sulman Ahmed

Founder & CEO

Dr. Sulman Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of DECA Dental. He is instrumental in shaping and overseeing DECA Dental’s growth, strategy and culture. In 2008, Dr. Ahmed opened his first dental office and set out to create a truly patient centered model. His belief in putting patients first is the fundamental backbone of DECA Dental’s core values and patient care delivery model.

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