Executive Leadership Transition to Support New Phase of Growth
Healthcare industry executive Robert L. Gershon to join as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, bringing 30 years of commercial leadership experience
Mauna Kea Founder Sacha Loiseau, Ph.D., to become Chairman of the Board of Directors
Christophe Lamboeuf, Chief Financial Officer, appointed Deputy Managing Director
Mauna Kea Technologies today announced a leadership transition intended to enable the Company’s next phase of commercial success. At the conclusion of a global executive search, the Mauna Kea Technologies Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Robert L. Gershon as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 22, 2018.
A seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience directing commercial strategies and marketing execution for leading medical technology companies, Rob was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Bovie Medical (NYSE: BVX), where he oversaw the successful repositioning of the Company’s product portfolio and commercial operations. Prior roles included leadership positions with Henry Schein and Covidien (now Medtronic). Rob has been serving as an advisor to Mauna Kea for several months.
As part of the leadership transition, Sacha Loiseau will become Chairman of the Board of Directors, where he can continue to contribute his expertise, knowledge and experience in an expanded role. "Working closely with Rob over the past six months, he has demonstrated his deep industry knowledge, operating discipline and commercial acumen. As a former CEO and marketing executive with a successful track record of improving operations to position companies for growth and sustainable profitability, Rob is highly qualified to lead Mauna Kea into its next phase of growth,” said Sacha Loiseau, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “I am most grateful to the exceptional teams I have had the pleasure to lead for 18 years; they have done an amazing job building the momentum to where we stand today and can take pride in the lasting impact the Cellvizio® platform has and will continue to have on patient care. This marks an exciting new chapter for Mauna Kea Technologies, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Rob and the Company in my new role as Chairman.”
Robert L. Gershon added, "I share Sacha’s enthusiasm for Cellvizio’s transformational nature and commercial potential both in the United States and globally. Moreover, I am confident that my experience as a CEO and marketing executive will allow me to build on the remarkable foundation that Sacha and his team have created over the past 18 years. I welcome the responsibility of building value on behalf of our employees, shareholders and clinical partners.”
Christopher D. McFadden, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mauna Kea Technologies added, "On behalf of the Board, I thank Sacha for his tireless commitment to Mauna Kea’s long-term success. From the earliest seeds of technology innovation, through product development, regulatory approval, commercialization, a public offering and the development of a global organization, Sacha has been the driving visionary of Mauna Kea’s clinical and commercial potential. On a personal note, I am grateful for Sacha’s partnership over the past four years and remain highly confident that he will do an extraordinary job as Chairman. Likewise, I look forward to serving as a member of the Board of Directors and to supporting Rob in his new capacity.”
Additionally, the Board has appointed Christophe Lamboeuf as Deputy Managing Director, reflecting his significant and valuable contributions to the Company as Chief Financial Officer. Molly O’Neil, incoming Chair of the Audit Committee noted, “In addition to his important function leading our financial planning and reporting activities, Christophe has become a trusted member of the Mauna Kea management team. In his capacity as Deputy Managing Director, we welcome Christophe’s expanded role.” Finally, Jean-Luc Boulnois, Ph.D. has resigned from the Mauna Kea Technologies Board of Directors. Christopher D. McFadden observed, “Both Sacha and I are very grateful to Jean-Luc for his important contribution as Director. We wish him continued success in his future personal and professional endeavors.”
All of these changes were approved by the Board on Wednesday, October 10 and will become effective on Monday, October 22, following a planned transition period. Mauna Kea Technologies will host a conference call to discuss Q3 sales results on Wednesday, October 18th, during which time Sacha Loiseau and Christophe Lamboeuf will review Q3 results and introduce Rob Gershon to the Mauna Kea investor community.
