Omar Ishrak, Medtronic’s chairman and CEO is to retire on 26 April 2020, following the end of the company’s current fiscal year. Also, the Medtronic Board of Directors has announced key leadership appointments as part of its multi-year, leadership succession planning process. A press release reports that these announcements will ensure a smooth and successful transition in leadership across the company.
The Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Geoff Martha, currently, executive vice president (EVP) of the company’s Restorative Therapies Group (RTG), to assume the newly created role of Medtronic president and become a member of the Medtronic Board of Directors, effective 1 November 2019. He will also succeed Ishrak as Medtronic CEO, effective 27 April 2020. As president, according to the press release, Martha will lead Medtronic’s operating groups and regions. Brett Wall, president of Medtronic’s Brain Therapies division, was appointed EVP and group president of RTG, succeeding Martha, effective 1 November 2019.
At the start of Medtronic’s next fiscal year, on 27 April 2020, Ishrak will assume a new position of executive chairman. He will provide counsel and guidance to Medtronic’s leadership, oversee CEO succession, and drive the ongoing successful execution of Medtronic’s long-term strategic plan. These changes are designed to ensure a smooth transition, continuity of leadership and a continued focus on delivering Medtronic’s innovation strategy and financial performance.
Ishrak comments: “We have announced leadership changes that meet both the Board’s objective of executing a thoughtful leadership transition as well as my personal desire to begin transitioning my duties as CEO to a new leader coinciding with the start of our next fiscal year. This plan and its timing enable Geoff and I to partner on achieving Medtronic’s key financial performance goals as well as delivering on our critical pipeline milestones, including several important product launches. Leading Medtronic as CEO is an honour and a privilege, and I know that Geoff is the right leader to take Medtronic to the next level of its growth and evolution. Geoff is a results-oriented, dynamic, and innovative business leader who is passionately committed to our mission, the advancement of our growth strategy and the development and diversity of our people. I am confident he has the right track record, commitment, vision and judgment to lead our company.”
Scott Donnelly, Medtronic’s lead director, and chairman, president and CEO of Textron, says: “As Omar approaches the company’s mandatory executive officer retirement of 65 years of age next year, we have ensured Medtronic has the right leadership at the right time to advance its mission and deliver shareholder return through a seamless transition. The Board is extremely grateful to Omar for his outstanding leadership—as the company’s annual revenues have doubled and its market capitalisation has increased by more than US$100 billion during his tenure. We are confident Omar’s contributions to Medtronic will continue as executive chairman. The Board’s succession planning process prioritises developing leaders from within the company, and we are pleased that we could advance Geoff and Brett for these roles. During his time at Medtronic, Geoff has demonstrated his unique ability to lead, innovate and drive results, and the Board has full confidence in him and his ability to take Medtronic into its next chapter of growth.”
