CMR Surgical appoints Tony Vernon as Non-Executive Chairman
~ Former CEO of Kraft Foods with more than 30 years experience in senior executive positions
Cambridge, UK. 1 September 2020 (07:00 BST). CMR Surgical Ltd, the company behind the next-generation surgical robotic system Versius®, today announces the appointment of Tony Vernon as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. As Chairman, Mr Vernon will lead the Board, working with the CMR management team as they drive the Company’s global strategy and international expansion.
Mr. Vernon is a seasoned executive, having spent more than 30 years in senior executive positions at several world-class companies. He was the first CEO of Kraft Foods after it was spun off in 2012 and held the role until 2014. His global leadership experience is further complemented by significant healthcare expertise, guiding businesses that have a strong mission to improve healthcare outcomes for patients. This includes 23 years at Johnson & Johnson in a variety of leadership roles including Company Group Chairman of Depuy Orthopedics, President of Centocor Biotech, President of McNeil Consumer and President of Johnson & Johnson-Merck joint venture.
Following his time at Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Vernon served as healthcare industry partner of Ripplewood Holdings, a US based private equity and venture capital firm. He currently serves on the boards of a range of healthcare and consumer companies including Intersect ENT, Novocure, Nuvation Bio, McCormick Foods, and Nature’s Fynd.
CMR has continued to strengthen its Board and senior team as part of its global expansion plans. The addition of Tony Vernon to the Board follows the appointment of Per Vegard Nerseth as Chief Executive Officer at the start of the year and more recently Barrington D’Arcy as Chief Operations Officer.
Per Vegard Nerseth, Chief Executive Officer of CMR Surgical, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Tony as our Chairman and have someone with his expertise lead the Board as we continue to expand globally. CMR has completed over 600 clinical cases to date and, with strong demand for Versius, this is an opportune time for Tony to join us as we grow and enter new markets. He has an outstanding background leading several large consumer and healthcare organisations and deep experience supporting the growth of companies that are looking to improve the lives of patients around the world. This is firmly in line with CMR’s mission and ideal for leading the Board as we deliver on our ambitious strategy.”
Umur Hursever, Partner, LGT Lightstone, commented: “CMR is experiencing accelerated growth as it globally commercialises Versius. I am delighted to welcome Tony to the Board. With his exceptional credentials, he will strengthen CMR’s ability to globally scale and bring minimal access surgery to everyone who needs it.”
Tony Vernon, Chairman of CMR Surgical, said: “CMR Surgical is a hugely innovative business with an increasingly international presence. It is exciting to join the Board at such a pivotal time as the Company focuses on expansion and further commercialises Versius. I believe CMR is well positioned to realise the potential of robotic surgery.”
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Media Contacts:
If you wish to see more, please contact CMR Surgical at:
Sarah Ghabina / Ashley Davis-Marin
Global Communications Manager / Senior Communications Executive, CMR Surgical
T +44(0) 1223 755801
E pressoffice@cmrsurgical.com
Mary-Jane Elliott / Angela Gray / Lindsey Neville
Consilium Strategic Communications
T +44 (0)20 3709 5700
E cmr@consilium-comms.com
Notes to editors:
About CMR Surgical Limited
CMR Surgical (CMR) is a global medical devices company dedicated to transforming surgery with Versius®, a next-generation surgical robot.
Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, CMR is committed to working with surgeons, surgical teams and hospital partners, to provide an optimal tool to make robotic minimal access surgery universally accessible and affordable. With Versius, we are on a mission to redefine the surgical robotics market with practical, innovative technology and data that can improve surgical care.
Founded in 2014, CMR Surgical is a private limited company backed by an international shareholder base of specialist and generalist investors.