The new leadership era for Cochlear (ASX: COH) begins today with the appointment of Chris Smith as the company's CEO and President.
Mr Smith, who has also been appointed as an an Executive Director, succeeds Dr Chris Roberts, who led the company since 2004.
Mr Smith was previously the company’s North America president, as well as Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions senior vice-president and support operations senior vice-president. He has more than 10 years of senior executive experience at the company and has relocated to Sydney to take up the CEO position.
In June, Cochlear chairman Rick Holliday-Smith said that Dr Roberts “leaves Cochlear with the board’s best wishes and thanks”.
“He has done a remarkable job in the more than 11 years as CEO; trebling cochlear implant unit sales and revenues and quadrupling net profit and the share price,” said Mr Holliday-Smith. “His commitment to innovation has helped maintain Cochlear as global market leader.”