A Medical Device Daily

Cardinal Health (Dublin, Ohio), a provider of products and services designed to improve the safety and productivity of healthcare, said that president/CEO Kerry Clark will become chairman/CEO, effective Nov. 8 following the company’s 2007 annual shareholder meeting. Clark succeeds Cardinal founder Robert Walter who plans to retire at the end of the company’s 2008 fiscal year.

Since joining Cardinal in April 2006, Clark has continued the company’s focus on serving healthcare providers, divested businesses that fell outside this focus, acquired several companies to complement and grow core businesses and implemented organizational changes to improve operational performance.

Walter launched the company in 1971 when he bought a food wholesaling company and grew it into the largest publicly held firm in Ohio, now with 55,000 employees worldwide.

Walter will serve as executive director until June 30, 2008, after which he will retire from the company but remain on the board.

“The time is right for Kerry to become chairman,” Walter said. “Our transition has gone extremely well and the company is thriving under Kerry’s leadership. I’m as confident as ever about Cardinal Health and its future.”