Royal honours for medtech  TWO MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY LEADERS were among the recipients of the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Geoff Morris of Medtronic and Malcolm Carlisle of Eschmann Holdings received awards in a list including such famous names as Ian Botham, Salman Rushdie, Joe Cocker and Peter Sallis.
Geoff Morris, Medtronic’s regional director for the UK and Ireland and former chair of the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI), received an OBE. Morris was also a member of the Healthcare Industries Task Force’s (HITF) strategic implementation group. “The award is certainly an appropriate reflection of Geoff’s contribution to the HITF and liaison with the Department of Health while chair of the ABHI,” a spokesperson for Medtronic said. “This group developed and has since sustained a process for ensuring constructive dialogue between industry and government, ultimately improving the access patients have to effective technology.”
Morris responded: “I’m deeply honoured. Given this opportunity, however, I need to recognise the contribution of so many others that enabled HITF to be a success, especially John Wilkinson and the team at the ABHI. Also many of my Medtronic colleagues played a significant role, providing unstinting support and inspiration during my ABHI chairmanship.”
Malcolm Carlisle, Group Managing Director of Eschmann Holdings, received a CBE for his services to the medical device industry. Carlisle took part in the HITF process as a member of the regulatory committee. Eschmann Holdings is a market leader in the design and manufacture of operating theatre and decontamination equipment, including operating tables and benchtop autoclaves.
The spirit of British technological innovation was also recognised by the award of an OBE to actor Peter Sallis, the voice of inventor Wallace in the Aardman Animations cartoon films. | New Chief Executive for Gyrus Group UK MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANY Gyrus Group Plc has promoted its Chief Operating Officer Roy Davis to Chief Executive. Based in Reading, Gyrus is a leading supplier of medical devices to reduce trauma and complications in surgery.  As COO, Roy Davis has driven the ongoing process of improving operating margins while overseeing the integration of ACMI, which Gyrus acquired in 2005. Roy has over 25 years of line management and strategic consulting experience, and was a Non-Executive Director of Gyrus from its flotation in 1997 to 2003, when he became COO.
Former Chairman Brian Steer has become Non-Executive Chairman. Brian Steer commented: “Gyrus has grown from a small loss-making technology company into a profitable FTSE 250 medical device business with revenues of over £200 million and a market capitalisation of over £700 million. This has been achieved through both organic growth and acquisitions. Roy has led the integration of these acquisitions, and has driven a complete Operations and R&D restructuring programme.”
Roy Davis, Chief Executive of Gyrus, said: “I am delighted and honoured to become CEO of Gyrus. The Company is well positioned for the future with strong management, great people and world-class technologies. I look forward to leading the company to further success.” | 20:20 Selection celebrates 5th birthday  JUNE 2007 SEES SPECIALIST recruitment consultancy 20:20 Selection Ltd mark its 5th birthday with plenty to celebrate, having recently moved to a new office suite, recruited two new team members and gained new clients.
Director Karen Forshaw commented: “The journey so far has been a real roller-coaster, with many lessons learnt along the way. Most importantly, we have achieved our initial goal of delivering quality levels of service to all our customers and remaining specialist in approach. The industry’s evolution continues as does 20:20 Selection’s, looking forward to the next five years!”
To discuss your needs as a client or candidate, contact the team on 0845 026 2020 or visit www.2020selection.co.uk. | Report shows UK business failing to develop talent 51% OF UK BUSINESSES are failing to implement talent development programmes, according to a landmark report from recruitment outsourcing specialist Capital Consulting and Cranfield School of Management. The report shows that lack of financial investment and senior management support are holding back talent.
While 60% of the businesses surveyed said that talent management – the strategies and practices needed to define, identify, develop, attract and retain those with skills valuable to the organisation – is essential to their bottom line, only 41% are strategically managing their star talent. Many companies are failing to ‘walk the talk’ on this crucial issue. The factors identified as blocking implementation of talent management strategies include lack of financial investment (51%) and insufficient senior management support (40%).
Jeremy Tipper, Group Managing Director of Capital Consulting, said: “Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the growing importance of attracting the best available talent from the marketplace, but often fall short when it comes to following through on development, retention and allowing talented people to reach their potential. “The changing nature of UK and global economies and the demographics that lead to a shrinking talent pool entering the workforce will really begin to bite over the next three to five years. How good you are at managing talent will become a crucial factor in whether you are a winner or a loser in terms of competitive advantage.”
Dr Emma Parry, research fellow at Cranfield School of Management, said the report should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to employers. “The ‘disconnect’ between what senior managers are saying and what they are doing is very worrying. It’s clear that, in the main, their actions have not caught up with their rhetoric when it comes to talent management.” | Midlands medtech COG keeps turning  KINGSWINFORD MEDTECH LEADER Mike Lord has been voted to the Chair of the Medical Technologies Cluster Opportunity Group (COG), which drives medtech industry growth in the West Midlands. Mike Lord is Managing Director of Minivator, the world’s second largest manufacturer of stairlifts.
Outgoing chairman Warren Gray of MCS Medical Ltd said: “Mike Lord is the perfect choice to be my successor, and his decision to take on this important and time-consuming role has been warmly welcomed by the current group. The next few years will be very exciting for the industry, and I look forward to seeing the West Midlands leading the rest of the country in innovation and successful commercialisation.”
Mike Lord commented: “I’m a great believer in working together to drive both commercial success and investment in healthcare. The West Midlands has a great track record for technical and medical innovation and the COG will be instrumental in steering this forward in the future.”
For more information, contact Lisa Ridgway on 07890 609933 or e-mail lisa.ridgway@reevesgreen.co.uk. | Randox is new corporate member of EDMA THE EUROPEAN DIAGNOSTIC MANUFACTURERS Association (EDMA) welcomes Randox Laboratories as a new corporate affiliate, bringing its overall membership up to 30 major IVD companies and 21 National Associations.
Founded in 1982, Randox Laboratories (www.randox.com) is a Northern Ireland-based reagent and equipment manufacturer, providing a wide range of clinical diagnostic products. The company’s core products and services include Biochip Array Technology and environmental diagnostics. Randox Laboratories employs over 600 people, with sales and distribution agreements in 130 countries.
EDMA represents National Associations and major companies engaged in the research, development, manufacture or distribution of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices in Europe. The Association represents in total more than 500 companies across Europe.
 | |
Subscribe