Tuesday, 9 Oct, 2007

Smiths Medical, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announces the appointment of Ron Frisbie as Global Vice President, Operations as part of an operational restructure.

Mr Frisbie has 30 years senior operational experience – 20 with the Ford Motor Company – and has also worked for three years as VP Manufacturing and Supply Chain with medical technology company Medtronic, where he was responsible for global medical device manufacturing operations, as well as supply chain planning and procurement. He has an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Srini Seshadri, Group Managing Director of Smiths Medical, said: “This is an important step for our company as we aim to develop a world class manufacturing and supply chain operation which will be the backbone of our future success. Ron has considerable experience of managing complex global operations and we are delighted he is joining us today to deliver a strategic change programme which will enhance the way we serve our customers.”

Ron will immediately assume responsibility for manufacturing at all Smiths Medical factories, which are located in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany and Italy. He will also lead the supply chain and procurement functions and integrate these elements into a world class operations team which is better able to meet the needs of customers across the world. Previously all these functions have been managed on a territory basis.

During his time with Ford and with Visteon in the late 1990s, Ron was responsible for several Shingo Prize¹ winning sites (awarded for excellence in manufacturing) and has achieved a remarkable string of process improvements, cost reductions and quality enhancements in operations across the world.

Ron said: “I am extremely happy to have been offered this chance to move Smiths Medical’s operations on to the next level. I am very excited to be joining a company with such a strong brand and reputation and look forward to working with the team to take our performance to the world class level our customers expect.”

Mr Frisbie reports to Srini Seshadri and is based in the Smiths Medical offices in St Paul, Minnesota.
ENDS

¹ The Shingo Prize is awarded to world class manufacturing sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico, and recognises the application of lean manufacturing techniques.


Smiths Medical
Smiths Medical is a supplier of specialist medical devices to global markets. Smiths Medical comprises three product groupings: Safety Devices, Critical Care and Medication Delivery & Patient Monitoring (MDPM). Smiths Medical customers include hospitals and other healthcare providers worldwide. Smiths Medical employs nearly 7,500 people. For further information visit:
www.smiths-medical.com


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