Former President of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare to Lead Atrium's Accelerated Growth and Expansion
Jacques Bougie Named Chairman; W. Brian Edwards Joins Board of Directors
MONTREAL, June 5, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Atrium Innovations Inc. ("Atrium" or the "Company"), a globally recognized leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative, science-based natural health products, announced today that Peter Luther, former President of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Atrium, effective at the end of June. He succeeds Pierre Fitzgibbon, who, as previously announced, will leave the Company by mutual agreement with the Board of Directors. The Company also announced that Jacques Bougie, former President and CEO of Alcan Inc., W. Brian Edwards, founder and former CEO of BCE Emergis, and Mr. Luther will join Atrium's Board of Directors. Mr. Bougie will serve as Chairman of the Board and be based in Montreal, Québec.
Mr. Luther, 49, has 25 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods and healthcare industries. Since 1987, he has worked for Johnson & Johnson and has served as President of several of the company's large divisions over the past 10+ years. His most recent role was President of the Consumer Healthcare business. In this role, Mr. Luther drove over $2.0 billion in annual retail sales in 2013 across 17 of the world's most iconic brands, including Listerine®, Band-Aid® and Neosporin®.
On behalf of Atrium's owners - the Permira Funds, Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec - John Coyle, Partner at Permira, said, "We are thrilled to have attracted an executive of Peter's caliber to lead Atrium and capitalize on the Company's numerous growth opportunities. His leadership skills, deep appreciation of industry regulation, keen focus on innovation, and proven track record of growing consumer brands make him a perfect fit for Atrium as the Company moves forward on its path to becoming a branded, global leader in the health products space. We look forward to working closely with Peter and the entire senior management team as they continue to grow this outstanding Company."
Mr. Luther commented, "I'm honored to have been selected to serve as Atrium's next CEO and am excited by the potential of this impressive Company. I have great respect for Atrium's commitment to innovation and quality, its growth trajectory and customer loyalty, and I am energized to work closely with the management team and talented employees as the Company embarks on the next phase of its growth. I see tremendous opportunities to build on Atrium's product portfolio and advance commercialization and global distribution while upholding the Company's unwavering commitment to high quality products that improve peoples' lives."
Prior to his role as President of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare, Mr. Luther served as President of Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare with responsibility for such brands as Tylenol®, Motrin®, Zyrtec® and Benadryl®. Previous roles included President of Johnson & Johnson Beauty Care with brands such as Neutrogena®, Aveeno®, Clean & Clear® and Lubriderm® and President of LifeScan, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of glucose monitoring systems under the One Touch® brand. Mr. Luther received his Masters of Management from the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and his BA from Kenyon College.
Mr. Coyle continued, "On behalf of the Board of Directors, we would also like to welcome our new Board members. Jacques has an outstanding leadership track record along with significant operational and international experience, and we are confident that both he and Brian will provide unique insights and value to our Board in the years ahead."
Mr. Bougie was the President and CEO of Alcan Inc., a Québec-based global aluminium producer and packaging products supplier, from 1993 to 2001. In this role, he spearheaded the greatest expansion in the company's history through its acquisition of AluSuisse in 2000 and laid the groundwork for the acquisition of the French group Péchiney in 2004. Before serving as CEO, he was President and COO of Alcan from 1989 to 1993. Over the past 25 years, Mr. Bougie has served on the boards of Royal Bank of Canada, Bell Canada, BCE Mobile Communications, Nova Chemicals, Rona, Novelis, and AbitibiBowater and currently sits on the boards of McCain Foods, CSL Group and SNC-Lavalin Group. He currently chairs the Advisory Board of the Montréal Neurological Institute and Hospital and serves on the Board of Directors of a number of foundations.
Mr. Edwards is the founder and former CEO of BCE Emergis, one of North America's most successful electronic commerce companies. Under his leadership from 1988 to 2002, the company grew from a small start-up to a company with revenues of over $650 million and more than 2,000 employees. Mr. Edwards presently serves as Chairman of the Board of Atmanco Inc., a company that helps leaders and managers choose the right human resources, and is a member of the Boards of Directors of Camoplast Solideal Inc and Transat AT Inc. Mr. Edwards is very active in the community and currently serves on the Board of the Concordia University Foundation and the Adaptive Sports Foundation.
Messrs. Luther, Bougie and Edwards join Atrium's existing Board members: John Coyle, Henry Minello, Simon Marc and Yvon Bolduc.
About Atrium
Atrium Innovations Inc. is a globally-recognized leader in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative, science-based natural health products which are distributed in more than 35 countries. The Company owns healthcare practitioner and specialized retail product brands that are at the forefront of science, innovation and education. Atrium has over 1,500 employees and operates seven manufacturing facilities complying with current Good Manufacturing Practices. Additional information is available at www.atrium-innovations.com.
SOURCE: Atrium Innovations Inc.
Mario Paradis
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(514) 205-6244
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