RICHMOND, Va., June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Owens & Minor announced today that it has named Richard W. Mears as senior vice president, chief information officer for Owens & Minor. Mears, 45, joins Owens & Minor after serving more than 15 years with Perot Systems Corporation, an information technology services company that delivers technology-based business solutions to companies around the world. Mears was most recently Perot Systems’ East Region U.S. Executive Director - Healthcare Division, a position he has held since 2003. Owens & Minor, the nation’s leading distributor of national name brand medical and surgical supplies and a healthcare supply chain management company, outsourced its information technology functions to Perot Systems in 1998. Mears will assume his new duties effective June 6, 2005.
In his most recent capacity with Perot Systems, Mears was responsible for operations and sales for a team of approximately 750 associates, serving 10 healthcare industry customers, including Owens & Minor. From 1998 to 2003, Mears was the account executive for the Owens & Minor relationship, and oversaw the implementation of the 10-year Owens & Minor outsourcing contract. Mears also helped lead Owens & Minor to #1 rankings in the InformationWeek 500 in 2001 and 2003. Mears, who has twenty-three years of experience in the information technology field, worked with a variety of Perot Systems customers including AT&T, Fannie Mae, Eastman Kodak, and MCI. Mears also worked for Circuit City Stores, Inc., and Electronic Data Systems.
“Rick has been instrumental in helping us design tools that enable our healthcare customers to improve the supply chain,” said Craig R. Smith, president and chief operating officer. “He has been included as part of our senior leadership team for the last seven years, and is very familiar with our culture and how we work with our customers. Rick also brings a wealth of experience gained from working with other healthcare companies. We are very pleased to welcome Rick to the team.”
Mears, who will report to Charles C. Colpo, senior vice president, operations and technology, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from James Madison University in 1982. He lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife and two children.
Owens & Minor, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is the leading distributor of national name-brand medical and surgical supplies and a healthcare supply chain management company. With a diverse product and service offering and distribution centers throughout the United States, the company serves hospitals, integrated healthcare systems, alternate care locations, group purchasing organizations, the federal government and consumers. Owens & Minor provides technology and consulting programs that enable healthcare providers to maximize efficiency and cost- effectiveness in materials purchasing, improve inventory management and streamline logistics across the entire medical supply chain -- from origin of product to patient bedside. The company also has established itself as a leader in the development and use of technology. For news releases, or for more information about Owens & Minor, visit the company Web site at http://www.owens-minor.com.
Owens & Minor, Inc.
CONTACT: Trudi Allcott, Manager, Investor Communications of Owens & Minor,Inc., +1-804-935-4291, or truitt.allcott@owens-minor.com
Web site: http://www.owens-minor.com/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/667125.html/
