WESTBROOK, Maine, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. , today announced the appointment of Irene Kerr as Corporate Vice President for Worldwide Operations, overseeing the Company's global manufacturing and distribution operations. Kerr brings to IDEXX an extraordinarily relevant and distinguished background, including over 20 years of experience in the diagnostics and healthcare industry.
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"Irene is a seasoned diagnostic executive, with a passion for continuous improvement and leadership development in operational settings," said Jonathan Ayers, Chairman and CEO. "Her extensive experience and management skills will be of tremendous value in managing our manufacturing operations to meet the increasing worldwide demand for our products."
"I am honored to lead such a talented and accomplished Operations team and look forward to helping our customers realize their visions and potential through use of IDEXX technology," said Kerr.
Ms. Kerr joins IDEXX from MDS Inc., where she was Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Investments. In this role, she evaluated medical device technologies and companies for investment or acquisition within the Diagnostics sector and MDS Corporate. Prior to that, Ms. Kerr was Senior Vice President, Group Development, Bayer Business Group Diagnostics, responsible for regulatory affairs, quality, technical services, licensing, new business development, human resources and marketing communications. In this role, she expanded implementation of the new product development process and reengineered quality assurance and technical services processes to gain ISO 9000 certification and improve efficiency. In an earlier position at Bayer, Ms. Kerr was the head of the Clinical Chemistry and Immunodiagnostics Business Units. Before joining Bayer in 1993, she held various senior management positions in the Diagnostics and Hospital Products Divisions of Abbott Laboratories. Ms. Kerr started her career as a management consultant with Booz Allen & Hamilton.
Ms. Kerr holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester, a Masters of Arts from the University of Chicago, School of Social Sciences, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.
About IDEXX Laboratories
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is a leader in companion animal health, serving practicing veterinarians around the world with innovative, technology-based offerings, including a broad range of diagnostic products and services, practice-management systems, and therapeutics. Our products enhance the ability of veterinarians to provide advanced medical care and to build more economically successful practices. IDEXX is also a worldwide leader in providing diagnostic tests and information for the production animal industry and tests for the quality and safety of water and milk. Headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, IDEXX Laboratories employs more than 3,500 people and offers products to customers in over 100 countries.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements about the Company's business prospects that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's expectations of future events as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments. Actual results could differ materially from management's expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the following: the Company's ability to develop, manufacture, introduce and market new products and enhancements to existing products; the effectiveness of the Company's sales and marketing activities; the Company's ability to develop, license or obtain rights to new technologies; the Company's ability to identify acquisition opportunities, complete acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses; the impact of competition and technological change on the markets for the Company's products; the effect of government regulation on the Company's business, including government decisions about whether and when to approve the Company's products and decisions regarding labeling, manufacturing and marketing products; the impact of distributor purchasing decisions on sales of our products that are sold through distribution; changes or trends in veterinary medicine that affect the rate of use of the Company's products and services by veterinarians; the Company's ability to obtain patent and other intellectual property protection for its products, successfully enforce its intellectual property rights and defend itself against third party claims against the Company; disruptions, shortages or pricing changes that affect the Company's purchases of products and materials from third parties, including from sole source suppliers; the effects of government regulatory decisions, customer demand, pricing and other factors on the realizability of the Company's inventories; the Company's ability to manufacture complex biologic products; the effects of operations outside the U.S., including from currency fluctuations, different regulatory, political and economic conditions, and different market conditions; and the loss of key employees. A further description of these and other factors can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and on the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006, in the section captioned "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."
Contact: Merilee Raines, Chief Financial Officer, 1-207-556-8155
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030305/IDEXXLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.comIDEXX Laboratories, Inc.CONTACT: Merilee Raines, Chief Financial Officer of IDEXX, +1-207-556-8155
Web site: http://www.idexx.com//
