Akers aims to launch new products. Appoints new CEO

A medical device company Akers Biosciences has appointed John J. Gormally as Chief Executive Officer, coming from the global medical technology company Becton Dickinson, where he had spent 30 years.

Announcing the new appointment on Monday, Akers noted that Gormally’s most recent position with Becton Dickinson was as Vice President, US Region Business Leader of Preanalytical Systems with responsibility for the sample collection, venous access and the molecular diagnostic business platforms.

Gormally helped successfully grow annual business revenues by more than $80 million in a business unit that contributed annual revenues of over $650 million. He led a multi-functional team of 92 associates including sales, marketing and finance teams.

He first joined Becton Dickinson in 1979 and climbed the sales and management ranks over twenty years within the Medical Surgical, Microbiology/Diagnostics and then Healthcare Systems divisions. He left the company in 1999 to later join BEI Medical Systems, a medical device start up, as Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing.

Gormally established a profitable business which was sold two years later, in 2003, to Boston Scientific for $95 million (or 33 times earnings). Following the sale, Gormally was recruited back to Beckton Dickinson.

The company adds that John J. Gormally is being appointed as an officer of the Company but will not sit on the board of directors.

Raymond F. Akers, Jr. PhD, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, said that Gormally’s experience in selling directly to hospitals and hospital reference laboratories, which are key customers for Akers Bio.

Launching new products

“These are all key attributes for leading the commercial function at Akers Bio as we seek to accelerate the domestic sales of our flagship test for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and to launch new products into the market, including within the valuable health and wellness area,” added Dr. Akers.