Medtronic said Tuesday it appointed Chris Lee as the president of its Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Lee had served as the president of Medtronic’s Greater China region since 2012, the company said.

Chris Lee

"The Asia Pacific is not only an important market for the global healthcare market but also a market with growth potential for Medtronic’s business,” Lee said.

“We will develop and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders to provide the best care and benefits to patients in this region through meaningful innovation, increased access to medical care, and value creation,” he added.

Lee will work out of Medtronic’s APAC headquarters in Singapore and will oversee the business and human resource operations of Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as well as the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asian countries.

According to Medtronic, the APAC region accounts for 12 percent of the company’s total sales with 2017 revenues amounting to $3.4 billion, which was more than double the revenue of Medtronic’s Greater China region.

The Asia-Pacific region is known to be a challenging market due to the coexistence of advanced and emerging markets, complex regulations, scarce industrial infrastructure, and fierce competition, among others. Lee has established experience in the area and proved excellent business operation ability, the company said.

Before Medtronic, Lee was regional head of Bayer’s Asia Pacific region with previous experience working in Bristol-Myers Squibb and MSD, the company said.

Lee obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, Tucson, and his master’s degree from the American Graduate School of International Management.

The company also said Bob White, the firm’s previous senior vice-president and president of its Asia-Pacific region, has been named executive vice-president and president of Medtronic’s minimally invasive therapies group.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Medtronic is a medical device company that operates in more than 160 countries.

yjc@docdocdoc.co.kr

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