Terumo BCT announced that David Perez will retire as president and CEO following nearly 20 years at the company, first joining when it was named COBE BCT.
During his time, the Lakewood, Colorado-based manufacturer of bioprocessing, apheresis and cell therapy technologies and medical devices has seen multiple changes in ownership, previously having been known as Gambro BCT and CaridianBCT.
Currently, it serves as the blood component-focused arm of the Terumo Corporation, an international medical device company headquartered in Tokyo.
Perez will be succeeded in both roles by Antoinette Gawin, Terumo BCT’s executive global commercial VP. She will become president on Oct. 1 and will take the helm as CEO April 1, 2019, at the start of company’s fiscal year. Perez also serves on the Terumo Corporation board of directors and will retire from that position in June 2019, at the end of his current term.
“David is an established leader in the global blood management and transfusion medicine industry and will leave behind an enduring legacy of leadership, impact and influence,” Shinjiro Sato, president and CEO of the Terumo Corporation, said in a statement.
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“Under his leadership, the company grew revenue almost sixfold, nearing $1 billion, and introduced multiple innovative products that have fundamentally changed and improved blood transfusion and cellular therapies,” Sato said. “I would like to thank David for his contributions over many years and wish him every success in the future.”
Gawin joined Terumo BCT in 2016, previously serving in VP positions at Baxter overseeing global market access, commercial operations and strategy.
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In the 22 years prior, she worked at several GE subsidiaries, holding roles including CEO, chief marketing officer, general manager and VP of manufacturing. She worked from Switzerland, London and the U.S. during her tenures at GE Healthcare, GE Industrial and Power Systems, GE Information Services and GE Corporate.
“I joined the Terumo BCT community to help shape healthcare. The solutions and clinical expertise we bring to the frontiers of medicine truly can unlock the potential of blood and cells to advance therapies,” Gawin said. “I’m looking forward to working with David and other leaders over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover and continue to develop plans for 2019 and beyond.”