Bausch and Lomb has announced the appointment of Brent Saunders as chief executive officer and chair of the board of directors of the company.
The appointments are effective from 6 March when, as previously announced, current CEO Joseph Papa will step down.
Mr Saunders, who last served as CEO at Bausch and Lomb 10 years ago, re-joined the company earlier this month in an advisory capacity ahead of the transition.
I am honoured to once again lead Bausch and Lomb during this exciting time
“I am honoured to once again lead Bausch and Lomb during this exciting time as a new publicly traded company,” Mr Saunders said in a news release.
“Bausch and Lomb has always stood at the forefront of cutting-edge scientific and technological optical advancements, and … is more focussed than ever on developing and offering new treatments to meet unmet eye health needs,” he said.
Mr Saunders has more than 25 years of leadership experience in health care, having served in president, CEO and chairman roles, among others, at several global pharmaceutical and health care companies, including Schering-Plough Corporation, Forest Laboratories, Actavis, Allergan and The Beauty Health Company.
The Bausch and Lomb statement paid tribute to Mr Papa, saying his “leadership, ethical values, and commitment to excellence across commercial, manufacturing, and research and development have improved the lives of countless patients globally”.
Bausch and Lomb’s comprehensive portfolio of more than 400 products includes contact lenses, lens care products, eyecare products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products and ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments.
