Sirona Dental Company, the leading international producer of high-tech equipment for dental practices and clinics, announced the appointment of Jost C. Fischer to president and CEO. He will join the Management Board of Sirona Group April 2, 2002 and assume responsibilities as CEO & President May 1, 2002. Fischer succeeds Dr. Franz Scherer who will retire from the Company and become Chairman of the Sirona Supervisory Board.
Before joining Sirona, Fischer served as chairman and CEO of Heormann GmbH, Germany, a privately held group of companies. A business economist by training, Fischer has more than two decades of experience in Controlling and General Management. Among many accomplishments, he successfully managed Schroders Ventures/Permira Portfolio Company, Germany.
His predecessor, Dr. Franz Scherer, has led Sirona since the Company's private equity buy-out from Siemens in October 1997. Throughout his tenure, Scherer was instrumental in restructuring global operations to enhance existing product lines and introduce new products to meet changing customer needs driven by patient demand.
"These are exciting times in dentistry, and I am proud to assume the leadership of an organization that is so committed to meeting customer and industry needs," states Fischer. "Sirona will continue to bring innovative products to market while ensuring the needs of our international customer base are always met."
