Dive Brief:
- Cerner announced on Wednesday the company has appointed Brent Shafer as CEO and chairman of the board of directors, effective Feb. 1.
- He was preceded by Cerner co-founder and longtime CEO Neal Patterson, who passed away last July.
- Shafer served as CEO of Philips North America since February 2014. The new CEO will receive $800,000 as a base salary and is eligible for an annual bonus worth $1.2 million, according to SEC filings HIStalk unearthed.
Dive Insight:
Shafer helped develop Philips healthcare focus for 12 years in various positions. Philips North America’s health technology portfolio includes a broad range of tools, including patient monitoring, imaging, clinical informatics and respiratory care.
“For decades, Cerner has built its reputation on meaningful innovation and driving client value,” Shafer said in a prepared statement. “This company’s history of remarkable, sustained growth is testament to a strong leadership culture, and I’m excited to celebrate many new milestones with Cerner associates around the world. My commitment to Cerner’s clients, shareholders and associates worldwide is that we will continue to be the catalyst for real and effective improvement across healthcare.”
Cerner co-founder Cliff Illig will resume his role as vice chairman of the board, effective Feb. 1. Illig had served as interim CEO since July 2017.