Olympus Corporation Promotes U.S.-Based Company Leaders to Global Roles

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Jan. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, among other core businesses, announced today the appointment of several U.S.-based Company leaders to senior-level global positions. The promotions, effective April 1, reflect the ongoing globalization of Olympus and underscore the Company's commitment to establishing a global management structure to drive growth and agility and maximize efficiencies across the Company.

• Nacho Abia will assume the role of co-Head of the newly created Therapeutic Solutions division in addition to his current position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA). In his new role, he will also be responsible for the new global business development function across all three core businesses – Medical, Scientific and Imaging. Mr. Abia is already a member of Olympus Corporation's global executive team. Tomohisa "Tomo" Sakurai, who has been named the other co-Head of the Therapeutic Solutions business, moved to OCA's Center Valley headquarters from Tokyo in the fall of 2018.
• Richard Lebitz has been appointed to serve as the Global Chief Internal Audit Officer of Olympus. Mr. Lebitz is currently the Executive Director of Internal Audit for OCA.
• Mark Miller has been appointed to serve as the Company's Global Chief Communications Officer. Mr. Miller will also serve as the Regional Head of Communications for the Americas.

In a separate press release today, Olympus announced a variety of company-wide transformations, including the reorganization of its medical device business into two global divisions – Endoscopic Solutions and Therapeutic Solutions – in a way that better aligns products and markets. The Endoscopic Solutions division, which has a longer product lifecycle, will continue to be managed from Japan. The Therapeutic Solutions division, which has a faster product lifecycle, will be managed from the United States. In addition, this approach will bring the management of the Therapeutics organization closer to the largest therapeutic device market with better access to the U.S. medical industry cluster and its largest customers.

The leaders promoted today join Donna Miller and Caroline West who were elevated to global positions in 2016. Donna Miller serves currently as Olympus' Global General Counsel, and Caroline West serves as the Company's Global Chief Compliance Officer.

"My colleagues and I are delighted to assume our new global roles within Olympus, which continues to adapt to meet the needs of the rapidly changing international markets. In our new positions, we look forward to leveraging the experience and expertise we have developed at Olympus Corporation of the Americas in order to support Olympus' worldwide growth and to execute the Company's increasingly global vision," said Mr. Abia. "In addition, by managing Therapeutics out of the U.S., we will be extremely well positioned to pursue the right business opportunities and partnerships.  We are excited to help lead the continued transformation of Olympus into a world-class global medical technology company."

Leader Bios
Nacho Abia started his career with Olympus in 2001, holding a number of positions in Europe before moving to Center Valley, Pennsylvania to join OCA in 2011. He was appointed to his current position, which oversees the Company's activities throughout North and South America, in 2015 and is also a member of OCA's Board of Directors and of the Global Executive Committee of Olympus in Tokyo. In addition to his Olympus responsibilities, Mr. Abia serves on the Board of Directors of AdvaMed (Advanced Medical Technology Association) and on the Board of Directors of the U.S.-Spain Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining Olympus, he held several positions in the IT and consumer electronics industries working for a variety of high-tech companies, including Sony and Techdata. Mr. Abia holds dual master's degrees ­­– one in Telecommunications and Electronic Engineering, and another in Business Administration. He lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.

Richard Lebitz is being promoted to Global Chief Internal Audit Officer from his current role as Chief Risk Management Officer and Executive Director, Internal Audit at OCA. Reporting to the Olympus Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Olympus, he will be responsible for the transformation and optimization of Olympus' regional audit functions into one consolidated global audit group. Mr. Lebitz has an extensive track record of providing financial and audit strategy within global organizations. He joined Olympus in 2015, having previously worked at Siemens and Ernst & Young. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Case Western Reserve University and is a Certified Public Accountant. He lives in Middletown, New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

Mark Miller is being promoted to Global Chief Communications Officer from his current role as Vice President of Corporate and Medical Communications of OCA. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer of Olympus, he will be responsible for the development, implementation, and optimization of global and regional communications strategies that encompass a unified, worldwide approach to meet corporate and business objectives. Mr. Miller has extensive advertising, branding and marketing communications experience. Prior to joining Olympus in 2009, he led domestic and global advertising, branding, and communications efforts for brands in several industries, including MetLife, Alcatel-Lucent, and Texaco. Mr. Miller previously worked for advertising agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather, Ammirati & Puris, and DDB Needham. He received a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University and an MBA from Rutgers University. Mr. Miller lives in Coopersburg, PA with his wife and two children.

About Olympus 
Olympus is a global technology leader, crafting innovative optical and digital solutions in medical technologies; life sciences; industrial solutions; and cameras and audio products. Throughout our nearly 100-year history, Olympus has focused on being true to society and making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling.

Our Medical Business works with health care professionals to combine our innovative capabilities in medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing with their skills to deliver diagnostic, therapeutic and minimally invasive procedures to improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs and enhance quality of life for patients. For more information, visit Olympus.com.

SOURCE Olympus Corporation of the Americas