Cerner, today announced that it has appointed Brent Shafer as its new CEO and chairman of the board of directors, effective February 1. Cerner Co-Founder Cliff Illig, who has served as interim CEO and chairman of the board since July 2017, will resume his role as vice chairman of the board, effective February 1.
Previously Shafer served as the CEO of Philips North America where he oversaw the largest market of global technology provider Philips. Philips North America’s health technology portfolio includes a broad range of solutions and services covering patient monitoring, imaging, clinical informatics, sleep and respiratory care as well as a group of market-leading consumer-oriented brands.
Shafer also served as CEO of the global Philips Home Healthcare Solutions business from May 2010 until May 2014. During his tenure at Philips, Shafer played a key role in helping Philips develop and strengthen its health care focus, increase its profitability and grow its market share. He has had additional senior leadership positions with Philips and at other companies, including GE Medical Systems, Hill-Rom Company, Inc., and Hewlett-Packard.
Brent started his career at Intermountain Healthcare and completed his bachelor’s degree and additional graduate course work at the University of Utah. He is a board member of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) which leads global efforts to achieve healthier lives and economies through advanced medical technology as well as No Barriers USA, a charitable organization that empowers people to break through barriers of all kinds.
“Brent is a proven chief executive who has helped lead the growth and strategies of a complex, multinational organization over a number of years,” said Cerner Co-Founder Cliff Illig in a statement. “He is committed to innovation, with extensive knowledge of health care, technology and consumer markets and an exceptional skill set that complements Cerner’s strong leadership team. Since our founding, Cerner has used the power of information technology to disrupt and improve health care. The addition of Brent to our leadership team positions Cerner well for our next era of growth.”
