SomnoMed (ASX:SOM) - Managing Director, Neil Verdal-Austin
Managing Director, Neil Verdal
Source: CEO Magazine
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  • SomnoMed (SOM) has appointed four new Directors and current CEO Neil Verdal-Austin will join the board as Managing Director
  • The new Directors include Amrita Blickstead, Michael Gordon, Hilton Brett, and Guy Russo who will be appointed Chairman
  • These appointments will be effective from August 24 and all Directors will stand for election at the company’s annual general meeting in November
  • These employees have worked for the likes of eBay, McDonalds, Guzman Y Gomez, Wesfarmers, Kmart and Accent Group
  • Additionally, Dr Peter Neustadt, Ms Lee Ausburn, and Mr Rob Scherini will be leaving the company
  • SomnoMed is up 6.07 per cent on the market and shares are trading for $1.49 each

SomnoMed (SOM) has appointed four new Directors and current CEO Neil Verdal-Austin will join the board as Managing Director.

The new Directors include Amrita Blickstead, Michael Gordon, Hilton Brett, and Guy Russo who will be appointed Chairman.

These appointments will be effective from August 24 and all Directors will stand for election at the company’s annual general meeting in November.

“It is with excitement that I welcome the new Directors to the SomnoMed Board. The diverse skill set, perspective, experience and background they bring will be invaluable as we continue on our journey towards being a more technology enabled sleep apnea solutions business,” Neil said.

“I would also like to thank outgoing Directors, Dr Peter Neustadt, Ms Lee Ausburn, and Mr Rob Scherini for their tremendous contribution over more than nine years,” he added.

Guy Russo

Guy Russo is currently the Chairman of Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen and Chairman of international charity company OneSky.

On September 1 he will be appointed as Non-Executive Director of Scentre Group.

Previously, Guy was CEO of Wesfarmers’ Department Store Division, which consisted of Kmart and Target, Managing Director of Kmart Australia and NZ, President of McDonald’s Greater China, CEO of McDonald’s Australia, and Chairman of Ronald McDonald House.

“I look forward to working with Neil, the board and the senior leadership team as we embark upon an exciting phase for expansion,” Guy commented.

“SomnoMed’s state-of-the-art technology and availability through dental and medical channels will vastly improve access to treatment for millions suffering sleep disorders,” he added.

Amrita Blickstead

Amrita is currently the Chief Operating & Marketing Officer and eBay Australia and New Zealand.

She has also lead teams across the Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Advertising, Monetization and Consumer Selling sectors at eBay.

Before joining eBay she was a management consultant with Port Jackson Partners and was a marketing associate at Eli Lilly, a biomedical engineer at Ventracor, and an engineer at Cochlear.

Michael Gordon

Currently, Michael is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of marketing technology company Rokt.

Prior to joining Rokt, he was Group CFO and Managing Director of Group Services of Greenlit Brands.

Before working at Greenlit Brands, Michael spent 10 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers in South Africa, the U.K., and Australia.

Hilton Brett

Hilton is currently an Operating Officer at private global investment firm TDM Growth Partners.

Additionally, he is a Non-Executive Director at both Pacific Smiles and Guzman Y Gomez Mexican Taqueria.

Up until March 2018, Hilton was Co-CEO of retail footwear company Accent Group.

“The future is extremely bright for SomnoMed. Our vision and strategy are endorsed by the high quality individuals who are joining the Board for the next part of our journey,” Neil stated.

“We look forward to leveraging their expertise as we work towards achieving our vision of being a global leader in the effective, accessible and affordable treatment of patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea,” he said.

SomnoMed is up 6.07 per cent on the market and shares are trading for $1.49 each at 2:24 pm AEST.

SOM by the numbers
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