People
New President & CEO appointed at Philips Canada
July 10, 2019
MARKHAM, Ont. – Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, announced that Britta Lesaux (pictured) has been appointed president and CEO of Philips Canada, succeeding Jeffrey H. Barnes following his retirement. Ms. Lesaux becomes Philips Canada’s first female president and CEO, and will report to the CEO of North America, Vitor Rocha.
“Britta is a proven leader with experience driving growth in both the healthcare and consumer packaged goods industries,” said Vitor Rocha, CEO Philips North America. “Her understanding of the Canadian healthcare system, together with her extensive leadership experience, will enable her to deliver the solutions our Canadian customers need to enhance health outcomes in communities across the country.
“Additionally, her appointment demonstrates Philips’ commitment to inclusion and diversity, ensuring that our leadership and talent base reflect the breadth of the consumers and customers we serve.”
Ms. Lesaux joins Philips from 3M Canada, where she most recently served as Executive Director of the Health Care Business Group (HCBG), responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of four business unit divisions, including Medical Solutions, Oral Care, Food Safety and Health Information Systems.
In her time with 3M, Ms. Lesaux was also accountable to oversee various functions including marketing, sales, customer service and operational excellence. Originally from Montreal, Ms. Lesaux is a bilingual graduate of McGill University, where she specialized in Business Management, Marketing and Organizational Behaviour.
Over the next few months, Ms. Lesaux will work closely with the Canadian team to ensure a smooth transition for customers, partners and employees so that Philips Canada can continue to focus on strong delivery of long-term strategic partnerships and new solutions in the Canadian market.
Ms. Lesaux will continue to serve on the Board of Directors at Medtech Canada (formerly “MEDEC”), the national association representing Canada’s innovative medical technology industry.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.