IMS Health Strengthens Board

Research giant IMS Health has announced the election to its board of directors of Bret W. Wise, President and CEO of Dentsply International, Inc. The company has also unveiled plans to repurchase another ten million of its shares.

Wise joined Dentsply in 2002 as Senior VP and CFO and became President and COO last year, taking up the CEO role this week. The firm is based in York, PA and develops a broad range of products for the dental industry.

Previous CFO roles included four years at Ferro Corporation and five at WCI Steel, Inc. He spent the first dozen years of his career at KPMG, rising to partner and leaving in 1994. A C.P.A., he holds a B.S. degree in business from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

David R. Carlucci, IMS Chairman and CEO, describes Wise as 'an exceptional leader with extensive financial, operations and business development experience in international organizations.'

IMS has also announced in late December that its board has authorized the repurchase of up to 10 million of its shares, in addition to around six million still remaining from a previously announced program. Acting CFO Leslye Katz says the firm's business and cash flow 'continue to be strong. This authorization gives us the flexibility to continue our share repurchase activity.' The shares are expected to be acquired in privately negotiated transactions or open-market purchases.

IMS is online at www.imshealth.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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