Former Baxter Chair and CEO Vernon Loucks Named 2018 AdvaMed Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) announced that Vernon R. Loucks, Jr., former chairman and CEO of Baxter International, will receive the 2018 AdvaMed Lifetime Achievement Award at the industry’s premier annual gathering – The Medtech Conference – Sept. 25 in Philadelphia.
Headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., Baxter is one of the world’s most iconic healthcare companies, with a leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products available in more than 100 countries.
Loucks joined Baxter in 1966 as an assistant to the president and CEO William Graham and was named VP of International Business two years later. He rose to become CEO in 1980 and served as Chairman from 1987 until he retired from the company in 1999.
“Baxter’s mission is very simple: saving and sustaining lives. From our transformative innovation, to our product portfolio and, most importantly, to our employees, everything we do across the globe is focused on supporting patients and healthcare providers,” said José (Joe) E. Almeida, current chairman and CEO of Baxter. “That focus is in large part the legacy of Vern Loucks. What Baxter is today, he helped create, and in the process made the company a leader in healthcare.”
Under Loucks’ leadership, Baxter’s annual sales increased from $1 billion to almost $6 billion. The company acquired American Hospital Supply Corporation in 1985, and in the years that would follow, spun off many businesses that would become successful companies of their own, including CareMark; Edwards Lifesciences; and Allegiance Healthcare, now part of Cardinal Health. Heading many of these spin-offs were a generation of medtech and healthcare leaders mentored by Loucks, who was known for his keen ability to identify and groom talent.
“Vern is a true legend in our industry. Not only was he a great CEO at Baxter, but he was also a mentor to many of today’s leaders in medtech,” said Scott Whitaker, president and CEO, AdvaMed. “It is hard to fully measure his impact. But once you understand how many lives Vern has touched, whether his employees or patients who have been impacted by Baxter technology, then can you fully appreciate the indelible mark he has left on this industry. That is why we are so honored to present this year’s award to Vernon Loucks.”
AdvaMed’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors the accomplishments of pioneers in the medical technology sector whose contributions have had a significant impact on patients’ lives and the industry as an essential part of America’s economy. The 2018 award will be presented during The Medtech Conference Sept. 24-26 at the Philadelphia Convention Center.