Zimmer appoints former Hospira boss to board of directors

Zimmer has announced that Christopher Begley, former chairman and chief executive officer of Hospira, has joined its board of directors.

Mr Begley will bring more than 25 years of experience of medical and healthcare sector leadership to the organisation, while he has also served on the boards of companies spanning a variety of consumer-facing industries.

He acted as the chief executive officer of Hospira from April 2004, when the organisation was spun off from Abbott Laboratories, while he has also worked with companies such as Sara Lee, DeVry and Hillshire Brands.

John McGoldrick, chairman of Zimmer's board of directors, said: "We are delighted Chris has agreed to join the board and look forward to his contributions to Zimmer's strategic vision and direction."

According to the company's most recent financial report, Zimmer generated net sales of $1.14 million (729.08 million pounds) during the first quarter of 2012, up by 2.2 percent on the corresponding period in 2011.