Dr. Craig H. Barratt Elected New Chair of Intuitive

Intuitive, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, announced Lonnie M. Smith has decided to retire from the company’s board of directors when his term ends at the company’s 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, currently scheduled for April. Smith will join the board of directors of the Intuitive Foundation after his retirement.

Intuitive’s board of directors elected Dr. Craig H. Barratt to succeed Smith as chair effective as of the date of the company’s 2020 annual meeting of stockholders. Dr. Barratt is the senior vice president and general manager of the Connectivity Group at Intel Corporation. He has served on Intuitive’s board since 2011 and as independent lead director since 2018.

“It has been an honor to serve as the chair of Intuitive’s board. During the past 23 years, I have had the privilege of working with an extraordinary team, who have taken the company from a start-up of approximately 12 people with an early prototype, to an organization of more than 7,100 team members who are transforming surgery, with more than 5,500 currently installed da Vinci surgical systems, more than 21,000 peer reviewed articles published and 1.2 million surgical procedures performed this past year,” said Smith. “I look forward to assisting the team in their future philanthropic efforts with the Intuitive Foundation.”

Smith has served as chair of Intuitive’s board since joining the company as CEO in June 1997.

“Lonnie’s contributions to Intuitive are extensive and his philosophy lives in the company’s mission and culture,” said Gary Guthart, Intuitive CEO. “On behalf of the company, I extend our thanks for his unwavering guidance of the team. I am delighted that Lonnie’s work with us will continue in the form of assisting our Foundation.”

The Intuitive Foundation launched in 2018 to promote health, develop educational tools and advance clinical understanding globally through a combination of research grants, philanthropic giving, and volunteerism in local communities. The Foundation awards grants in technology research, clinical research, and clinical education and training. Additionally, the Foundation supports clinical fellowships, and projects related to STEM educational programs and healthcare training with a particular focus on underserved communities.

“I am honored to serve as chair of Intuitive’s board, a company whose mission and culture I wholeheartedly support,” Barratt said. “Lonnie leaves a strong legacy of outstanding stewardship that I am committed to uphold.”