Cooper Companies Names CEO

The Cooper Companies Inc. Board of Directors has named Albert G. White III president and CEO effective May 1. White will succeed Robert S. Weiss who will retire as president and CEO on April 30 and then act in an advisory capacity until Dec. 31 to ensure a smooth transition. White has held a number of senior management roles in the company including most recently executive vice president, chief financial officer, chief strategy officer and CEO of Cooper Medical Inc., the holding company for CooperSurgical.
 
Commenting on the transition, Board Chairman A. Thomas Bender said, “On behalf of the board, we thank Bob for his leadership and accomplishments for the last 40 plus years, and in particular his stewardship of Cooper over the last 10 plus years as CEO. Through his leadership, the company has grown to over $12 billion in market value, built strong franchises and organizations in its CooperVision and CooperSurgical businesses and become a member of the S&P 500. Bob joined Cooper in 1977 and has held many senior management positions within the company including chief operating officer, chief financial officer and president of CooperVision. Notably, his continued commitment to succession planning culminated in the decision to name Al as the next CEO. We are all highly confident in Al’s ability to lead Cooper’s growth and he has the full support of the Board of Directors.”
 
White joined Cooper in 2006 and has helped lead and execute many of the company’s investments and strategic decisions. Commenting on the news, he noted, “Bob’s dedication, leadership and contributions to Cooper have been exceptional, and he has positioned us well for continued growth in both our vision and women’s healthcare businesses. Our financial strength, global reach and products and services are a legacy for Bob and a strong foundation for the future of Cooper. I am privileged and very excited to lead the organization going forward.” 
 
“This is the perfect time for Al to become Cooper’s next CEO. He is a very strong leader and I am confident he will continue driving Cooper’s success.” said Weiss. “Serving as president and CEO of Cooper has been a privilege and I would like to thank all our employees for their commitment and dedication.  It has been an honor to lead such an organization, and I look forward to continuing to serve on the board.”
 
The Cooper Companies Inc. is a global medical device company that operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision develops a wide range of products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of families with its portfolio of products and services focusing on women’s health, fertility and diagnostics. Headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., Cooper has more than 11,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries.