DeVivo Out As Smith & Nephew Restructures

Joseph M. DeVivo, president of Smith and Nephew Inc.’s Orthopaedic Reconstruction division, is leaving the company on Aug. 5. The news comes shortly after the company announced the combination of its Memphis, Tenn.-based orthopedic unit and Andover, Mass.-based endoscopy unit. Mike Frazzette, president of the Endoscopy unit, will lead the new division, which will be known as Advanced Surgical Devices.

DeVivo joined the company in June 2006, armed with 18 years of marketing, development, sales, operations and executive leadership experience. Prior to joining Smith and Nephew, he served as president and CEO of Fremont, Calif.-based RITA Medical Systems Inc., a publicly traded developer, manufacturer and marketer of ablation devices.

DeVivo didn’t divulge a reason for his abrupt departure, saying in an email, “There’s nothing to tell, aside from me leaving Smith and Nephew.”
In addition to his position at Smith and Nephew, DeVivo served as chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber since November 2010; it is not yet clear whether he will retain this post. Over the last eight months or so, many of DeVivo’s speeches with the Chamber focused on the future—he is known for urging business and civic groups to look forward.

Chamber president and CEO John Moore said its executive committee will meet soon to discuss the matter.

Smith and Nephew spokesman Andrew Burns said Memphis-based jobs will not immediately be affected by the two units’ merger.

“(The two divisions) serve the same customers and the same patients in many cases, and we’ll continue to do so,” company spokesperson Andrew Burns said. “We have no plans for this to have [an] impact beyond more customer focus.”

Smith and Nephew’s corporate headquarters are in London, England.