LaVerne Council Now Leads CONMED Corporation’s Board of Directors

CONMED Corporation has recruited LaVerne Council to succeed Martha Goldberg as its new independent board chair.

“LaVerne’s extensive experience as a global operations and information technology executive have been invaluable to CONMED, and I know that her experience will continue to serve the board and the company well in her new role as chair of the board,” CONMED President/CEO Pat Beyer said. “I also want to thank Martha for her ongoing contributions to CONMED. Martha’s strategic direction and steady leadership have been crucial to CONMED in her role as chair, and her continued service as a director will be extremely valuable to the company.”

“It’s been an honor to serve, and to continue to serve, as a member of CONMED’s Board of Directors, to have served as the lead independent director from 2020 to 2024, and most recently to have served as chair of the Board,” Goldberg stated. “This change in board chair reflects CONMED’s commitment to refreshing our board and committee chairs through periodic rotations. I’m incredibly optimistic about the future of CONMED and know the board, under LaVerne’s leadership, will help guide the company to continued success.”

Council is CEO of Emerald One LLC, a consulting company that helps business and technology organizations transform through digital change. She was the national managing principal, Enterprise Technology Strategy & Innovation, for Grant Thornton LLP from December 2017 to November 2019. She served as senior vice president and general manager for MITRE Corporation from 2017 to 2018, and as assistant secretary for Information & Technology/chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (2015-2017).

Council was CEO of Council Advisory Services LLC from 2012 to 2015 and served as corporate vice president and global chief information officer for Johnson & Johnson from 2006 to 2011. Before that, she served in several roles of increasing responsibility at DELL Inc., most recently as the global vice president of Information Technology, Global Business Solutions, and Development Services.

Council also serves on several boards: Concentrix (Audit and Compensation committees), Thomson Reuters (Audit and Risk committees), and Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation organization. Council earned her MBA from Illinois State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Illinois University. She also holds an honorary doctorate of degree in business administration from Drexel University.

“It’s a privilege to take on the role of chair of the board,” Council said. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with the board, Pat, and the entire CONMED leadership team on executing the company’s long-term strategy. We are all focused on empowering healthcare providers to deliver exceptional outcomes for patients, delivering favorable returns for our stockholders, creating an engaging environment for our employees, and driving the long-term success of the business.”

CONMED is a medical technology company that provides devices and equipment for surgical procedures. The company’s products are used by surgeons and other healthcare professionals in various specialties including orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, thoracic surgery, and gastroenterology.