ResMed Inc., a Poway-based maker of devices that help people who have sleep disorders, announced a succession plan Aug. 30 that would promote Kiernan Gallahue to chief executive officer following the departure of company founder Peter Farrell.
Farrell, 65, will relinquish his position as CEO on Jan. 1, although he will continue to serve as executive chairman of the board until June 30, when he will become nonexecutive chairman.
Company spokesman Matthew Borer did not specify what Farrell’s plans would be, other than to say he had no intentions to form any startup companies or move back to his native Australia.
“He certainly will remain very much in touch. He’s not the type of chairman who will come in once a quarter for the board meeting,” he said.
Gallahue, 44, joined ResMed in January 2003 as president and chief operating officer of the Americas. He was named president and chief operating officer of ResMed Global in September 2004.
Borer said Gallahue was instrumental in forming the company’s public relations campaign and in bringing in some of its top executives while also executing the company’s commercial strategies.
He said Gallahue will focus ResMed’s efforts on education, through such local institutions as UC San Diego, and by attracting even greater attention to American health care reform.
Before joining ResMed, Gallahue served as president of San Diego-based DNA research and medical diagnostics company Nanogen Inc.
, Heather Chambers
