Liken makes way for Miclot

MURRYSVILLE, Pa. - Jim Liken, the longtime home respiratory provider who took over as president and CEO of Respironics in 1999, is stepping aside to make room at the helm for John Miclot, now the company's chief strategic officer. Liken will continue to work with Respironics in an advisory and consulting role as vice chairman of the board. The move, effective Dec. 1, opens a door whose hinges Liken started greasing when he went to the board one year ago and got approval on a plan of succession. Following that approval, the board installed Miclot in a newly created position as chief strategic officer so he could take time away from day to day operations to plan a long-range strategic vision for the company. Going forward, Miclot said he would propel Respironics business with a focus on three initiatives: maintenance of the company's leadership position in the sleep disordered breathing market; hospital-based ventilation business; and international growth. “We are going to move from customer focused initiatives to a broader market needs focus,” Miclot said. “We are going to focus on being the worldwide leader at anticipating and providing valued solutions to the sleep and respiratory markets.” In sleep, Miclot said Respironics planned to broaden demand for its products beyond the OSA patient to people with insomnia, seasonal affective disorder, Circadian rhythm problems and other sleep problems. Liken joined Respironics in August, 1999 to help pull the company out of a slump precipitated by its February 1998 acquisition of Healthdyne Technologies. Miclot had worked at Healthdyne as vice president of sales and marketing. At Respironics, Liken reoriented the company's sales strategy with its HME provider base around the development of ‘power programs,' a tool bag approach to help boost sales by offering its customers a marketing strategy and technical support, medical training, educational tools and innovative products. Under Liken's watch, Respironics has achieved 15 consecutive quarters of sales and profit growth.