Suture Express Names Industry Veterans To Board
Board leadership announcements follow the recent appointment of Ed Kuklenski, chief executive officer.
Lenexa, KS (PRWEB) December 1, 2006
Suture Express, a specialty distributor of suture and wound closure products, recently appointed Mark McKenna and Tony Kesman to its Board of Directors. McKenna and Kesman possess considerable experience and knowledge in the health distribution business and will be significant additions to the Suture Express Board, according to Ed Kuklenski (http://www. agroup3company. com/sutureexpress/200611/index. html), president and CEO of Suture Express.
About Mark McKenna
McKenna most recently served as president and CEO of Novation, the contracting services company of VHA, Inc. and University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). He was with VHA, Inc. and Novation for nearly 20 years.
"After leaving Novation, I had been approached by several entities seeking my involvement in a consultative or Board position. Suture Express struck me as a company that has a unique focus and culture which has generated significant success. I am looking forward to working with the management team, Board and customers as we redefine the supply chain to produce incremental economic, operational and clinical improvements," says McKenna.
"We are delighted to have someone of Mark McKenna's experience and reputation join our Board," says Kuklenski. "I have known Mark for a long time and admire his perspective of the industry. We're certain that his involvement will enable us to continue our strong growth while delivering the outstanding results our customers have come to expect."
McKenna's distinguished 30 year career in supply chain management and supply cost control include positions with Johnson & Johnson, American Hospital Supply Corporation, IMED, VHA and Novation. During his tenure at Novation, the company experienced significant increases in revenue, operating income, customer and employee satisfaction, employee efficiency and member savings.
McKenna currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sterilmed Inc. and Life Nexis, the Executive Advisory Council of the Beryl Companies and on the Board of Trustees at the University of Dallas. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Novation, Healthcare Purchasing Partners International, Global Health Exchange, NCI and the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association.
About Tony Kesman
Kesman, formerly with Cardinal Health where he acted as president of Care Continuum Products and Services Group, accepted the offer to join Suture Express once he learned of its simple, low cost and straightforward business model.
"Every time you think the last penny of cost has been ground out of the supply chain, a company raises the bar again. Suture Express is one of those companies," says Kesman. "Their service is reducing cost and inventory, improving quality, ultimately making the care giver and the OR manager's job easier. Customers are expressing their satisfaction with purchase orders."
"Tony has spent almost 30 years in the health industry distribution business. He has always been intensely customer-focused and is widely credited for his many contributions to important distribution initiatives which have benefited the healthcare supply chain," says Kuklenski. "I'm delighted he's joined our Board and am looking forward to tapping into his wealth of knowledge."
Kesman joined American Hospital Supply Corporation's distribution division in 1977, holding positions of increasing responsibility at successor companies such as Baxter International, Inc., Allegiance Healthcare Corporation and Cardinal Health. Since 2002, he has served as an independent consultant and advisor to public and privately held medical device, healthcare service and private equity firms.
Kesman is a member of the Board of Directors of MedAssist, Inc. (Louisville, Ky.) and the First National Bank of Brookfield (Ill.). He also served as a founding director of Source Medical Corporation (Toronto, Ontario), Canada's largest medical supply distributor and recently concluded two terms as a director of the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) Educational Foundation.
About Suture Express
Suture Express (http://www. sutureexpress. com) is a specialty distributor providing overnight delivery of wound closure products to thousands of hospitals and alternate site clients nationwide. The firm customizes its on-hand inventory according to the specific needs of each customer, then responds to incoming Internet/EDI orders using overnight freight services to deliver complete, next-day shipments. Suture Express' innovations in reconstructing the supply chain result in lower costs, improved service levels and access to extensive data analysis, resulting in the firm becoming the number one distributor in its field. For more information, visit www. SutureExpress. com or call 913-384-2220.
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