Exhibit 99
August 28, 1996
Owens & Minor Announces Organizational Changes
Richmond, Va....Owens & Minor, Inc. (NYSE-OMI) announced today
a major realignment of its management team. Ann Greer Rector,
currently Vice President and Controller, has been promoted to
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and will
assume those duties on September 9, 1996. Glenn J. Dozier has
resigned as Chief Financial Officer of the company effective
September 6, 1996 to pursue other interests.
Ms. Rector joined the company in August of 1995. She began her
career with KPMG, Peat Marwick where she spent four years in
public accounting. She then had 12 years of increasing
responsibility in accounting and finance with USAir Group, Inc.,
where she held the position of Vice President, Controller before
joining O&M. Ms. Rector has a broad range of experience managing
a variety of financial projects and significant experience with
public offerings to compliment her general management skills.
The Quality & Communications team led by Hugh F. Gouldthorpe,
Jr., Vice President, Quality & Communications will now report to
Ms. Rector. This organizational move will enable the company to
further enhance its investor communication efforts and to better
align its quality and financial goals. Richard F. Bozard, Vice
President, Treasurer will continue his outstanding efforts and
leadership in the finance area.
Craig R. Smith continues as Executive Vice President, Chief
Operating Officer. As part of a departmental restructuring in
Mr. Smith's area of responsibility, F. Thomas Smiley, Vice
President, Operations & Cost Management, will leave the company
effective September 27, 1996. Mr. Smiley's cost management
duties will be merged under Ms. Rector and his operations duties
will be shifted to James L. Grigg, who recently joined the
company as Senior Vice President, Product. Mr. Grigg will assume
the broader title of Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
Management. Charles C. Colpo, currently Vice President,
Inventory Management, will take on the new role of Vice
President, Supply Chain Process. He will be devoted to the
reengineering of key functions within the company. The rest of
the field management stays in place. Bruce J. MacAllister
continues as Group Vice President, Western & Southern Regions,
and Jose G. Valderas and James W. Worley continue as Regional
Vice Presidents.
Henry A. Berling, Executive Vice President, Partnership
Development, will retain his title and will also become the
company's Chief Sales Officer. Reporting to Mr. Berling will be
Thomas J. Sherry who is being promoted to Senior Vice President,
Customer Care. Mr. Sherry was formerly Vice President, Sales &
Marketing. Customer Care includes national accounts, support to
integrated health care systems, sales training and sales support
for the company's field sales team, customer service support,
and new business development. This is another important breakout
of a critical function as it allows the company to focus on
sales development in its core competency which is acute care
hospitals. This sales focus will also allow the company to
explore other sales opportunities with different customers
within the health care industry. Reporting to Mr. Sherry will be
Hue Thomas, III, Vice President, Corporate Relations.
The Law Team will remain intact under the capable leadership of
Drew St. J. Carneal, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary for the company.
There are two significant new positions being created.
They are: Senior Vice President, Chief
Information Officer, and Senior Vice President, Managing
Director of Human Resources. These two critical areas of
responsibility will now have senior management accountability
and will report to G. Gilmer Minor, III, Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer to emphasize their value to the
organization. Wayne B. Luck, Vice President, Information
Systems, and Michael L. Roane, Vice President, Human Resources,
will continue in their present roles.
Robert E. Anderson, III, Executive Vice President,
Planning & Business Development will
retire effective December 31, 1996 after 28 years of
distinguished service to the company. He will remain as a
consultant to the board of directors and to the president on
certain key projects for a specified period of time.
Attached for your information is an updated organization chart
which will be effective September 9, 1996.
According to G. Gilmer Minor, III, Chairman, President and CEO:
"I feel that these changes will make our company much stronger
and more responsive to our customers, suppliers and teammates.
We have elevated the two newly created positions so that they
will have a voice at the most senior level of the company. We
have strengthened our operating area under Craig Smith by
focusing on supply chain management and strengthening our
support team. Cost management of our internal process will be a
continuing, ongoing priority, and we expect to expand that
expertise to help our customers manage cost more effectively in
their respective environments. We must always stay the low cost
provider. We have broken out the sales function under Henry
Berling knowing that it deserves its own focus because sales
emphasis today and tomorrow is changing just as health care is
changing. We are opening our door, carefully, to new sales
opportunities. In the financial and control area, Ann Rector
will bring a fresh, hard-hitting and disciplined approach to her
new position as CFO. She has made a very positive impact on the
company in the year she has been with us. The solid support of
Dick Bozard as Treasurer helps make this a dynamic team.
"I am very excited about this new line up. We are blending some
of the old with the new. We are changing the management and
resource commitments in several key areas. In my opinion, this
is a very strong team to carry us forward."
Owens & Minor, Inc. a Fortune 500 company, is the nation's
second largest wholesale distributor of medical/surgical
supplies. The company's distribution centers serve hospitals,
primary care facilities, integrated health care systems, health
care networks and group purchasing organizations throughout the
United States. In addition to offering a diverse product
selection, Owens & Minor helps customers control health care
costs and improve inventory management through innovative
services in asset management, logistics and technology.
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Contacts:
Ann Greer Rector Hugh F. Gouldthorpe, Jr.
Senior Vice President and Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer Quality and Communications
Owens & Minor Owens & Minor
(804)527-5651 (804)965-2922