Acuson shuffles executive force

An executive staff shakeup at Acuson last week shifted more upper-echelonmanagement to international operations. Most of the recent salesgrowth for the diagnostic ultrasound domestic market leader hasoriginated overseas.

Rick Smith, formerly director of general imaging, was promotedto vice president of general imaging business operations. JimFetterman was promoted to vice president of the customer servicesgroup.

David Rose was appointed vice president of European operations,and Steve Feinberg was made vice president of Asia-Pacific/LatinAmerica operations.

All four will report to Daniel R. Dugan, senior vice president,worldwide sales, service and marketing.

The international marketing experience Smith gained duringhis tenure with global ultrasound market leader Toshiba MedicalSystems is expected to be an asset in Acuson's overseas expansion.Smith left Toshiba in 1992 to join Acuson.

Acuson's reliance on sales originating outside the U.S. hasgrown rapidly. In 1994, 31% of the firm's revenue came from exportsales, compared to 25% from exports in 1992. International salesrose 42% last year, compared to a 10% jump in domestic revenues.

Acuson entered the Latin American diagnostic ultrasound marketin February 1994 by contracting with distributor Sonicon ElectronicaIndustria E Comercio of São Paulo, Brazil.

In August 1994, the company announced it had added distributorsfor its diagnostic ultrasound systems in Argentina, Chile andColombia. Acuson is represented by Proimagen in Buenos Aires,by Juan Rojas Leon Equipos Medicos in Santiago, Chile, and byNefromedicas in Bogotá, Colombia. Each firm is responsiblefor the distribution, sales, marketing and service of Acuson'sentire product line in its respective region.

The company has subsidiaries in Europe, Australia, Hong Kong,Japan, Canada and the Virgin Islands.