Top brass shuffle at leading firms

Philips Medical, Kodak Health, Fischer Imaging, and Intermagnetics are in line for executive changes at the top. Hans Barella, who executed a multibillion dollar, three-year acquisition program since taking the helm of Philips Medical Systems four years ago, is stepping down Oct. 1. Jouko Karvinen will take over as president and CEO of the company, whose assets now include those of former

ATL Ultrasound, MedQuist, ADAC Laboratories, Agilent Technologies' Healthcare Solutions Group, and Marconi Medical Systems. Karvinen, who currently heads the Automation Technology Products Division at ABB Group, has been in charge of consolidating businesses merged into the ABB Group. He will leave this post to join Philips Medical June 1.

Former GE exec Dan Kerpelman has been tapped as the new president of Kodak's Health Imaging unit. Kerpelman has nearly 15 years of management experience in the diagnostic imaging industry, including his most recent position as general manager (GM) of the global

diagnostic x-ray division of GE Medical Systems (GEMS). Previously, Kerpelman served as GEMS general manager for global quality; GM of global service operations; regional services manager; manager of logistics; and manager of safety and regulatory engineering. He joined GE in 1985 as a software engineer in the research and development unit before moving to medical systems in 1988. The president's office has been vacant since Michael McQuade left last January. Candy Obourn, who will remain COO of Health Imaging, had performed McQuade's duties.

Gerald Knudson is taking over as CEO of Fischer Imaging. Knudson replaces Louis E. Rivelli, who will advise the company on operational matters during the transition. Knudson has served on the Fischer Imaging board since 2000. He has held a number of key executive positions with GE Medical, Acuson, Polaroid Medical, Sterling Medical, and Combimatrix.

Intermagnetics' chairman, cofounder, and former CEO Carl Rosner will retire from the board of directors at the end of May. Company president and CEO Glenn H. Epstein will succeed Rosner as board chairman. Rosner was manager of GE's superconducting products operation when it was spun off to become Intermagnetics in 1971. He joined GE in 1955 as a staff scientist in research and development. Most recently, Rosner cofounded Cardiomag Imaging, a privately held, Schenectady-based company formed to develop, manufacture, and commercialize magnetocardiography measuring systems, which are used in noninvasive diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The board named Rosner chairman emeritus in acknowledgment of his contributions to Intermagnetics over the past three decades.