Reinforces ‘customer first mindset’ as key to the organization’s success
Carestream Health’s CEO David Westgate made a brief but significant visit to India on 19th September. On his two-day trip, the US-based executive got straight down to business interacting with customers, business partners and employees.
“India is an incredible country with great opportunity. I am very optimistic about the team in India and I know we have a great future. Through continuous innovation and operational excellence, we are committed to doing all the right things to help our customers be successful,” said Mr. Westgate.
David Westgate was appointed Chairman, President and CEO of Carestream in July 2018. Prior to Carestream, he was the chief executive officer at Jason Industries, Inc., a post he held from 2004 through November of 2015. Throughout his tenure at Jason, Mr. Westgate worked to diversify the organization’s portfolio while emphasizing a culture of growth and innovation at all levels. Mr. Westgate previously served as President and CEO of Rieter Automotive, now known as Autoneum, and prior to that role was he was CEO of Solvay Automotive.
Carestream Health has been Mr. Westgate’s first foray in the healthcare industry and within a year of joining he has fostered an atmosphere of change. “The competitive landscape in the healthcare field is getting more aggressive. I strongly believe that understanding the voice of customers, articulating their needs and meeting those needs is what will help us be very successful in the long term,” added Mr. Westgate.
Headquartered in Rochester, NY, USA, Carestream was formed following the acquisition of the Eastman Kodak Health Group by Toronto’s Onex Corp. in 2007. Employing over 5000 people worldwide, Carestream is a producer of X-ray products for general radiography, intensive care patients, pediatrics, sports medicine, dental practices, veterinary hospitals, and also manufactures non-destructive testing systems to help ensure that airplanes, bridges and pipelines are safe. The company’s product line includes full diagnostic imaging suites and leading-edge mobile units; wireless, shareable detectors; CR and DR systems; 3D Extremity Imaging systems; and Dry Laser Imagers.
“Dave is very passionate about improving our business and building a culture of excellence. Our workforce in India is young, diverse and committed. Together with their advocacy and the leadership of Dave Westgate we have a bright future,” added Vincent Chan, President -Asia Pacific, who accompanied Mr. Westgate on his visit.
Describing him as a “customer-centric, goal-oriented, chief executive with diverse leadership experience,” the Carestream team in India is counting on Mr. Westgate’s well-rounded business experience to bring an innovation-centric perspective to the company.