Richard Named CEO of SeQual

SAN DIEGO–On Thursday, SeQual Technologies announced the
appointment of Ron Richard to the position of CEO effective July 1.
He replaces Jim Bixby, who will continue as a member of the
company’s board of directors.

Richard has been involved with HME for more than 30 years,
holding positions in the areas of sales, marketing, product
development and clinical research. Prior to joining SeQual in 2007
as senior vice president of sales and marketing, he was senior vice
president of strategic marketing for Poway, Calif.-based
ResMed.

Richard is an author on multiple topics in health care, and is
also an active supporter of advocacy groups for patients with
chronic conditions such as COPD, sleep apnea and degenerative
neuromuscular disease. He has been active in several associations,
such as NAMDRC, ACCP, AARC and ASAA, helping with standards, health
care finance issues, reimbursement and strategic planning.

Richard’s background as a respiratory therapist and EMT has
enabled him to bring a clinical perspective to the development and
marketing of products for the respiratory and sleep market, and he
holds patents for products related to expiratory pressure support
and for minimizing hypoventilation in patients using NPPV.

He also developed one of the first home care ventilator support
programs to aid the discharge of patients into the home care
setting.

“I joined SeQual Technologies because it was apparent that
the team here shares my passion for providing solutions that
improve patient quality of life and health care providers’
standard of care. I intend to ensure that we maintain that
patient-oriented focus through clinical and technological
superiority,” Richard said in a statement. “I’m
delighted to lead this talented team who, together with our
customers, are transforming the medical device
marketplace.”

“We welcome Ron to the helm. He has a great vision for
SeQual’s path forward as an organization that supports
providers, clinicians and patients,” said Vernon Pertelle,
board director for SeQual. “He possesses the passion,
excitement and knowledge of the marketplace to take the company to
the next level as the oxygen delivery market leader.”

Richard was a receipient of HomeCare’s HomeCaring Award
in 2004. “He has always demonstrated his care and concern for
respiratory patients in the corporate world,” stated an award
nomination letter. “It can be accurately said that Ron is the
patient’s advocate before he is anything else.”

Founded in 1991, SeQual offers a family of oxygen products
including its flagship Eclipse Personal Oxygen System.