ELYRIA, Ohio — Invacare Corp. announced last week that Gerald B. Blouch has been named president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2011, after serving as interim CEO since April 30, 2010.
After a mild stroke last spring, Invacare Chairman and CEO Mal Mixon took a temporary medical leave and turned day-to-day responsibilities over to Blouch. Mixon reassumed duties as chairman of the board over the summer and, according to a release, will continue as the company's chairman, where he will focus on government relations, strategic issues, research and product innovation.
One of Blouch's key initiatives will be the ongoing transformation of Invacare from regionally focused business units into a global enterprise "that delivers a single brand promise, innovative products, services and clinical solutions through a platform that enables Invacare's customers to meet the needs of patients throughout the continuum of care in a superior way," the release stated. Blouch's previous role has been reorganized into four key, global functional units — commercial operations, supply chain, product development and engineering — which will be managed by four senior vice presidents reporting to him.
After serving in executive positions with Inacomp Computer Centers and Sherwin Williams, Blouch joined Invacare in 1990 as the company's first CFO. In 1994, he became COO and was responsible for the operations of all domestic and international business units. He was named president and a director of the company in 1996.