Dave Helsel Joins Haemonetics as Vice President of Global Manufacturing

BRAINTREE, Mass., Feb. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE:HAE) announced that David D. Helsel will join the Company effective March 5, 2012 as Vice President of Global Manufacturing.

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Mr. Helsel, age 48, was with Covidien, Ltd. for 16 years, where he most recently was Vice President of Operations for the Surgical Solutions global business unit with responsibility for a manufacturing network of 9 plants in 5 countries and over 7,600 employees supporting a fast-growing business with $4.6B in annual sales.  During his tenure with Covidien, Mr. Helsel's previous roles included Vice President of Operations for the $1.8 billion Medical Supplies segment, overseeing 15 plants in 5 countries with over 6,900 employees; Global Director of Operational Excellence – Manufacturing, with responsibility for a manufacturing operational excellence program including GB/BB training, Lean implementation and special initiatives; and several plant management positions of increasing responsibility.

Mr. Helsel holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from LeTourneau University.  In addition, he successfully completed Covidien Aspire Executive Training, Aspire Coach for Experience Leaders (Director/VP), Six Sigma Green Belt training, Lean training and he accumulated significant project management experience including plant consolidation, merger and acquisition activities.

Brian Concannon, Haemonetics' President and CEO, commented: "Our business is growing, so we wanted a senior Operations leader with a passion for quality, a focus on results and customer satisfaction, and an ability to develop a strong organization, all in a growth environment.  Dave Helsel brings all of that, plus a significant depth and breadth of global experience in manufacturing, quality and supply chain management in the medical device industry.  He has a strong track record of operational excellence, quality and service improvement, new product introduction and organizational and people development.  Importantly, this experience came in a growth environment.  We are delighted that Dave will join our team as we continue to execute our unique blood management vision."

Mr. Helsel will join Haemonetics' Executive Council and Operating Committee, assuming responsibility for worldwide oversight of the Company's manufacturing and supply chain organization and will lead efforts to continuously improve the quality, availability and cost-competitiveness of Haemonetics products around the world.

Haemonetics (NYSE: HAE) is a global healthcare company dedicated to providing innovative blood management solutions for our customers.  Together, our devices and consumables, IT products, and consulting services deliver a suite of business solutions to help our customers improve clinical outcomes and reduce the cost of healthcare for blood collectors, hospitals, and patients around the world.  Our technologies address important medical markets: blood and plasma component collection, the surgical suite, and hospital transfusion services.  To learn more about Haemonetics, visit our web site at http://www.haemonetics.com.

CONTACT:
Gerry Gould, VP-Investor Relations
Tel. (781) 356-9402
Alt. (781) 356-9613
[email protected]

SOURCE Haemonetics Corporation