Cook Group announces retirement of president

Cook Group has announced that its president Kem Hawkins, who has been with the organisation for 34 years, will be retiring from the firm on July 1st 2015.

Mr Hawkins has been transitioning his role in the company over the past year and will be succeeded upon his departure by Pete Yonkman, the current president of Cook Medical.

Having originally joined Cook in 1981, Mr Hawkins oversaw a period of unparalleled growth for the company, with sales rising to $2 billion (1.26 billion pounds) from around $500 million, while its employee base expanded from 4,000 to 12,000 globally.

His successor, Mr Yonkman, joined Cook in 2001 as corporate counsel and has held numerous positions within the company, including vice-president of Asian operations, chief legal officer, and president of Cook Urological, Cook Medical and Cook Incorporated.

Carl Cook, chief executive officer of Cook Group, said: "Kem has successfully led the company through challenging times, significant growth and a shifting global healthcare landscape."