Laborie founder earns award for services to industry

Laborie has announced that its chairman and founder Ray Laborie has received a prestigious award from the US charity group the Simon Foundation for Continence.

The business leader earned the foundation's John J Humpal Award for 2013 in recognition of his contributions to global efforts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of incontinence.

In his career, he has supported patient advocacy organisations such as the Canadian and the German Continence Foundations, as well as professional bodies including the European Association of Urology, the Canadian Urological Association and the Urology Care Foundation.

He has also contributed to the work being done to improve fistula repair in the developing world and shown his support for research into other conditions, including breast cancer.

Cheryl Gartley, president and founder of the Simon Foundation for Continence, described Mr Laborie as a "man who has for his entire career given above and beyond to improve the lives of the estimated 200 million individuals worldwide who are affected by incontinence".

Mr Laborie founded his company in Montreal in 1967, with the organisation now employing more than 170 people worldwide.