• Strategic importance of digital transformation reflected in new executive role
• Leadership talent from health service sector, strengthening digital expertise in the executive management team
• Rob Woolley, the current Head of Western Europe, has decided to leave the company at the end of the year to pursue other career opportunities

The Straumann Group is pleased to announce Christian Ullrich as the new Group Chief Information Officer and member of the Executive Management Board (EMB). Digital transformation is a key part of the Straumann Group’s growth strategy, spanning all businesses, geographies and facets of the Group’s activities. This new executive role will drive and lead the acceleration of the company’s digital transformation. He will join the Group as of October 1, 2021.

Straumann Group CEO Guillaume Daniellot commented, “Christian has an impressive track record in leading digital transformation of large global companies. He has successfully developed digital strategy and go-to-market models driven by platform approaches to increase product sales performances and create a positive experience for customers and health consumers. He will play a key role to further advance the digital strategy of the Group connecting it closely to the business strategy. Christian is also a personality with outstanding leadership skills and will be a great addition to the team, supporting our cultural journey.”

Dr Christian Ullrich joins Straumann from Bayer, a life science company with core competencies in the fields of health care and agriculture, where he was Senior Vice President, Global Chief Information Officer at Bayer Consumer Health. Christian Ullrich was instrumental in shaping the digital agenda of the Consumer Health Division and accelerating the business transformation with digital technology and data analytics across the entire value chain. He began his career at the company in 2006 and rose through a series of managerial positions with increasing responsibility, including Divisional Head of Accounting and Controlling, Head of Post-Merger Integration United States as well as Vice President, Global Head of Marketing and Sales IT. Prior to joining Bayer, Christian worked for Deloitte, a professional services company providing consulting, audit, advisory, and tax services. 

Born in 1972, Christian Ullrich is a German citizen and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, and a PhD in Economics from the University of Lüneburg, Germany.

He joins the company following the announcement of the Group to expand the role of Chief Information Officer and elevate it to the Executive Management Board.

Rob Woolley decided to pursue other career opportunities outside the company

Rob Woolley, the current Head of Western Europe, has decided to leave the company at the end of the year to pursue other career opportunities. Rob Woolley joined Straumann in fall 2019 and took over as Head Sales North America where he successfully steered the Group’s North American organization through the pandemic and back to solid revenue growth. At the beginning of 2021 Rob Woolley moved to the current position as Head Sales Western Europe. The succession plan of this role will be announced in due course. The company thanks Rob Woolley for his contributions and wishes him all the best for the future.

Disclaimer
This release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views of management. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Straumann Group to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this release. The Group is providing the information in this release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any statements contained in it as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.