- Push-out Score determined
- After about five years in the position
- Don Zurbay taking over
(exechange) — St. Paul, Minnesota, October 13, 2022 — Mark Walchirk, chief executive of Patterson, leaves. As announced by Patterson Cos. in a news release and in a regulatory filing published on Thursday, October 13, 2022, Mark S. Walchirk has left his post as chief executive officer at the medical supplies conglomerate primarily in the business of veterinary and dental products, after about five years in the role, effective October 12, 2022.
Mark Walchirk’s duties as CEO will be taken over by Donald J. (Don) Zurbay, most recently Chief Financial Officer at Patterson Cos.
Kevin Barry, currently Vice President, Finance & Corporate Controller, has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer.
“He violated company policy”
Mark Walchirk’s departure from the CEO post is explained as follows. Patterson said: “Mr. Zurbay succeeds Mark Walchirk who resigned following the Board’s investigation and determination that he violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment regarding an encounter with an employee. The conduct did not relate to the company’s operations or the integrity of the company’s financial statements.”
Precise information regarding Mark Walchirk’s future plans was not immediately available.
“Resignation”
Patterson said: “Donald J. Zurbay, most recently the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer and appointed as Director of the Company, effective October 12, 2022 (the “Effective Date”). The Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”) made such appointment upon the resignation of Mark S. Walchirk as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Company.”
Share price decline since November 2017
The announcement follows a decline in Patterson Cos.’s share price of 30% since November 2017. November 2017 is the month in which Walchirk’s tenure as CEO began.
In the position of CEO since 2017
Mark Walchirk became CEO of the Company in 2017.
Walchirk became the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer in November 2017.
Walchirk previously served as President of U.S. Pharmaceutical at McKesson Corporation from October 2012 to October 2017, where he held responsibility for McKesson’s U.S. Pharmaceutical sales, distribution and customer service operations.
Walchirk joined McKesson in April 2001 and held various leadership positions including President of McKesson Specialty Care Solutions and Chief Operating Officer of McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical.
Before joining McKesson, he spent 13 years in medical-surgical distribution and manufacturing with Baxter Healthcare, Allegiance Healthcare and Encompass Group, holding various leadership positions in sales, marketing, operations and business development.
Push-out Score determined
The Push-out Score™ determined by exechange gauges the pressure surrounding Mark Walchirk’s move on a scale of 0 to 10.
exechange reached out to Patterson and offered the company the opportunity to comment on the score.
Read the full story in the exechange report 42.2022 ($).