16-year veteran to be succeeded by Christi Pedra
Piscataway, NJ, December 21, 2006 -- Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. (SHI) announces that William Lankenau, the company's president and Chief Executive Officer, is retiring effective December 31, 2006 after more than 16 years of service. Lankenau will be succeeded by Christi Pedra, currently the Chief Operating Officer of Siemens One.
Lankenau formally announced his retirement on December 4. "I'm extremely proud of the work done by all of the employees of SHI during my time as president and CEO," said Lankenau. "Siemens goal has always been, and will continue to be, to assist our customers with their business by providing high-quality, technically advanced hearing instruments and technologies for their patients. The SHI family continuously strives for this goal by creating innovative products and providing the best service in the industry."
Lankenau began his career with SHI in 1990 as Vice President of Operations and Manufacturing. He was instrumental in implementing the Flow Manufacturing Process with Siemens Hearing worldwide and established the US operations as the worldwide competence center for custom hearing aid manufacturing. Lankenau also lead Siemens to become the first hearing instrument manufacturer to earn ISO 9001 registration in the United States.
In June of 2000, Lankenau was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and two years later to CEO of SHI. Since that time, his successful leadership of SHI has provided guidance to all Siemens Hearing businesses in the US and Latin America. During his stewardship, Siemens introduced e2e wireless™ and DataLearning™ and pioneered the use of its LasR (Laser Accurate Scan Replication) shell manufacturing technology.
Lankenau is well regarded both within the Siemens Hearing organization and the industry. He currently holds Board of Directors positions with the Hearing Industry Association (HIA) and the Better Hearing Institute.
"Bill Lankenau has been a strong and steady voice for the hearing aid industry, and has been a committed volunteer within HIA," said Carol Rogin, HIA Executive Director. "As a director, Bill always looks at the end benefit of any program under consideration and asks the tough questions. We know that when he approves an initiative or an action, what HIA does will have a positive impact for hearing aid companies and, equally important, for people with hearing losses who depend on our members' products."
In making the announcement, Lankenau said of his successor, "Christi brings a great amount of experience to Siemens Hearing Instruments. The opportunity to promote from within Siemens is really a testament to the company's success."
Christi Pedra joined Siemens in 1986 via the acquisition of ROLM by Siemens Information and Communication (I&C). While with I&C, Pedra grew her career in various senior management roles in both sales and marketing. In 2001, Pedra helped launch Siemens One as Vice President of Executive Relations and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2004.
Pedra is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Leadership Advisory Board and serves on the National Council for Liberal Education America's Promise. She is involved in several formal and informal mentoring programs. Pedra is also a member of the advisory committee for the Women's Information Network at Siemens.
About Siemens Hearing Instruments
Siemens Hearing Instruments, part of Siemens Medical Solutions, is one of the leading manufacturers of hearing aids in the United States. Headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, the Company offers a range of innovative products, solutions and services to Hearing Care Professionals across the United States. Among its innovative products, the Company designs and manufactures a variety of digital hearing aids in all styles to improve the quality of life for individuals with hearing loss.
Visit www.usa.siemens.com/hearing for more information.
