Full Press Release Details
Shareholders Approve Dividend Increase and Elect New Members to the
HUENENBERG, Switzerland - May 5,
2009 - Alcon, Inc., (NYSE: ACL)
announced the following actions were taken by shareholders at the company's
Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held today in Zug,
company also announced that its board of directors elected Cary Rayment as its
non-executive chairman and re-elected Francisco Casta er as its vice-chairman in
a board meeting that followed the completion of the Annual General Meeting of
Shareholders. The term of office of Mr. Gerhard N. Mayr expired effective today
and he retired from office and did not stand for re-election. Mr. Mayr was
elected to Alcon's board of directors in 2007. The company expresses its thanks
to Mr. Mayr for his contributions and counsel during his service on the
Buehler was appointed president and chief executive officer of Alcon, Inc.
effective April 1, 2009. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Buehler was senior vice
president, global markets and chief marketing officer, a position he had held
since 2006. After joining Alcon in 1984 as a regional sales manager in the
Consumer Products Division, Mr. Buehler moved up through this organization over
the next several years where he held numerous sales and marketing positions. In
1996, Mr. Buehler was named director of Alcon's U.S. Managed Care and Falcon
Generic Pharmaceutical groups, where he gained significant experience with the
pharmaceutical and surgical business areas and was promoted to vice president in
1998. The following year he returned to the U.S. Consumer Products Division as
vice president and general manager. In January of 2002, Mr. Buehler moved to the
International Division as vice president and regional manager, Latin America and
Caribbean. He was later named area vice president, Latin America, Canada,
Australia and Far East. Mr. Buehler holds a Bachelor of Science degree from
Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with concentrations in Business
Administration and Political Science. He also completed the Harvard Program for
Management Development in 1993.
Miller, M.D. is chief and chair of ophthalmology and Henry Willard Williams
professor of ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and
Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller's research interests are focused on ocular
neovascularization, particularly as it relates to macular degeneration and
diabetic retinopathy, including the role of growth factors, the development of
antiangiogenic therapy and photodynamic therapy. Dr. Miller has received
numerous awards, including the Rosenthal Award of the Macula Society, the Retina
Research Award from the Club Jules Gonin and the Alcon Research Institute Award.
Dr. Miller's professional affiliations include the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc. (ARVO)
and the New England Ophthalmological Society (NEOS). Dr. Miller earned her
Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
her medical degree from Harvard Medical School.
Hermann Wirz is chief accounting
officer (senior vice president and head of group accounting & reporting) for
Wirz began his career in 1968 in financial and management accounting for
Electrical Company Lucerne Switzerland. From 1969 through 1971, he
held a management accounting position for Shell Switzerland. Mr. Wirz joined
Nestl in 1972 and worked in industrial
accounting and budgeting functions for Nestl England, Spain and Venezuela. He subsequently was appointed
manager operational control Latin America for Nestec Switzerland in 1980 and in 1984 was
promoted to director of finance & control for Nestl
Peru and for Nestl Venezuela in 1989. Mr. Wirz was appointed
executive vice president and chief financial officer of Nestl Mexico in 1995 and served in that
position through 2000. He achieved his degree in Business
Administration in Lucerne, Switzerland, and has completed the Programme for
Executive Development at the International Institute for Management Development
(IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Alcon, Inc. is the world's
care company, with sales of
approximately $6.3 billion in 2008. Alcon, which has been dedicated to the
ophthalmic industry for 60 years, researches, develops, manufactures and markets
pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment and devices, contact lens care solutions and
other vision care products that treat diseases, disorders and other conditions
of the eye. Alcon's majority shareholder is Nestl , S.A., the world's largest food
company. For more information on Alcon, Inc., visit the Company's web site at
President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications