Private Equity Professionals

Carlyle bolsters healthcare operating resources

Carlyle has hired former Covidien CEO José Almeida as operating executive

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The Carlyle Group has hired José Almeida as an operating executive for its global healthcare group, according to a statement.

Almeida, formerly chairman, president and chief executive of Covidien, will work with the Washington-based firm's healthcare portfolio company executives and provide strategic counsel to Carlyle's investment professionals on healthcare industry matters.  He joins the ranks of more than 25 business veterans at the global private equity house, which has invested $7 billion ( £ 4.62 billion; €6.2 billion) in healthcare companies. The firm's healthcare team is focused on life sciences, in vitro diagnostics, medical technology, as well as pharmaceutical products and services.

“He will be a great resource to our investment professionals as we evaluate new opportunities as well as to our portfolio executive teams, including Ortho Clinical Diagnostics where Almeida is a member of the Board of Directors,” Stephen Wise, managing director and co-head of the global healthcare team at Carlyle Group, said in a statement.

Almeida brings M&A experience to Carlyle, having overseen Covidien's $50 billion sale to Medtronic in January.  In addition, he served as president of Covidien's medical devices unit before being named the company's CEO. Almeida also sits on the board of Carlyle portfolio company Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, as well as the boards of State Street Corp., EMC and Analog Devices.

Prior to Covidien the healthcare executive, who serves as chairman of the board at the Advanced Medical Technology Association, was president and CEO of Tyco Healthcare. He has also served in various executive positions at Greatbatch Technologies, Inc., American Home Products' Acufex Microsurgical division, and Johnson & Johnson's professional products division.

Carlyle has executed more than 40 healthcare transactions since the firm's inception, including investments in HCR ManorCare, Healthscope, Multiplan, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, PPD, Qualicorp, and Rede D'Or, among others.

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