Kevin Barrow has been appointed the new country manager for Philips Australia and New Zealand and general manager for Philips Healthcare for Australia and New Zealand.

Based at Philips’ Australia and New Zealand corporate office in Sydney, Barrow will oversee the Philips businesses in Australia and New Zealand, leading a team of more than 700 employees.

In his combined role as country manager and general manager for healthcare, Barrow reports to Harjit Gill, chief executive officer Philips ASEAN Pacific and to Arjen Radder, president Philips Healthcare Asia Pacific, respectively.

According to a statement from Philips, Barrow is “tasked with capitalising on societal trends and growth opportunities to further strengthen Philips’ market leadership and with building innovation through new business models as well as solutions and services.”

Barrow comes to the position with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry across a broad range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies. Most recently he was ANZ managing director of a global medical technology firm Becton, Dickinson and Company, a position he held from 2006.

Prior to this, he held several senior sales and marketing management roles at pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly Australia.

“I’m pleased to join Philips at this important time in the company’s transformation as it focuses on solving complex challenges through meaningful innovations which address people’s needs,” Barrow said.

“I look forward to the opportunity to lead a dynamic team, partnering and collaborating with stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Only through these collaborations can we seize the opportunities and confront the challenges that face our society today and tomorrow.”

CEO of Philips ASEAN Pacific Harjit Gill said, “Kevin is well positioned to lead our team in Australia and New Zealand given his proven track record in growing businesses, building long term strategic partnerships and transforming business models.

“Bringing with him a vision for the future and a comprehensive understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges ahead, I am confident Kevin’s experiences will build on our successes and drive Philips’ ambition to bring meaningful innovations to the market.”