Alcon Inc. (NYSE:ACL) named Robert Karsunky as its new CFO.
Karsunky arrives from Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS), which took on a 52 percent stake in the Huenenberg, Switzerland-based ophthalmic devices giant from Nestlé SA (EUREX:NESN). He succeeds Richard Croarkin, who became Alcon’s CFO in August 2007. Croarkin will keep his seat on Alcon’s executive leadership team until Nov. 30, easing the transition for Karsunky before returning to Nestlé, according to a press release.
The companies consummated a $28.3 billion deal August 25, two years after Novartis began its run at Alcon. The Nestlé deal brought Novartis’ total stake up to 77 percent, but a bloc of Alcon’s minority shareholders has resisted a merger. A slate of the company’s independent directors rejected Novartis’ claims over the shareholder’s rights under Swiss law; Novartis retorted that the merger was in the hands of Alcon’s board, giving the independent directors no say in the matter.
