Mussallem became a non-executive chair of the Irvine, California-based company after he retired from his CEO post on May 11, 2023. He is expected to be succeeded by independent director Nicholas Valeriani, who will become chair of the board, according to a SEC regulatory filing.
Valeriani has been a director of Edwards since 2014. From 2012 to 2015, he served as the CEO of the Gary and Mary West Health Institute, a non-profit medical research organization. He spent 34 years at Johnson & Johnson where he held numerous leadership roles, including worldwide chair of Medical Devices and Diagnostics.
Mussallem was at the helm of the heart valve device company for 23 years, having been appointed after the company’s initial public offering in 2000. Since then, the company has grown to become one of the leaders in transcatheter aortic valve replacements with devices like the Sapien 3 Ultra and Sapien 3 Ultra Resilia.
His board retirement will take effect on May 7 at the company’s annual meeting of stockholders.
