Inspire Medical Systems (NYSE:INSP) announced today that Marilyn Carlson Nelson retired as chair of the company’s board of directors.
The Minneapolis-based sleep apnea treatment developer appointed current CEO Timothy Herbert to the additional role of board chair. Herbert’s appointment goes into effect after the company’s annual meeting of stockholders on May 2, 2024.
Nelson became the chair of the Inspire board in 2018 following the passing of her husband. Dr. Glen D. Nelson had been the company’s original board chair.
Herbert, the founder of Inspire, has held the post of president and CEO since May 2007. He brings decades of expertise in the medical device industry.
“Marilyn has had a profound impact on our business and our employees through her many years on the board,” Herbert said in a news release. “I want to personally thank Marilyn for her leadership and mentoring not only myself but the entire team over many years. She is an inspiration to the entire organization. Looking forward, it is both humbling and exciting to accept the position of board chair following the amazing path set by Marilyn. I am confident in our ability to maintain the strong patient outcomes provided by Inspire therapy and continue the growth in Inspire therapy adoption.”
Inspire also appointed Gary Ellis to the role of lead independent director. Ellis initially joined the board in 2019 after years spent as CFO at Medtronic.
This marks the latest round of changes on the Inspire board following last month’s retirement of Dr. Jerry C. Griffin, one of the original directors. He departed the board shortly after Inspire brought on another experienced member in Dr. Myriam J. Curet.
Inspire Medical develops minimally invasive implantable products for treating obstructive sleep apnea. It offers an alternative to the traditional CPAP machines made by the likes of Philips and ResMed. Inspire Medical’s reputation has grown over the past several years as Philips dealt with a massive CPAP recall and people moved away from that method of treatment.
