Sirona reshuffles local management team

Sirona Dental Systems has appointed Mike Stone as the new Managing Director of its Australian and New Zealand subsidiary following the departure of Tim Carse.

Mr Stone is well-known to the international dental community, both as the President of Schick Technologies based in Long Island, New York prior to its acquisition by Sirona in 2006 and since as Vice President of Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.

"As the incoming managing director, I will very much be looking to keep the ship tight and on its already steady course," Mr Stone said.

"Coming from the US, where we work through distributors, I can see the unique opportunity we have here to more directly control the satisfaction of our customers and that's exciting. Being 'factory direct' has a number of advantages and Tim, Morne and the entire team have built an incredible business with incredible customer relationships.

"The level of service and support is second to none and despite the enormous expanse of the country, is essentially complete from coast to coast.

"In a very short space of time, Sirona Dental Systems in Australia has become the benchmark for establishing a direct equipment sales organisation. In just seven years, it has grown to be a highly successful operation that has transitioned from working through a distributor to establishing intimate relationships with a broad range of customers to supply and service their equipment needs."

Mr Stone praised the efforts of outgoing managing director Tim Carse in establishing the local operation when the decision to go direct was made.

"During his tenure, Tim championed Sirona's factory direct sales and service operations into Australia and New Zealand and drove an internal value culture under the mantras of innovative products, expert advice and outstanding service, ensuring customers are always foremost in the minds of all Sirona employees."

Mr Carse had a 30-year association with the Sirona and Siemens brands. In Australia, as the key contact between former distributor Halas Dental and Siemens, Mr Carse saw the business transition from a small part of the Siemens global powerhouse to be a dedicated dental business spun off under the Sirona brand in 1997. He went on to work directly for Sirona in an intermediary role between manufacturer and distributor before heading up Sirona Dental Systems Pty Ltd and the corresponding operation in New Zealand when a direct to market model was adopted.

In an additional management change, Sirona's Director of Corporate Internal Audit and SOX Compliance from Germany, Mr Christoph Voynnet, has taken up the role of Director of Finance and Operations for Sirona in Australia and New Zealand. This follows the departure of Mr Jim Allsopp, the company's local Chief Operating Officer.

"Sirona has deep appreciation for both Tim and Jim's dedicated service and leadership and wishes them well for the future," Mr Stone said.

Mr Stone is a seasoned professional with over 25-years of dental industry experience. Prior to his work at Schick, he founded and lead the Welch Allyn dental business.

Mr Voynnet comes to Sirona ANZ with 5-years as the head of internal audit within Sirona. Prior to that, he was an audit manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"Christoph and I are pleased to become a part of the strong team that has been developed in Sirona Australia and New Zealand," Mr Stone said. "With an unprecedented commitment to customer service, the Sirona team has demonstrated that dentists deserve nothing but the best and it's our passion to continue to deliver on this commitment. Increasingly technology is becoming the standard in the dental surgery and Sirona's innovation and integration provides the best possible platform for today's dentist."