McKesson president U.S. pharmaceutical departs to lead Patterson

 ST. PAUL, Minn. — Patterson Cos. on Tuesday named Mark Walchirk president and CEO, effective Nov. 20. He will succeed James Wiltz, who will continue to serve as interim president and CEO until that time and will remain on the Patterson board following the transition.



"After a thorough search, we are pleased to have found such an exceptional leader and operator as Mark to lead Patterson going forward," stated John Buck, chairman. "Mark has a proven track record of success in helping a large and complex market leader navigate through an evolving and dynamic environment to achieve growth. Patterson will benefit from his customer-first mindset, focus on operational excellence and ability to develop unique solutions to create value for our partners, customers and shareholders."



Walchirk will also become a member of the board, which will be expanded to include nine directors, as of the effective date.



Walchirk joins Patterson with nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare services and distribution, including 16 years at McKesson Corporation, a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, community oncology and specialty care, and healthcare information technology. There, he most recently served as president U.S. Pharmaceutical, the largest business unit within McKesson's North America pharmaceutical distribution and services segment. In that role, Walchirk was responsible for leading more than 7,500 employees across all disciplines and delivering strong financial results.



He brings deep experience in leading a complex, sales-driven organization, managing a growing, state-of-the art distribution network, and fostering innovative offerings to meet customers' needs.



Walchirk, 51, served as president U.S. pharmaceutical at McKesson Corporation since October 2012, where he held responsibility for McKesson's U.S. pharmaceutical sales, distribution and customer service operations. Walchirk joined McKesson in April 2001 and held various leadership positions, including president McKesson Specialty Care Solutions and COO McKesson U.S. pharmaceutical. Before joining McKesson, he spent 13 years in medical-surgical distribution and manufacturing with Baxter Healthcare, Allegiance Healthcare and Encompass Group, holding various leadership positions in sales, marketing, operations and business development.



Walchirk earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois.