Orthofix Announces Leadership Changes

Orthofix Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: OFIX), a leading global spine and orthopedics company, today announced that Catherine Burzik, Chair of the Orthofix Board of Directors, has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer; Geoffrey Gillespie, Orthofix Vice President, Corporate Controller, has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer; and Puja Leekha, Orthofix Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, has been appointed Interim Chief Legal Officer. The appointments are effective immediately and follow the unanimous decision by the Board’s independent directors to terminate for cause Keith Valentine, John Bostjancic and Patrick Keran from those respective roles. The Board also requested that Mr. Valentine resign from the Board. The Board will immediately begin a search for permanent successors.

The Board’s decision follows an investigation conducted by independent outside legal counsel and directed and overseen by the Company’s independent directors. As a result of the investigation, the Board determined that each of these executives engaged in repeated inappropriate and offensive conduct that violated multiple code of conduct requirements and was inconsistent with the Company’s values and culture. These matters are unrelated to and do not impact the Company’s strategy, results of operations or previously filed financial statements.

Catherine Burzik, Chair of the Orthofix Board, said, “Orthofix’s core values are built around fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture that is respectful, and we do not condone harassing or inappropriate conduct or statements of any kind. We require all employees – and especially our leaders – to behave in accordance with the Company’s values. The Board did not make these decisions lightly. We believe they are necessary to ensure our employees, investors, customers, and other stakeholders have confidence in the Company’s leaders.”

Stuart Essig, Ph.D., Chair of the Board’s Nominating, Governance & Sustainability Committee, said, “Cathy is among the most respected executives in medtech with more than 30 years of experience across the diagnostics, life sciences and medical device industries. Her leadership on the Orthofix Board and her record guiding other global companies, including as CEO, made her the natural choice to serve as Interim CEO at Orthofix. We know that Cathy, along with our proven business unit leaders and teams, will help ensure the continued execution of the Company’s strategy and a smooth transition while the Board conducts its executive search.”