LAKE FOREST, Calif.—STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of the EVO family of implantable collamer lenses (ICL) for myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia, announced the appointment of Arthur Butcher, executive vice president and group president, MedSurg and Asia Pacific for Boston Scientific, and Wei Jiang, retired executive vice president and president of Bayer Pharmaceuticals Region China & APAC, to its board of directors, effective March 12, 2024. “Art Butcher and Wei Jiang are seasoned executives with broad leadership experience built over decades at two of the most highly regarded global companies in the health care industry,” said Aimee Weisner, chair of the nominating and governance committee of STAAR Surgical’s board of directors.

"Art and Wei also have particular expertise in APAC, the largest market in the world for refractive vision correction. We welcome them to the board and look forward to leveraging their insights during this period of accelerating growth and innovation at STAAR.”

Butcher brings extensive medical device marketing, strategy and product development experience, including significant business experience in Asia. He currently serves as executive vice president and group president, MedSurg and Asia Pacific for Boston Scientific, a position he has held since May 2022. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for commercialization of the company’s full portfolio of products across all divisions in the Asia Pacific region.

Butcher joined Boston Scientific in 1997. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Acotec Scientific Holdings Limited, listed publicly on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. 

Jiang brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, with particular focus in China and the Asia/Pacific region. He most recently served as executive vice president, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Region China & APAC, and president, Bayer Group Greater China Region, until his retirement in 2021. Prior to joining Bayer in 2012, he held various senior positions at AstraZeneca, culminating in his role as senior vice president, China operations.

STAAR also announced that director K. Peony Yu, MD, has indicated that she does not intend to stand for re-election to the board upon the expiration of her current term in June 2024. Tom Frinzi, STAAR’s chair of the board, stated, “Peony leveraged her vast clinical and patient knowledge as a board member, and STAAR appreciates her many contributions to our board during her tenure. Peony has been an important part of governance and decision-making during her more than three years on the board, and she helped us build a strong foundation for future growth. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”