BAUSCH & LOMB EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ZARRELLA MOVING UP TO PRESIDENT, COO
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Bausch & Lomb Executive Vice President Ronald Zarrella, 43, will become president and chief operating officer of the firm on Feb. 10, succeeding Thomas McDermott, 56, who is retiring in accordance with a plan announced last year. Zarrella, who also has been appointed to B&L's board of directors, joined the firm in 1985 as president of operations for the Far East, Latin America and Canada. In 1986, he was named a corporate vice president and president of subsidiary operations. He moved up to senior vice president and president of the former international division in 1987. In preparation for McDermott's retirement, Zarrella was elected executive vice president in April ("The Gray Sheet" May 4, 1992, p. 14). Following the April promotion, Zarrella began assuming some of McDermott's duties and implemented a plan to decentralize the international division. Commenting on Zarrella's appointment in a Jan. 26 announcement, B&L Chairman and CEO Daniel Gill noted that under Zarrella's direction, the company "opened 11 new subsidiary organizations in Europe, Asia and Latin America" and has seen sales outside the U.S. "grow from 26% to about 50% of consolidated revenues." Zarrella received a BS degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1971 and an MBA from New York University in 1976. Prior to joining Bausch & Lomb, he held "various executive positions" with Bristol-Myers, Esmark, and Beatrice International. McDermott, a 14-year B&L veteran, became president and chief operating officer in December 1986. Highlighting McDermott's contributions to the company, Gill noted his work on restructuring the company during the early 1980s, as well as the company's conversion to total quality management.