Carl Zeiss Meditec AG has confirmed that Bronwyn Brophy O’Connor will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on December 1, 2026, concluding a period of interim leadership under Andreas Pecher, who has held the position since January 1, 2026. The appointment, first announced in May 2026, also places O’Connor on the Executive Board of Carl Zeiss AG, where she will oversee the Medical Technology segment. The transition marks a strategic move for the company as it seeks to accelerate innovation and strengthen its competitive position in the global medtech industry.
O’Connor joins Carl Zeiss Meditec from Vitrolife Group, a NASDAQ Stockholm-listed medtech company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she has served as CEO since 2023. Her career spans over two decades and includes senior leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Covidien (later acquired by Medtronic), and Thermo Fisher Scientific. At Thermo Fisher, she was President for the EMEA region and later Global President of the Immunodiagnostics Division. Her international experience across Ireland, Spain, the U.K., Switzerland, Sweden, and the U.S. positions her to lead Carl Zeiss Meditec’s global operations effectively.
“I am delighted to join Carl Zeiss Meditec and the ZEISS Group. The company combines deep scientific expertise, close customer relationships and a strong commitment to improving patient care. I look forward to working with our teams and customers to build on these strengths, advance innovation and successfully shape the next stage of the company’s transformation,” O’Connor said. Her customer-focused and innovation-driven approach aligns with the company’s mission to provide cutting-edge solutions for eye disease diagnosis and treatment, as well as microsurgery visualization.
Peter Kameritsch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, welcomed the appointment: “With Bronwyn Brophy O’Connor, Carl Zeiss Meditec is gaining an internationally experienced medtech executive who will bring a strong customer and innovation perspective to the company. We wish her a great start.” Dr. Michael Bolle, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Carl Zeiss AG, expressed gratitude to Andreas Pecher for his dual role during the transition, noting that O’Connor’s skills will “further advance the strategy and transformation of the Medical Technology segment.”
The leadership change comes at a pivotal time for Carl Zeiss Meditec, which employs 5,784 people worldwide and generated revenue of EUR 2,228 million in fiscal year 2024/25. With more than 50 percent of employees based in the USA, Japan, Spain, and France, and innovation centers in Bangalore and Shanghai, the company is well-positioned for growth. O’Connor’s appointment is expected to reinforce Carl Zeiss Meditec’s commitment to advancing patient care through innovative technologies. For more details, visit the ZEISS newsroom and the Carl Zeiss Meditec website.
