AVITA Medical Promotes Interim CEO Cary Vance to Permanent Role After 6 Months
AVITA Medical confirms Cary Vance as permanent CEO following six-month interim tenure
AVITA Medical has appointed Cary Vance as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 30 April 2026, following his interim tenure in the role since October 2025. The Board’s decision concluded a thorough search process conducted with an international executive search firm.
Vance, who has served on the Board since 2023, will continue as an executive member. Simultaneously, the Board appointed Jan Stern Reed as Chair, effective immediately. Reed has been a director since 2021 and most recently served as Lead Independent Director since October 2025.
The dual appointments finalise AVITA Medical’s leadership restructuring, removing interim uncertainty from the company’s governance framework six months after Vance assumed the CEO position.
| Role | Name | Effective Date | Previous Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO | Cary Vance | 30 April 2026 | Interim CEO (since October 2025) |
| Board Chair | Jan Stern Reed | 30 April 2026 | Lead Independent Director (since October 2025) |
When big ASX news breaks, our subscribers know first
What does a CEO transition mean for ASX-listed companies?
CEO appointments carry material weight for shareholders because they influence operational continuity, strategic direction, and market confidence. A leadership change can signal either transformation or disruption, depending on the circumstances.
Internal promotions following interim periods typically reduce execution risk compared to external hires. Internal candidates possess existing knowledge of operations, established relationships with stakeholders, and familiarity with the company’s strategic priorities. This eliminates the learning curve that accompanies external appointments and reduces the likelihood of abrupt strategy resets.
Vance’s six-month interim tenure provided the Board with direct evidence of his leadership capabilities and strategic fit before making the permanent appointment. The search process, conducted with a third-party executive search firm, served as Board due diligence to validate the decision against external candidates.
For investors, the transition from interim to permanent CEO under the same individual suggests continuity rather than disruption, with no anticipated strategic pivot or operational reset.
Vance brings 30 years of medtech commercialisation experience
Cary Vance enters the permanent CEO role with 30 years of healthcare industry experience focused on commercialising medical technologies. His background spans leadership positions across multiple medtech companies.
His previous CEO roles include:
- PhotoniCare, Inc.
- Titan Medical Inc.
- OptiScan Biomedical
- MyoScience
- Hansen Medical
- XCath
Earlier in his career, Vance held senior leadership positions at Teleflex, Covidien, and GE HealthCare. He joined the AVITA Medical Board in 2023 and was appointed Chairman in 2025 before assuming the interim CEO position.
Jan Stern Reed, Board Chair
“Over the past six months, Cary has demonstrated decisive leadership at a critical time for the Company, stabilising the business, sharpening our strategic focus, and rebuilding confidence and enthusiasm with employees, customers, and shareholders. His deep industry experience, operational discipline, and thorough understanding of the business position him well as he continues to lead the Company into an exciting growth period.”
Reed brings over 35 years of legal and business management experience in the healthcare sector to her role as Chair. The Board discontinued the Lead Independent Director role simultaneously with her appointment to the independent Chair position.
Board leadership changes alongside CEO appointment
Jan Stern Reed’s elevation to Board Chair completes the governance restructuring initiated in October 2025. Her appointment provides continuity, having served on the Board since 2021 and in the Lead Independent Director role since October 2025.
The dual appointments signal that AVITA Medical’s Board restructuring is complete, with governance roles now settled following the leadership transition that began six months earlier.
The next major ASX story will hit our subscribers first
Management signals focus on scaling RECELL adoption
Vance has engaged with clinicians at the Boswick conference and American Burn Association meetings, alongside visits to leading burn and trauma centres. Clinician feedback has highlighted that AVITA’s products are driving clinically validated improvements in patient outcomes and meaningfully improving recovery.
Cary Vance, President and CEO
“We are building real momentum at AVITA. Our focus is on scaling adoption, supporting more clinicians in delivering better outcomes, and then translating that momentum into consistent performance. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our team, and with Jan and the rest of the Board, as we realise the full potential of our acute wound care platform.”
AVITA’s flagship product, RECELL, holds FDA approval for the treatment of thermal burn and trauma wounds. The technology harnesses the healing properties of a patient’s own skin to create Spray-On Skin at the point-of-care.
The company also markets Cohealyx, a collagen-based dermal matrix, and PermeaDerm, a biosynthetic wound matrix, in the US market. Internationally, RECELL is CE-marked in Europe, TGA-certified in Australia, and PMDA-approved in Japan for a wide range of applications including thermal burn and trauma wounds.
Vance’s commentary positions the company in a growth phase, with clinical validation supporting commercial expansion of the acute wound care platform.
Q1 2026 earnings call scheduled for May
Investors will receive the first financial update under Vance’s permanent leadership on Thursday, 14 May 2026, when the company hosts its Q1 2026 earnings call. The conference call is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (Friday, 15 May 2026, at 6:30 a.m. AEST).
The earnings call provides a near-term catalyst for investors to assess financial performance and strategic progress following the leadership transition. Further details are available on the company’s investor relations website at https://ir.avitamedical.com/events-and-presentations.
Get Healthcare News Before the Market Moves
Join 20,000+ investors receiving FREE breaking ASX healthcare alerts delivered within minutes of release, complete with in-depth analysis. The moment news breaks, Big News Blast sends it straight to your inbox. Click the “Free Alerts” button to stay ahead on market-moving announcements.