Cliff Illig, Cerner’s co-founder and vice chairman of the board, has retired from the company to “focus on outside interests,” according to a Cerner news release.
In 1979, Illig co-founded the health IT company with colleagues Paul Gorup and Neal Patterson.
Illig has served on Cerner’s board since 1980. He’s been its vice chairman since March 1999, excluding from July 2017 through February 2018. During that time (after former CEO Patterson died and before Brent Shafer started as CEO), Illig was chairman of the board and interim CEO. Additionally, he served as Cerner’s COO until October 1998 and as its president until March 1999.
“Cliff’s relentless focus on client experience, commitment to operational excellence and his attention to detail are indelibly instilled in Cerner’s culture, and his impact on the company will last for decades to come,” Shafer, Cerner’s current CEO, said in a statement.
Going forward, Illig plans to maintain his other business and personal pursuits, including his ownership in the Sporting Kansas City professional soccer club. He is also involved in Major League Soccer. Illig is a member of Stowers Institute for Medical Research’s board, has invested in early-stage entrepreneurial enterprises and is engaged with various nonprofits.
“I am extremely proud of what Cerner associates have accomplished in the past four decades, and am gratified in knowing that Cerner is well-positioned for continued success,” Illig said in a statement.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Illig’s retirement comes after another big name left the Kansas City, Missouri-based company last fall. On November 2, Zane Burke stepped down from his role as Cerner’s president. He has since gone on to join Livongo, a Silicon Valley chronic disease startup, as its CEO.
Photo: Martin Barraud, Getty Images
