Ajay Dhankhar joins Smith+Nephew as Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Smith+Nephew (NYSE:SNN) has appointed Ajay Dhankhar, PhD, as Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer, effective June 23, 2025. Dhankhar brings 25 years of experience from McKinsey & Company, where he served as Senior Partner and held key positions including Global Head of Strategy and M&A for Life Sciences. He later worked at Lazard Ltd as Managing Director and Global Head of Medical Technology, Diagnostics and Tools. Most recently, he founded Bluish Capital, focusing on growth capital deployment for FDA-approved assets. Dhankhar holds bachelor's degrees in Physics and Computer Science, along with a master's and doctorate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. He will report to CEO Deepak Nath and join the Executive Committee.

Positive

• Appointment of highly experienced executive with 25+ years in healthcare strategy and M&A
• Strong academic credentials with PhD from Yale University in relevant fields
• Extensive experience in both consulting (McKinsey) and investment banking (Lazard) sectors
• Expertise in FDA-approved assets through leadership of Bluish Capital

Negative

• None.

Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, announces the appointment of Ajay Dhankhar, PhD, as Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer, effective today. Ajay will report to Chief Executive Officer Deepak Nath and join the Smith+Nephew Executive Committee. 

As both a senior management consultant and investment banker, Ajay has advised CEOs and Boards at some of the world's leading healthcare companies, helping deliver substantial shareholder value. 

Ajay’s experience includes 25 years with McKinsey & Company where he was a Senior Partner and held multiple leadership roles including Global Head of Strategy across all industries, Global Head of Strategy and M&A for Life Sciences and Global Head of Life Sciences R&D. 

Following that, Ajay served as a Managing Director in the Financial Advisory Healthcare Group of Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) where he was the Global Head of Medical Technology, Diagnostics and Tools. More recently, Ajay founded and led Bluish Capital, a strategy and financial advisory firm focused on deploying growth capital to support high quality, recently FDA approved assets.

Ajay has bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Computer Science from Angelo State University, and both a master’s degree and a doctorate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. 

Deepak Nath, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Ajay’s unique blend of scientific rigor, strategic insight, business development, integrations, and operational excellence, combined with his entrepreneurial leadership style, makes him exceptionally well-suited to help shape our future. We are pleased to have him join our leadership team at this exciting time for the company.”

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Enquiries Investors
Andrew Swift	+44 (0) 1923 477433
Smith+Nephew
Media
Charles Reynolds	+44 (0) 1923 477314
Smith+Nephew
Susan Gilchrist / Ayesha Bharmal	+44 (0) 20 7404 5959
Brunswick

 

About Smith+Nephew
Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. We exist to restore people’s bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose ‘Life Unlimited’. Our 17,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients’ lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global business units of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management.

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in around 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $5.8 billion in 2024. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms ‘Group’ and ‘Smith+Nephew’ are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.

For more information about Smith+Nephew, please visit www.smith-nephew.com and follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.

  

Forward-looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove accurate. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth and trading profit margins, market trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements. Phrases such as "aim", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "well-placed", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "consider" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. For Smith+Nephew, these factors include: conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, economic and financial conditions in the markets we serve, especially those affecting healthcare providers, payers and customers; price levels for established and innovative medical devices; developments in medical technology; regulatory approvals, reimbursement decisions or other government actions; product defects or recalls or other problems with quality management systems or failure to comply with related regulations; litigation relating to patent or other claims; legal and financial compliance risks and related investigative, remedial or enforcement actions; disruption to our supply chain or operations or those of our suppliers; competition for qualified personnel; strategic actions, including acquisitions and disposals, our success in performing due diligence, valuing and integrating acquired businesses; disruption that may result from transactions or other changes we make in our business plans or organisation to adapt to market developments; relationships with healthcare professionals; reliance on information technology and cybersecurity; disruptions due to natural disasters, weather and climate change related events; changes in customer and other stakeholder sustainability expectations; changes in taxation regulations; effects of foreign exchange volatility; and numerous other matters that affect us or our markets, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or reputational nature. Please refer to the documents that Smith+Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith+Nephew's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, which is available on the SEC’s website at www. sec.gov, for a discussion of certain of these factors. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Smith+Nephew as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith+Nephew are qualified by this caution. Smith+Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Smith+Nephew's expectations.

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FAQ

Who is the new Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer at Smith+Nephew (SNN)?

Ajay Dhankhar, PhD, has been appointed as Smith+Nephew's Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer, effective June 23, 2025.

What is Ajay Dhankhar's background before joining Smith+Nephew (SNN)?

Dhankhar spent 25 years at McKinsey & Company as Senior Partner, followed by a role at Lazard Ltd as Managing Director, and most recently founded Bluish Capital.

What are Ajay Dhankhar's educational qualifications?

He holds bachelor's degrees in Physics and Computer Science from Angelo State University, and a master's degree and doctorate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Who will Ajay Dhankhar report to at Smith+Nephew (SNN)?

Ajay Dhankhar will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Deepak Nath and join the Smith+Nephew Executive Committee.

What was Ajay Dhankhar's role at Lazard Ltd?

At Lazard Ltd, Dhankhar served as Managing Director in the Financial Advisory Healthcare Group and was the Global Head of Medical Technology, Diagnostics and Tools.