Baxter Taps Smith+Nephew CFO John Rogers as Finance Chief

Baxter revealed that it has appointed Smith+Nephew chief financial officer (CFO) John Rogers in order to become its new finance chief. He will take office on October 1.

Rogers has headed finance operations at Smith+Nephew since 2024 after beginning with the orthopedics company as CFO-designate in 2023. Before that, he was CFO of WPP plc, J Sainsbury plc, and CEO of Argos, Habitat and Sainsbury’s clothing and general merchandise businesses.

He also has public-company board experience, including as an independent director and audit committee chair at Grab Holdings and previously Travis Perkins.

On September 29, Rogers relocated from the UK to the U.S. for convenience and support of Smith+Nephew’s largest market. He succeeds interim CFO Anita Zielinski, who announced plans resign in order to become the chief accounting officer of Cardinal Health earlier this week.

Comments from Baxter execs

President and CEO Andrew Hider: “John is a proven global finance executive with extensive operational expertise and a successful track record leading complex transformation initiatives. He is an ideal fit for Baxter as we continue to stabilize the business, strengthen our balance sheet and drive a culture of continuous improvement. I am confident John will help us build on this work, sharpen our execution and create sustainable value for our customers, employees, investors and other Baxter stakeholders.”

Rogers: “I am honored to join Baxter, a company with a nearly century-long history, a powerful Mission to Save and Sustain Lives and an essential role across healthcare. Baxter’s focus on continuous improvement, strengthening its balance sheet and driving enhanced performance is closely aligned with my experience leading global finance organizations and supporting large-scale business transformation. I look forward to working with Andrew, the Finance team and my new colleagues across Baxter to create long-term value for all stakeholders.”