Cerner co-founder and Vice Chairman Cliff Illig has resigned from the company.
Illig has been vice chairman of the board of directors since March 1999, except between July 2017 and February 2018, when he served as chairman of the board and interim CEO after the death of co-founder Neal Patterson. Earlier, Illig was chief operating officer and president of Cerner.
The timing of Illig's departure reflects his confidence that Cerner is now on the "right path" under CEO Brent Shafer. "Having had the opportunity to work alongside (Brent Shafer) during the transition, I have become even more confident in his leadership," Illig said in a statement.
Cerner had a strong third quarter, according to Chief Client Officer John Peterzalek, with $1.34 billion in revenue, up 5% over the third quarter of 2017. But revenue growth was sluggish in the quarter, the most recent period for which the company reported financial results. That was due in part to a loose regulatory environment, which drove Cerner clients to purchase less licensed software and technology resale business in the quarter than Cerner expected.
The timing of Illig's departure also has to do with his outside work, he said. That includes an ownership in a Kansas City soccer club, investments in startups, membership on the Stowers Institute for Medical Research board and work in not-for-profits.
