Cerner Corp. has promoted Don Trigg, the company's executive vice president of strategic growth, to president as part of a broader plan to restructure leadership.
Trigg is the first executive to hold the president title since Zane Burke stepped down from the role in 2018 to lead the digital health company Livongo.
Trigg's promotion to president is part of a larger move to change Cerner's leadership structure, company officials said Tuesday.
That includes expanding the role of another Cerner executive, chief client officer John Peterzalek. Peterzalek will now serve as the company's chief client and services officer, which includes oversight of a newly established client success office.
"These appointments, along with other enhancements we are making to Cerner's leadership structure to create better alignment and accountability, will build on the progress we've made since launching Cerner's new operating model in 2019 to align more closely with our clients' strategic objectives and position Cerner for long-term growth," Cerner CEO Brent Shafer said in a statement.
Cerner in April revealed plans to implement a new operating model designed to improve the company's efficiency and profitability. The operating model, part of an agreement with activist investment fund Starboard Value, includes 165 cost-cutting, portfolio management and business simplification initiatives.
At that time, Cerner said it had eliminated the president role after an internal and external review.
Cerner did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision to appoint a new president.
As president, Trigg will be responsible for the "long-term vision" of Cerner's product portfolio, key product lines and profitability, according to a Cerner news release. That includes Cerner's electronic health record and revenue cycle management businesses, as well as setting strategy for the company's modernization efforts.
Cerner reported $1.4 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2019, up 5.6% from the same period one year prior. The company's adjusted operating margin was 20.3% for the quarter, surpassing its target of 20%—one of the primary goals behind the company's operational improvement efforts.
Cerner has said it plans to increase its adjusted operating margin to 22.5% by the end of 2020.