Name: Heather Knight
New title: Chief commercial officer, Solventum
Previous title: Chief operating officer, Baxter
Solventum has appointed Heather Knight to the newly created position of chief commercial officer, effective Nov. 10, the company said Tuesday.
The company, which 3M created last year, has given Knight oversight of global commercial and R&D operations across its medical surgical, dental solutions and health information systems segments. Knight will report directly to Solventum CEO Bryan Hanson.
“By aligning our go-to-market strategy under one leader, we will enhance our ability to leverage the size and scale of Solventum, driving more coordinated execution and profitable growth,” Hanson said in a statement.
Chris Barry, group president of medsurg at Solventum, is leaving the company at the end of the year in connection with Knight’s arrival. Barry, the former CEO of NuVasive, joined 3M just before it completed the Solventum spinoff and led the standalone company’s medsurg business. Hanson thanked Barry and said his presence at Solventum through the end of 2025 will support the transition.
Knight is joining Solventum from Baxter, where she is chief operating officer and interim group president of medical products and therapies. Baxter appointed Knight as COO in February, giving her responsibility for day-to-day business operations, including global sales, marketing, R&D, supply chain and medical and regulatory affairs.
Baxter disclosed Knight’s promotion alongside news of the retirement of its CEO. The company named Andrew Hider as its next CEO in July. When Knight leaves next week, Baxter will put Hider in charge of its medical products and therapies business and operate without a COO.
