Siemens Healthineers’ head of Americas steps down, GE CFO switch, new ASTRO prez, plus more leadership moves

John Kowal, Siemens Healthineers’ head of the Americas, is stepping down a little over a year after taking the job—one of several recent imaging leadership changes of note. 

The Erlangen, Germany-based manufacturer announced the move Thursday, promoting from within to fill the key role. Siemens Healthineers first appointed Kowal as president and head of the Americas in April 2025 after he had filled that role for acquired company Varian Medical Systems since 2017. 

The company did not give a reason for the change but said it is naming João Seabra, its current head of enterprise services, to replace Kowal, effective Oct. 1.

“This fall, I'll cross another milestone in this journey as I’ll be stepping down as president, Americas, at Siemens Healthineers. I do so with deep gratitude and

 appreciation for the opportunities and support that I’ve been given,” Kowal, who first joined Varian in 2005 as district sales manager, said in a LinkedIn post July 30.

“In the short term, I’ll be spending time on several personal passions as I progress toward my next chapter in life,” he added later. “To everyone who shared this ride with me: thank you. It has been meaningful, energizing and a lot of fun.”

Seabra has been with Siemens Healthineers since 2001, holding roles focused on financial performance, business growth, regional operations and customer-facing activities. He led the company’s Europe and West Africa regions from 2015 to 2018 and helped quadruple revenue over the last 8 years as head of enterprise services. Seabra currently resides in Portugal and will be relocating to the U.S. to take over the title. 

“João brings to the role broad international leadership experience, strong customer focus and an impressive track record in scaling and transforming businesses,” Darleen Caron, Siemens Healthineers chief human resources officer, said in a statement. “He is the ideal candidate to lead the Americas, the largest market and a region of great strategic importance for Siemens Healthineers.” 

GE CFO steps down

GE HealthCare announced July 23 that James (Jay) Saccaro is stepping as VP and chief financial officer after three years on the job. 

Saccaro is departing from the Chicago-based imaging manufacturer to take on an “expanded role outside the medical technology industry.” In his place, GEHC is appointing George Newcomb, current controller and chief accounting officer, as interim CFO.

GE Healthcare said it is now launching the search for a successor, with Saccaro staying aboard until Aug. 14 to ensure a smooth transition.

“On behalf of the board of directors and executive team, I would like to thank Jay for his contributions over the past three years,” GE HealthCare President and CEO Peter Arduini said in a statement. “He has played a key role in driving financial discipline and strategic investments aligned to our capital allocation strategy. We wish him success in his next endeavor.”

Interim CFO Newcomb has spent nearly 40 years in finance leadership positions at various companies. He’s been controller at GEHC since 2016 and took over as chief accounting officer as part of the spin off from General Electric Co. in 2023. 

The announcement came the same day GEHC released its preliminary second quarter results. Highlights included year-over-year revenue growth of nearly 6%, and organic growth of almost 4%. ASTRO elects new president

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has elected five new officers to its board of directors, the trade group announced Wednesday. 

Beth Erickson, MD, a radiation oncology professor with the Medical College of Wisconsin, has been named ASTRO’s president elect. She is an internationally recognized expert in brachytherapy and image-based treatment planning, having lectured on these subjects worldwide. 

As president of the 10,000-member society, she plans to focus on ensuring ASTRO serves as a welcoming home for all members of the radiation oncology care team. Education, supporting research and raising the visibility of radiation therapy’s powerful impact also are high on Erickson’s to-do list. 

"ASTRO is at our strongest when every member of the radiation oncology team can find meaningful ways to participate and grow throughout their career,” she said in a statement July 29. “As ASTRO president, I will be committed to showing patients and the broader medical community what radiation therapy can achieve, while advocating for fair reimbursement policies that support excellent care,” Erickson added later. 

Meanwhile, in other appointments, ASTRO has elected: 

• Indrin Chetty, PhD, as incoming clinical affairs and quality council vice chair. He is a professor and vice chair of research in the department of radiation oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, where he also leads the medical physics division. Chetty currently serves as vice chair of ASTRO’s Clinical Affairs and Quality Committee. 
• Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD, as incoming education council vice chair. He is professor and chair of the department of radiation oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, specializing in lung cancer treatment. Rosenzweig currently chairs the society’s Annual Meeting Scientific Committee. 
• John Suh, MD, as incoming Government Relations Council vice chair. He is a professor and enterprise chair of the radiation oncology department at the Cleveland Clinic and also chairs ASTRO’s Government Relations Committee. 
• Gita Suneja, MD, as incoming Healthcare Access and Community Engagement Council vice chair. She is a professor of radiation oncology and adjunct professor of population health sciences at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute. Suneja also currently heads ASTRO’s HACE Steering Committee and serves as president of the society’s foundation. 

The American Society for Radiation Oncology also announced on July 22 the 39 members who will receive ASTRO fellowships this year. 

New imaging leader at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Health on July 24 named William Laxton, MD, to the newly created position of ambulatory medical director of the Vanderbilt Medical Group Outpatient Imaging Centers division. 

An associate professor of clinical radiology, Laxton will help to oversee services across over 30 locations in middle Tennessee, including at the flagship Vanderbilt University Hospital. He’ll work closely with Morgan Anderson, MD, medical director of Vanderbilt Imaging Services, which has five Nashville-area locations. 

Laxton also is a specialist in cardiothoracic and abdominal imaging, joining the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine faculty in 2015. 

“Dr. Laxton’s strategic leadership, collaborative approach and unwavering commitment to patient-centered care make him exceptionally well suited for this role,” Laveil Allen, MD, executive medical director of the Clinical Imaging CSC at Vanderbilt, said in a statement. “His proven ability to align clinical excellence with operational innovation positions him to lead the continued growth, quality and performance of Vanderbilt Health’s ambulatory imaging services.”

Rapid fire

A few more imaging leadership changes of note, in brief: 

• The University of Rochester Thompson Health on July 20 namedAndrew M. Grills as its new director of diagnostic imaging. He brings 17 years of experience to the job, most recently serving as manager of specialty imaging services at the UPMC Passavant–McCandless.
• Seven new radiologists recently joined Pueblo Radiology Associates, according to a news announcement shared July 29. 
• I-MED Radiology Network CEO Dr. Shrey Viranna recently stepped down from the role following news the Australia-based imaging group was being sold to private equity firm Permira. I-MED also operates in the States through its acquisition of teleradiology firm StatRad.  
• And finally, WashU Medicine’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, Missouri, on July 23 announced the appointment of two faculty members to new clinical leadership roles. Vincent M. Mellnick, MD, a professor of radiology, was appointed MIR’s senior vice chair and division director of academic practice. Meanwhile, Malak Itani, MD, an associate professor of radiology, was appointed chief of MIR’s abdominal imaging section, taking over the role vacated by Mellnick.