Medical equipment service provider Althea UK & Ireland has appointed Mark Graves as operations director to oversee the delivery of Althea’s services across diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, biomedical, managed service and consumables businesses, leading the UK operations team of 250 employees.

Originally an engineer, Graves has more than 25 years’ experience working in life sciences, including in robotics and mass spectrometry across Europe. He has previously held positions at GE Healthcare, Olympus Medical, Johnson & Johnson and Getinge.

David Rolfe, chief executive of Althea UK & Ireland, said: “[Graves] is a great fit for the business both in terms of his experience and his culture, leadership and people centred approach. Althea is a fast-growing company, and Mark’s extensive blue chip experience and strong knowledge of the industry will be instrumental as we deliver our ambitious plans to grow and add ever more value to our customers. He will be a great addition to the team, helping to build high-level relationships with all of our key customers and ensuring we continue to deliver services of the highest quality.”

Graves added: “Althea is a company I have known for many years and the value proposition of a vendor independent offering is something I strongly believe in. I look forward to capitalising on this by pulling together our teams in a quest for operational excellence.”

Althea manages more than 1.4 million medical assets across 2,700 hospitals and clinics in 17 countries. In the UK, Althea partners with acute NHS trusts, providing a range of medical equipment services, managed equipment services, technology management and maintenance, covering all medical equipment, including imaging, endoscopy and biomedical equipment.