Brad Bishop was named the first Executive Director of Warsaw, Indiana-based OrthoWorx on June 3. He will take his post on June 23.
Bishop, who helped form the industry/community group in 2009, will lead efforts to promote the area’s orthopedic capabilities and try to lure some new businesses into the community.
A 2009 BioCrossroads report stated, “These enterprises earn more than $11 billion in annual revenues, representing better than a 50% markets share in the United States, and more than a 33% market share in the world.” Since 2001 the orthopedic industry employment base has grown by 39%, adding 2, 800 jobs to reach nearly 6, 000.
Memphis Competition
In recent years, Memphis has made a run at Warsaw to compete for orthopedic device company expansions and start-up. Partly to ward off that competition and to get into the business development competition, leaders of the orthopedic community formed OrthoWorx in 2009.
Bishop is currently Zimmer’s Director of Public Affair.
His colleague at Zimmer, Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer, Cheryl Blanchard, Ph.D., is the Chairperson of the OrthoWorx Board of Directors.
Blanchard said, “Having Brad as a full-time employee of OrthoWorx will help drive all of our initiatives forward.” Those initiatives include efforts to promote talent and workforce Development, community development, transportation and logistics, education, and innovation.
Hometown Hero
Bishop brings over 20 years of orthopedic industry experience to his new job as Warsaw’s chief orthopedic promoter. At Zimmer he was responsible for internal and external communications, corporate philanthropy, community affairs and state and local government relations, and served as treasurer of the Zimmer Political Action Committee.
He joined Zimmer in 1988 and has served in a variety of public affairs and communications roles for Zimmer and for its former parent company, Bristol-Myers Squibb.
“Brad has been an integral part of the Warsaw community for more than 20 years. His background in the orthopedics industry and his leadership roles on community initiatives provide a solid foundation for his new position with OrthoWorx, ” said David Floyd, OrthoWorx board member and President of DePuy Orthopaedics.
Bishop has served on a number of association and civic boards, including the Indiana Health Industry Forum, Kosciusko Development, Inc., the YMCA of Kosciusko County, the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Orthopedic Capital Foundation and the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, where he is the current board president. He is a past president of the board of directors of the United Way of Kosciusko County and graduated from Ball State University with a BS in Journalism and Public Relations
