About Invacare

Our Officers

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Mixon has led the company since 1979 when he and a group of Cleveland based investors bought Invacare from then parent Johnson & Johnson. He serves on the boards of several Cleveland area corporations and civic organizations, including chairmanship of the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. Mixon is highly regarded in the Cleveland business community and has been recognized nationally for his entrepreneurial skill and leadership. He received his education, BA and MBA from Harvard, and served four years in the Marine Corps prior to launching his business career.

President and Chief Operating Officer
Blouch joined Invacare in 1990 and currently is responsible for the operations of all domestic and international business units. He was named president and a director of the company in November 1996. His experience includes previous stints as CFO and president and general manager at other companies. He is active in the Cleveland civic and business communities, serving on several committees and boards. Blouch received his BA from Bowling Green University and an MBA from Ohio State University.

President - Invacare Technologies Division and Senior Vice President - Electronic and Design Engineering
Richey has been a director with the company since 1980 and in September 1992 was named President - Invacare Technologies and Senior Vice President - Electronics and Design Engineering. Richey has numerous patents in the medical field registered in his name, is the author or co-author of several technical publications, and has been honored for his inventions by several engineering and scientific organizations. He serves on the board of several Cleveland area corporations and received his BSEE from Case Institute of Technology.

Senior Vice President and General Counsel
LaPlaca is responsible for all legal affairs, risk management, and intellectual property. He also serves as the corporate secretary. Before joining Invacare, LaPlaca was Vice President and General Counsel of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, and its predecessor businesses at Honeywell International Inc. from 1997 through 2008. Prior to that time, he was a partner at a Cleveland-based, national law firm. He holds a BS in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a JD from Boston University School of Law.

Senior Vice President - Chief Financial Officer
Gudbranson is responsible for all aspects of finance, treasury, internal audit, investor relations and information technology. He began his career at JP Morgan in corporate financial management and banking, and he spent a number of years with Invacare in various financial positions in business development, investor relations and treasury. He then served as vice president of strategic planning and acquisitions for a global manufacturer before returning to Invacare to assume the CFO position. He holds a BA in applied mathematics from Yale University and a master's in politics and economics from Oxford University.

Senior Vice President - Global Market Development
Slangen has in-depth sales and marketing experience in the consumer products industry through sales and marketing positions held with Norelco, Philips, Magnavox, and Genie divisions in the U.S., and in Europe with Philips Royal Electronics, one of the world's leading electronics companies. Slangen is a graduate of Nijenrode University in The Netherlands. He received his BBA from the University of Puget Sound and his MBA from Oregon State University.

Senior Vice President - Human Resources
Stumpp is responsible for all aspects of global human resources, including employee relations, compensation, benefits, employee training and development and safety and health. Stumpp joined Invacare in 1991 and was promoted to her current position in 2009. She also has experience in healthcare, small business and the services industry. She holds a BA in Psychology and MBA from The University of Toledo.