OREANDA-NEWS. Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced that Abhijit Bhattacharya, who is currently CFO of Philips Lighting and project leader for the creation of  Lighting as a standalone company, has succeeded Ron Wirahadiraksa as CFO of Royal Philips, with immediate effect.

Ron Wirahadiraksa, who rejoined Philips in 2008, has resigned from the Board of Management and the Executive Committee and will join a listed company in another industrial sector on December 1, 2015.

“I want to thank Ron for his outstanding contribution during a crucial phase in the transformation of Philips and for his support in driving strategic change and operational improvement,’’ said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips. “His skills and personal leadership have made a significant difference throughout his long career in the company. On behalf of Philips’ Executive Committee and Supervisory Board, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

“I am very pleased to announce Abhijit as our new CFO. His extensive experience in financial and operational leadership positions at Philips and previously within NXP, together with his ability to successfully manage highly complex projects will enable him to play a key role in driving the transformation of Philips further. I am confident that Abhijit’s experience, combined with the support that he will be receiving from Ron over the coming weeks will ensure a seamless transition.”

Abhijit Bhattacharya (Indian, 1961) joined Philips in 1987 and has held various senior leadership roles in the company in Asia Pacific, Europe and the U.S. He chaired the team responsible for the overall planning and execution of the separation process to create two winning companies focused on the HealthTech and Lighting opportunities, reporting directly to CEO Frans van Houten, and was recently appointed CFO of Philips Lighting. In 2014, he was the CFO of Philips Healthcare, Philips’ largest sector, and headed Philips Investor Relations from 2010 to 2013. Prior to this, he was Head of Operations and Quality of the ST Microelectronics and Ericsson joint venture, and CFO of NXP’s largest business group.

Abhijit Bhattacharya will join Philips’ Executive Committee and will be nominated for appointment to the Board of Management.