Cook Group President Kem Hawkins to Retire in July

June 16, 2015—Cook Group announced that Kem Hawkins, President of Cook Group Incorporated, will retire on July 1 after 34 years with the Cook organization. Mr. Hawkins, who has been transitioning his role in the company over the past year, will remain on the board of directors for Cook Group. Mr. Hawkins joined the Cook organization on June 1, 1981, as a management trainee and operations manager. In 2001, he was named President of Cook Group and Cook Incorporated.

Pete Yonkman, current President of Cook Medical, has been chosen as Mr. Hawkins’ successor as President of Cook Group. Mr. Yonkman joined Cook in 2001 as corporate counsel and has held numerous positions within the company, including Vice President of Asian operations, Chief Legal Officer, and President of Cook Urological, Cook Medical, and Cook Incorporated.

In the company’s press release, Carl Cook, CEO of Cook Group, stated, “Under Kem’s leadership, we have seen exciting new opportunities to help patients, our employees, and the communities where we operate. With his guidance, our company experienced unparalleled growth in sales from $500 million to $2 billion and growth in the number of employees from 4,000 to 12,000 globally. Kem has successfully led the company through challenging times, significant growth, and a shifting global health care landscape.”

Steve Ferguson, Cook Group’s Chairman of the Board, commented “Kem developed a plan for succession, moving Pete into various leadership positions in preparation for his retirement. We are indebted to Kem for his years of service to the Cook companies.”