Wilmot to Head Andor Technology

Andor Technology plc has promoted Gary Wilmot to the position of managing director. He replaces CEO Conor Walsh, who will step down May 1 after 12 years with the company.

Wilmot joined the imaging and spectroscopy company in 2007 as director of engineering, tripling the size of that unit and leading the development of scientific imaging products. Recent highlights include the Neo high-performance CMOS camera, which in 2012 was shortlisted for the UK Royal Academy of Engineering’s MacRobert Award.

A graduate of Queen’s University, the institution from which Andor originated in 1989, Wilmot earned a master’s degrees from Cranfield Institute and Warwick Business School.

The leadership change follows Oxford Instruments’ £176 million (about $289 million) acquisition of Andor, which was completed in February. Andor’s profitability increased under Walsh, while both its annual sales and number of employees more than doubled — partly the result of a series of small-company acquisitions — culminating in the Oxford deal.