Dental Technologies appoints Les Cross, Andras Hites to board of directors

Leslie (Les) Cross also currently serves as chairman and CEO of Alphatec Spine, where he's been on the board since March 2011. Previously, Cross served as president and CEO of DJO Global, where he held several principal executive roles since 1995. From 1990 and 1994, Cross held the position of senior VP of marketing and business development of the Bracing and Support Systems division of Smith & Nephew. He was MD of two different divisions of Smith & Nephew from 1982 to 1990. Cross earned a diploma in medical technology from Sydney Technical College in Sydney, Australia and studied business at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa.

Andras (Andy) Hites has over 40 years of experience in the dental lab industry and together with his brother George Hites, grew MicroDental Laboratories from nearly US$3 million in revenue to approximately US$50 million in 2002. During his tenure with MicroDental, the company designed a number of innovative restorative techniques and products that fostered a very loyal client base and helped MicroDental grow to be one of the largest dental labs in North America. Hites has been a national speaker for Quest where he has shared his expertise on lab management and client relations, has produced nine educational videos for dentists and patients and has published several articles in business and dental journals.

Wealth of experience

"We are very excited to have two highly accomplished and very experienced executives join our board," said Kimberly L. Bradshaw, president and CEO of DTI. "Les brings a wealth of experience in growing companies in the medical device industries while Andy is intimately familiar with the dental lab industry, having created and grown one of the preeminent labs in the country. Both individuals will play a significant role in setting the strategic direction of DTI."

In making the announcement, Cross stated, "I am extremely honored and excited to join the board of directors at Dental Technologies. DTI has distinguished itself by providing unparalleled customer service to their clientele through a personalised approach that benefits dental practices and their patients. I look forward to working with the team to develop strategies to achieve the next phase of growth for the Company."

"Technology is revolutionising this industry the way that it changed the auto industry and DTI is leading the charge," said Hites. "I have always believed technology would improve both the quality of products and service to the client and I am very excited to help the Company continue to differentiate itself as the technology leader."