Dane A. Miller (c. 1946 – February 10, 2015) was an American business executive.[1] Miller was co-founder of the orthopedic company Biomet and was its president and chief executive from 1978 to 2006.[2]

Miller was brought up in Springfield, Ohio,[3] and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Materials Science Engineering in 1969 from the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) from which he received the Distinguished Alumnus award in 2010.[4] He subsequently obtained a master's degree and a doctorate in Materials Science (Biomedical Engineering) from the University of Cincinnati. After working for rival companies Zimmer and Cutter Laboratories, Miller joined with Niles Noblitt, Jerry L. Ferguson and M. Ray Harroff, to found Biomet in 1977.[5] Miller's own grandmother, Grace Shumaker, was the first recipient of a Biomet hip implant.[6] To encourage public confidence in titanium as a material for implants, Miller arranged for a surgeon to introduce a piece into his own arm, which he left there for ten years to test its safety.[7]

In March 2006, Miller was removed from the company's board of directors, and his retirement was announced.[8] A few months later, he headed a private equity consortium that bought back the business for $11.4 billion and still owned it in 2014.[9][10] Miller became a consultant to the new company in addition to resuming the role of a director.[11] The company later announced a merger with Zimmer Holdings.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Forbes Profile (2011). Accessed 7 May 2013
  2. ^ Robert Jordan, How They Did It: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America (Redflash, 2010). ISBN 0615385435
  3. ^ "Biomet's Miller breaks the mold", IndyStar, July 11, 2004 Archived May 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 7 May 2013
  4. ^ Kettering University: "Honoring excellence", September 2010 Archived 2015-02-12 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 1 February 2015
  5. ^ omet.com/corporate/biometHistory.cfm Biomet website[permanent dead link]. Accessed 7 May 2013
  6. ^ "State pioneer in orthopedics dies", The Journal Gazette, February 12, 2015. Accessed 12 Feb 2015
  7. ^ "5 Incredibly Ballsy Moves that Worked", NYER, December 12, 2011. Accessed 9 May 2013
  8. ^ "Biomet Announces Retirement of President and Chief Executive Officer, Dane A. Miller, Ph.D.; Daniel P. Hann, 17-Year Company Veteran, Named Interim Successor", Business Wire, March 27, 2006. Accessed 7 May 2013
  9. ^ "Dane Miller to buy Biomet for $10.9 billion: 10 Months to Close", Healthpoint Capital, December 18, 2006 Archived October 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 7 May 2013
  10. ^ Indiana University: Johnson Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, "Dane A. Miller: The Biomet Story". Accessed 7 May 2013
  11. ^ Bloomberg Businessweek - Executive Profile Dane A. Miller Ph.D.. Accessed 17 Oct 2014
  12. ^ "Zimmer Submits Revised Plan to European Regulators on Biomet Deal", Wall Street Journal, 10 Feb 2015. Accessed 11 Feb 2015

Further reading

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  • Patrick Kavanaugh - The Maverick CEO; Dane Miller and the Story of Biomet (privately printed, 2008) ISBN 1607257807