By Al Jones – September 2, 2016
KALAMAZOO, MI – William U. Parfet unceremoniously resigned Wednesday from the Stryker Corp. Board of Directors and the company is not saying why.
Parfet, 69, was among the longest-tenured members of the board, which works on behalf of company stockholders to establish corporate policies, to provide oversight and guidance to the company’s top management, and to make decisions on major corporate issues. Parfet joined the board in 1993.
“On Aug. 31, 2016, William Parfet resigned as a director of Stryker Corp. effective immediately,” the Kalamazoo-based company stated in an email response to questions about the resignation.
Asked why he was resigning, Jenny Braga, senior manager of communications for Stryker, stated in an email that the company had no further comments on the matter.
The board continues with eight members.
In a regulatory filing, Monsanto Co. stated that Parfet also resigned Wednesday from that company’s board. Monsanto is a Missouri-based provider of agricultural products intended to improve farm productivity.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported online that Monsanto disclosed Parfet’s resignation in a regulatory filing but did not give a reason for his departure. Parfet had been a member of that board for 16 years.
