Alan Turfe was placed as the chairman and chief executive officer of J M Smith Corporation in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the third largest privately held company in the state focused on healthcare and technology solutions. J M Smith is a drug distributor serving independent and retail pharmacies and provides automation solutions for pharmacies, home medical equipment businesses, and pharmacy management solutions. The company also provides advanced technology solutions and forms and supplies to the sector.
Turfe was selected by the board following a nationwide search, and brings a wealth of experience in the life sciences, medical device, e-commerce and automotive industries.
Turfe, a native of Michigan, began his career working his way through college on the second shift of an assembly line at General Motors (GM). Upon graduation with his MBA, he worked as a financial analyst for GM, moving up the ranks, first as European Finance Director for their Automotive Components Division and then as CFO, GM Worldwide Purchasing and Logistics, leading GM into e-commerce with a joint venture that generated more than $4 billion in shareholder value and resulted in him being appointed CO-CEO of the joint venture company.
Following a decade with GM, Turfe joined Fisher Scientific in successive leadership roles, including President of the Anatomical Pathology Group. He then joined IDEX Corporation where he served as President of Micropump, Inc. In these roles, Turfe oversaw sites in the U.S. and overseas, with full profit and loss responsibilities, growing these businesses through strategic acquisitions and new product development. Turfe joins J M Smith Corporation from Fresenius Medical Care, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, leveraging global manufacturing and distribution in pharmaceuticals and other medical categories to expand margins and drive incremental profitably.
Mr. Turfe received both his BS and MBA degrees from the University of Michigan. He is married and has two children. He and his wife co‐chair their foundation, which supports orphans all over the world as well as a scholarship funds at The University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
QLK’s Mike Kieffer and Patti Hall led the search to recruit Alan to J M Smith, where he began his duties March 2017.
