Richard di Benedetto, new president of GE’s EAGM region. Source: Maktoob Business

GE Healthcare has combined the Eastern and African growth markets (EAGM) region into a single International Diagnostic Imaging operation.

The EAGM pole has been created to support four large regions - the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, Russia and Countries of Independent States.

Richard di Benedetto has been appointed president and CEO of GE Healthcare International - EAGM region. The new operation will focus and accelerate GE’s equipment and services markets in that region. The EAGM region accounted for more than $600 million in revenue in 2007, and with the new structure in place, it is expected to double GE Healthcare International revenue to $1.2 billion by 2010, GE reported.

GE said that di Benedetto started his career at GE in 1995, working in the financial services division of GE Medical Systems as financing manager for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, and was then promoted to finance manager of the region. In 2000, di Benedetto relocated to Hungary to be general manager of GE’s Eastern European Operations responsible for sales and service for Central Europe and the former states of the Russian Federation, according to GE. In July 2003, he was promoted to vice president of sales of GE Healthcare Technologies Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“Focusing on this new region continues moving us forward in our globalization efforts, as we look beyond traditional country and region borders to leverage synergies among international markets,” di Benedetto said.