Align Taps Growth Architect Kevin Conroy as Chairman for Next Innovation Era

TEMPE, AZ – June 19, 2026 – Align Technology, the global medical device powerhouse behind the Invisalign® System, has announced a pivotal leadership transition that signals a strategic pivot toward its next phase of growth and innovation. Effective July 1, 2026, Kevin Conroy, the celebrated former CEO of Exact Sciences, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board. He succeeds C. Raymond Larkin, Jr., who will retire from the chairmanship after a transformative two-decade tenure that saw Align grow from a promising upstart into a dominant force in digital dentistry.

The move is a clear, deliberate signal to the market. While honoring a legacy of foundational growth, Align is proactively installing a leader whose career is defined by scaling disruptive healthcare technologies and creating substantial shareholder value. Conroy's appointment is not merely a succession; it's a strategic alignment of leadership expertise with the company's ambitious future in a rapidly evolving global landscape. For a company that has already revolutionized orthodontics, this transition is about securing the strategic high ground for the decade to come.

A Legacy of Foundational Growth

To understand where Align is going, one must appreciate the foundation C. Raymond Larkin, Jr. helped build. Joining the board in 2004 and becoming Chairman in 2006, Larkin’s leadership has been a constant through a period of immense change. His deep experience in the medical device sector, honed as President and CEO of Nellcor Puritan Bennett where he established pulse oximetry as a global standard of care, provided the steady hand and strategic insight Align needed to navigate its journey.

Under his chairmanship, Align evolved from being primarily known for its novel clear aligners to becoming a comprehensive digital dentistry platform. The company's portfolio expanded to include the iTero™ intraoral scanners and exocad™ CAD/CAM software, creating an integrated ecosystem that has redefined workflows for nearly 300,000 dental professionals worldwide. This strategic expansion was critical, transforming Align from a product company into a platform company, a far more defensible and scalable business model. The numbers speak for themselves: during his tenure, the company has helped treat approximately 22.8 million patients and has identified a staggering 600 million consumer market opportunity.

In a statement, Align President and CEO Joe Hogan expressed deep gratitude, noting Larkin’s role in shaping the company's trajectory. “Ray has been instrumental in guiding Align through multiple phases of growth, innovation, and scale,” Hogan said. “His strategic insight, deep experience in healthcare, and unwavering commitment to strong governance have helped shape Align into the global leader it is today.” Larkin’s retirement from the chair, with a plan to remain on the board through the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition, is characteristic of the deliberate, long-term thinking that defined his leadership.

The Architect of Value Creation

The choice of Kevin Conroy as Larkin's successor is a masterstroke of forward-looking governance. Conroy is not just an experienced board member; he is a proven architect of growth in the modern healthcare technology landscape. His tenure as Chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences Corp. serves as a compelling case study. He took the company from a promising concept to a commercial juggernaut, primarily through the successful launch and scaling of Cologuard, the non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test.

Under his leadership, Exact Sciences grew to an impressive $3.25 billion in annual revenue, serving millions of patients and fundamentally changing a segment of the diagnostics market. This journey culminated in the company's acquisition by Abbott Laboratories in March 2026, a transaction that crystalized the immense stockholder value Conroy had created. His track record is precisely what a company like Align, sitting on a massive market opportunity and facing an increasingly competitive environment, needs in its next chairman.

Joe Hogan highlighted this precise fit, stating, “Kevin brings extensive experience as a board leader... He has demonstrated a strong track record of creating stockholder value, and deep expertise in healthcare, technology, and strategy. His leadership will help guide Align through our next chapter of growth and innovation.” Conroy's experience isn't just in growth, but in navigating the complex interplay of clinical adoption, consumer marketing, and technological innovation—the very pillars of Align's business model. His presence on the board of Abbott Laboratories further cements his status as a key figure in the upper echelons of the global healthcare industry.

Aligning Strategy with a Digital Future

This leadership transition comes at a time of significant strength and even greater ambition for Align Technology. The company is financially robust, reporting record quarterly revenues of over $1 billion at the end of 2025 and generating $4.1 billion over the last twelve months with a gross margin hovering around 70%. This financial firepower provides the fuel for its strategic initiatives. The company is pushing the boundaries of innovation with products like the recently launched iTero Lumina intraoral scanner, which promises photorealistic 3D models and a more efficient clinical workflow.

Simultaneously, Align is aggressively expanding its global footprint. A planned $200 million investment in a new manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, India, set to open by 2027, underscores its commitment to scaling operations to meet global demand. This combination of technological innovation and operational expansion is crucial as the digital dentistry market becomes more crowded.

Conroy’s appointment is the strategic capstone on this activity. His experience in scaling Exact Sciences from a single-product company into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise provides a direct playbook for Align's next chapter. The challenge is no longer just about proving the technology; it's about achieving deeper market penetration, driving adoption among a broader base of general practitioners, and fending off a growing number of "me-too" competitors. Conroy’s expertise in building powerful commercial engines and navigating complex regulatory and reimbursement landscapes will be invaluable as Align seeks to convert its 600-million-person target market into treated patients.

A Deliberate and Seamless Transition

In a world often defined by abrupt leadership changes and activist-driven shakeups, Align’s board transition stands out for its deliberate and thoughtful execution. Larkin’s decision to remain on the board until the end of 2026 ensures continuity and a complete transfer of institutional knowledge. Conroy, having joined the board in December 2023 and chaired the Compensation and Human Capital Committee since January 2026, is already deeply integrated into the company’s governance and strategy.

This is the hallmark of a mature, well-run organization preparing for the future from a position of strength. Larkin himself expressed his pride in the company's achievements and his confidence in its future. “I look forward to supporting Kevin and the Board during this transition and seeing Align continue to transform smiles and improve patient outcomes around the world well into the future,” he stated.

Conroy echoed this sentiment of collaborative leadership and forward momentum. “I am honored to be appointed Chairman of Align’s Board,” he said. “Align has a strong foundation, an exceptional leadership team, and significant opportunities ahead. I look forward to working closely with Joe, the Board, and management to continue driving innovation, expanding access to digital orthodontics, and creating long-term value for our stockholders.” The message is clear: this is an evolution, not a revolution. By appointing a proven growth leader to the chair, Align Technology is not just planning for a new chapter; it is actively authoring it.