A portrait of new Baxter CFO John Rogers.
John Rogers is the next CFO of Baxter.
Courtesy of Baxter International
 

Name: John Rogers

New title: CFO, Baxter

Previous title: CFO, Smith & Nephew

Baxter on Wednesday named John Rogers as executive vice president and CFO, tasking him with helping advance the company’s turnaround strategy.

Rogers has served as CFO of medical device maker Smith & Nephew since 2024, after joining the company as CFO-designate in 2023. He will assume his new role at Baxter on Oct. 1.

Andrew Hider, who took the reins as Baxter’s CEO last year, said Rogers was selected to help the medical products manufacturer sharpen its execution.

“He is an ideal fit for Baxter as we continue to stabilize the business, strengthen our balance sheet and drive a culture of continuous improvement,” Hider said in a statement.

Rogers’ appointment comes as Baxter continues to work through a multiyear restructuring that included the $4 billion sale of its biopharma solutions business to Warburg Pincus and Advent International in 2023 and the $3.8 billion sale of its Vantive kidney care business to the Carlyle Group in 2025.

Before his tenure at Smith & Nephew, Rogers was CFO of WPP, a London-based advertising group, where he led a global transformation program. He previously held leadership positions at retailer J Sainsbury, including CEO of the Argos brand, where he also oversaw a business transformation effort.

Rogers brings experience in medtech and in leading companies through organizational change, Evercore ISI analysts said in a note to clients.

“Having managed companies undergoing transformations in slow growth industries, his operational experience will be valuable,” the analysts wrote. “We believe CEO Andrew Hilder is more focused on portfolio optimization and accelerating growth, and Rogers complements him nicely by aiding on the operational side.”

Baxter makes products ranging from intravenous solutions and infusion technologies to hospital beds and patient monitoring systems. When the Deerfield, Illinois-based company raised its 2026 financial outlook in July, it said it had made steady progress in its operating performance. In announcing Rogers’ appointment, Baxter reiterated its full-year forecast.

Rogers replaces Anita Zielinski, who became Baxter’s interim CFO earlier this year when former CFO Joel Grade left the company. Zielinski has accepted the post of chief accounting officer at Cardinal Health.