ResMed, a medical device and software company, has appointed Carlos M. Nunez, MD, its next chief medical officer.

Nunez assumes his duties Jan. 3, 2017, in the company’s San Diego headquarters, according to a statement from the company. ResMed’s current chief medical officer, Glenn Richards, MD, will become medical director for the company’s product development teams.

Nunez was most recently the senior vice president of medical affairs at Becton, Dickinson and Co., where he was responsible for business strategy, innovation and public policy efforts.

"As an industry leader in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic diseases, ResMed is tackling some of society's largest healthcare challenges with a unique mixture of top-quality devices and software," Nunez said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to working with ResMed's global team to translate emerging clinical research into the next wave of products, services, and solutions that even better treat chronic respiratory diseases, keep patients out of the hospital, save time and money for providers and payers, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”

Nunez has also held leadership roles at United HealthCare Group’s Optum division, CareFusion and Picis, a healthcare informatics company.

"I'm delighted to welcome Carlos Nunez to ResMed," said ResMed CEO Mick Farrell in a statement. "Carlos has great depth in clinical and medical technology, and great breadth in healthcare informatics and business management. His proven leadership capabilities and track record of collaboration across global teams make him an ideal addition to our executive team. Carlos will play a key role in accelerating ResMed's 2020 growth strategy, including clinical trials of sleep apnea, neuromuscular disease and COPD, as well as in connected care."