Caren Mason

Caren Mason is President and CEO of STAAR Surgical. Caren assumed her position as President and CEO of STAAR on March 1, 2015 having served on the Board of Directors since June of 2014. Caren was previously CEO of Verinata Health. Illumina acquired Verinata in February of 2013. From 2004 to 2009, Caren was President and CEO of Quidel Corporation, a publicly traded rapid immunoassay and molecular diagnostics test company. During her tenure at Quidel, she engineered a four-year turnaround and delivered significant top-line growth, profitability, growth capital and valuation for the company. She was recognized by Ernst and Young for her work at Quidel as a 2007 finalist for San Diego Life Sciences Entrepreneur of the Year and earned Quidel the distinction of being named one of the 200 Best Small Companies by Forbes in 2007 & 2008. Prior to joining Quidel, Ms. Mason served as President and Chief Executive Officer for MiraMedica and Chief Executive Officer for EMed Technologies. Her other positions in healthcare include as General Manager of the Women’s Healthcare business for General Electric Healthcare, Senior Vice President for Bayer Corporate Health Care and Senior Vice President for Bayer’s AGFA Technical Imaging Business Group. Ms. Mason began her career in healthcare with American Hospital Supply/Baxter Healthcare and is a graduate of Indiana University. She is currently on the Board of STAAR Surgical, on the Advisory Board of InDevR, and is on the Board of AdvaMed and Chairs AdvaMed’s Ophthalmic Sector.