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Catching up with Bob Ganley of Ivoclar Vivadent
By Donna Evans-Deyermond
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Photo supplied by Ivolcar Vivadent.
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Robert A. Ganley, chief executive officer of Ivoclar Vivadent—which has North American headquarters in Amherst and global headquarters in Liechtenstein—can truly be described as a “renaissance man.” Ganley literally spends half of his time in Europe and half in North America. A graduate of St. Bonaventure University and the University of Buffalo, he has been one of the driving forces in positioning Ivoclar as a world leader in materials for esthetic dentistry, and for perfecting Western New York’s smiles.
Ivoclar has twenty subsidiaries and does business in more than one hundred countries. That said, why Western New York?
We have more than 2,300 employees worldwide with more than three hundred here in WNY. Our team here is talented, trained, committed, and experienced. And with advanced communication and transportation technologies, it’s possible for us to touch our customers quickly at any time and in any place.
What contributions to contemporary dentistry have been developed locally in the past ten years or so?
One of our core competencies has always been ceramics, and we are currently the world leader in dental ceramics—[these are] materials used in restorations, crowns, dentures, and implants. We have a tremendous research and development (R&D) group headed by Dr. George Tysowsky. Working with our R&D group in Liechtenstein—which numbers more than 150 scientists—they developed market-leading products which are changing the way dentistry is practiced. The world’s leading soft tissue laser, the Odyssey Navigator, was tested and first launched here in WNY.
What relationships with the WNY community have been influential in Ivoclar’s efforts to be at the cutting-edge of dentistry?
The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine is one of our testing sites, and has been a valuable partner. We also work closely with local dentists and the dental laboratory community, providing training in new products and techniques. Ivoclar Vivadent recognizes how important continuing education is, so we’ve invested in training facilities in Amherst, Toronto, Sarasota, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and twenty-five other locations around the globe.
Have you been successful in marketing all of your products worldwide, or do some products sell well in one place and not in another?
For the most part, our products are used all over the world. But in some situations materials andequipment are not accepted because of regulatory reasons, production costs, or clinical techniques.“The global patient” shares the same oral health needs whether in Asia, Europe, Africa, or North America. Treatments span the spectrum from the most innovative to very rudimentary, so in developed markets we see the full range used, while developing markets may deliver mainly the basics.
Have you ever had faith in a product you thought would succeed in one of your markets, and had it fall on its face? How did you handle that?
We are always pushing the limits and exploring new opportunities. Sometimes you hit a bump in the road, but failure helps define the next success—it makes you better and stronger. For example, we make a whitening product for which we had high hopes, but the product category quickly became fully occupied, and with diminished uniqueness came diminished returns. Nine times of ten we get it right. Although there’s nothing wrong with making it ten-for-ten!
What do you predict will be the new big innovations in dentistry that will impact the greatest number of people throughout the world, or provide the most significant improvement in quality of life?
Rather than predict, I’d like to make a wish. I’d wish that people in all areas of the world would realize the importance of dental health, and its relationship to total health. I’d also wish they would realize the relative low cost of maintaining dental health. As for the prediction, I believe we’re working on such developments but it’s too early to discuss them … maybe next time.
In terms of enjoying your free time, what kind of music do you like?
I was in school in the late sixties and early seventies, so it’s rock and blues. For my daughter’s wedding we brought a very popular band from Lake George to Buffalo for the music. Great musicians, great music, and a very beautiful bride.
What’s your favorite form of exercise?
I jog. It’s fast and flexible, which fits my schedule.
Last book you read?
The Forgotten Man—a new history of the Great Depression.
Who are the people from the past you keep in touch with?
I’m still close with several classmates from St. Bona. We have an annual reunion at Skaneateles Lake.
Last movie you saw?
Braveheart, again—but it was in German.
Donna Evans-Deyermond, a freelance writer and public relations consultant,, began her work life as a dental assistant before Empress was even a glimmer in an Ivoclar scientist’s eye.
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