Cliff Illig, co-founder and vice chairman of the board of directors at Cerner, retired from the company Jan. 15.
Mr. Illig co-founded Cerner in 1979 with the late Neal Patterson. Mr. Illig has held numerous positions at Cerner throughout his tenure at the company, including the role of vice chairman since March 1999. He temporarily stepped down from the role of vice chairman from July 2017 through February 2018, when he served as chairman of the board and interim CEO. He also has served as Cerner's COO and president.
"I am extremely proud of what Cerner associates have accomplished in the past four decades, and am gratified in knowing that Cerner is well-positioned for continued success," Mr. Illig said in a news release.
"It was one year ago that we announced Brent [Shafer] as our new chairman and CEO," he continued. "Having had the opportunity to work alongside him during the transition, I have become even more confident in his leadership. It's very clear to me that the work that Brent and Cerner's strong leadership team have done this past year has the company on the right path. That, combined with my focus on a growing number of outside interests, led me to what I believe is the right decision at the right time — the decision to leave the enterprise that has meant a great deal to me for my entire career."
Mr. Illig will continue working on his interests outside of Cerner and health IT, including his ownership in the Sporting Kansas City professional soccer club in Missouri and involvement in Major League Soccer. He is also an active investor in early-stage entrepreneurial enterprises.