There may be a range of factors behind Donal O'Dwyer's decision...

There may be a range of factors behind Donal O'Dwyer's decision to relinquish the CDX chairmanship after 14 years.

One relates to O'Dwyer's role as a director of $FPH/Fisher & Paykel.

Fisher & Paykel has a global sleep disorder business.

On December 18, 2018 CardieX revealed plans to diversity into the $US4.4b sleep disorder market with an unnamed GEMDC/global electronics and medical device company with a market cap of $US "multi-ten-billion".

@valvesound thinks this tech goliath might be Johnson & Johnson. I thinks it's either GE, Philips or ResMed.

Whatever, the sleep disorder strategy would pose a dilemma for Donal O'Dwyer because he could be seen to be conflicted.

How could he, as chairman of CardieX, lead an aggressive CDX sleep disorder operation that might compete directly with the sleep disorder operation of Fisher & Paykel?

By stepping back, he solves the dilemma and allows the board to recruit a chairman based in the US, CDX's main business arena.  

This all seems very sensible.

And given Donal O'Dwyer will have more time after stepping down at the EGM on February 26, he may be able to help out CEO Craig Cooper in recruiting a new chairman. Energetic? Eminent?

The succession decision will be important, even pivotal.