At the end of December 2019, following the acquisition of Planer by Hamilton Thorne Limited earlier in the year, Geoffrey Planer retired from his role as Chairman.

During his 45 years at the helm, Geoffrey led Planer to become an industry market leader, regarded by many as the “go-to” company for scientific and technical expertise when developing a new product or technique. Over the years, Planer equipment has been used in many notable scientific firsts — in 1984, the first baby born from a frozen embryo used a Planer controlled rate freezer. More recently, our freezers have been used in the significant advances made in ovarian tissue freezing.

Today, thanks to Geoffrey’s leadership and expertise over the past four decades, Planer is now a global brand, excelling in the design, manufacture, supply and support of medical products in the assisted reproduction, stem cell and cryopreservation markets.

I am sure many of you will have come into contact with Geoffrey at some point and will remember his friendly, warm manner and smiling face whenever you met him, either in Sunbury or at one our meetings around the world. 

Geoffrey will be greatly missed by everybody at Planer: many of the team worked with him for over 20 years. At our recent Christmas lunch, we were delighted to have the opportunity to make a presentation as a small token of our appreciation and to thank him personally for his support and encouragement over the past years.

I am sure you will join us all in wishing Geoffrey well in his retirement. I know his wife Jan is looking forward to having him at home for dinner before 8:30pm every day.

Geoffrey, Good Luck — and a huge thank you from all your colleagues and friends around the world.

Adrian Fuller
Managing Director