OEM Executive Bios
Michael Blackham
Executive Vice President, Global OEM
Mike Blackham joined Merit Medical in 2010 and currently leads strategy and operations for Merit’s OEM, Coatings, Spine and Sensors business as Executive Vice President. The OEM business manufactures, markets, designs and sells medical components and devices to medical device manufacturers globally. Mike has been leading OEM since 2013, and has overseen the integration of Merit Medical Coatings, Merit Spine and Merit Sensor into the OEM business channel. The collective OEM business has seen high, single to double digit growth over the past several years and accounts for 15% of Merit’s overall business.
With more than two decades of leadership in business, Mike has been instrumental in Merit’s success. Bringing a strategic approach, building high performing teams, and overseeing record breaking growth to the global OEM division.
He was previously Vice President of Global Trade, where he built a supplier and vendor contracting infrastructure that generated millions in annual savings.
Mike graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Political Science and is fluent in French.
Maggie Hand
VP, OEM Spine
Maggie Hand joined Merit in 2007 and currently serves as Vice President of the OEM Spine Division.
Over the past nine years, she has served in OEM as a Business Development Manager. She continues to help customers translate clinical and technical needs into effective solutions by applying her clinical experience to the development and delivery process. She spent her first decade at Merit working directly with physicians in hospitals as a Sales Representative, supporting Merit’s direct product portfolio. She brings a customer-first perspective to strategy and execution across the spine portfolio.
Maggie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Organizational Communication from Northern Illinois University.
Rick Russell
President, OEM Sensors
Rick Russell joined Merit in 2009 and currently serves as President of the OEM Sensor Division, overseeing Operations, R&D, Sales, and Business Development. Rick and the Sensor team joined the OEM division in late 2024.
He has led the sensor business through continued growth, leveraging deep expertise in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) silicon fabrication—an essential capability underpinning product development and manufacturing. Additionally, Rick serves as a Council Member for Merit Medical’s corporate sustainability program and as an Advisory Board Member for the University of Utah’s Chemical Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering Departments.
Rick studied mathematics and computer science at Eastern Michigan University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University.
Ben Skousen
Director, OEM Engineering
Ben Skousen joined Merit Medical in 2011 and currently serves as the Director of OEM Engineering. He oversees the development of customized medical devices, molded components, and kits for the global OEM customer base. Ben and his team partner cross-functionally with Operations, Regulatory, Quality and the global OEM customers base to develop and deliver qualified medical components and devices.
Ben was promoted to his current role after serving as manager of OEM’s Global Project team. In 2015, he joined the division in project engineering, building on his earlier experience as lead manufacturing engineer for the Medallion syringe line in South Jordan, Utah.
Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Arizona State University, graduating magna cum laude with a focus on medical device design.
Nick Francis
RVP, OEM US Sales
Nick Francis joined Merit Medical in 2012 as a Business Development Sales Manager and was promoted in 2025 to Regional Vice President, U.S. OEM Sales. He leads sales strategy, team development, and customer engagement across the U.S. OEM market. As a business development manager, Nick consistently performed at a high level, developing long-term relationships and business opportunities with his customer base; which have contributed to the growth of the OEM division.
Nick has been a staple of consistency and leadership for nearly 15 years at Merit. Prior to Merit, he led a highly successful sales team in the radio industry.
David W. Johnson
Regional Manager, OEM OUS Sales
Dave Johnson leads Merit Medical’s sales efforts for OEM in EMEA and APAC.
During his 26-year tenure at Merit, his roles have spanned Manufacturing Engineering, Project Engineering, Senior Director of OEM Engineering, and General Manager of Merit’s Coatings division. He has supported sales initiatives from within engineering, led innovation within the Coatings division, and now applies to his deep expertise in a business development capacity and sales role. This diverse experience has given him a comprehensive understanding of both the technical and commercial aspects of the medical device industry.
Using his extensive knowledge of OEM business and customers, Dave leads his sales team in partnering with medical device manufacturers in developing tailored solutions for complex applications.
Dave received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University.
Richard Best
Director, OEM Inside Sales
Richard Best joined Merit Medical in 2001 and currently serves as the Director of OEM Inside Sales. He is the recipient of the 2025 Sales Representative of the Year for the OEM Division. He has been instrumental in developing, creating, and overseeing the Inside Sales platform which has seen double-digit growth over the last two years.
With nearly 25 years of service at Merit, Richard has held progressive roles with increasing responsibility across customer service and OEM business and sales support.
