Sonendo Promotes John McGaugh to Chief Operating Officer as Company Advances Strategic Transformation
Sonendo, Inc. (“Sonendo” or the “Company”) (OTC Pink: SONX), a leading innovator in dental technology and the developer of the GentleWave® System, announced a significant leadership appointment with the promotion of John McGaugh to Chief Operating Officer (COO). The move underscores the company’s focus on strengthening its operational capabilities and advancing its transformation strategy as it works toward sustainable profitability.
McGaugh, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations, has played a pivotal role in Sonendo’s ongoing business reset, driving efficiencies across manufacturing, supply chain, and service operations. With his expanded responsibilities as COO, he will now oversee a broader portfolio, including the company’s capital and consumables sales teams and commercial operations, signaling a more integrated approach between operations and revenue generation.
A Leadership Change at a Critical Juncture
The appointment comes at a crucial moment for Sonendo. In early 2024, the company embarked on a strategic reset, designed to stabilize its financial performance and position the business for long-term growth. The reset included a stronger focus on operational efficiency, disciplined cost management, and optimizing the commercial strategy.
According to President and CEO Bjarne Bergheim, these initiatives are already showing results.
“Since Sonendo embarked on its strategic reset in early 2024, the company has stabilized revenue, generated significant leverage in gross margin, and meaningfully lowered total operating expenses, adjusted EBITDA loss, and cash burn,” Bergheim stated. “John has been a significant contributor to all those improvements, and we expect he will continue to drive additional operating leverage as the company continues to execute its plans to achieve profitability. John is a valuable member of the team, and I am excited to see him take on the role of Chief Operating Officer.”
Bergheim’s comments highlight the critical role of operational leadership in the company’s financial turnaround. McGaugh’s promotion reflects confidence in his ability to align operations and commercial execution as Sonendo seeks to scale its business more effectively.
Who is John McGaugh?
With over two decades of experience in leading global manufacturing and operations, McGaugh brings extensive expertise to Sonendo’s leadership team. He joined the company in May 2023 and quickly made an impact, particularly in streamlining console assembly processes and improving procedure instrument margins.
His career spans multiple leadership roles in the medtech sector, where operational excellence is a key driver of value creation:
- Abbott Vascular: McGaugh served as a multi-site operational leader, overseeing large-scale manufacturing operations and implementing process improvements. Abbott Vascular, a global leader in cardiovascular technologies, provided him with experience managing highly regulated manufacturing environments and scaling complex medical device production.
- Boston Scientific: At Boston Scientific, McGaugh gained exposure to innovation-driven operations in one of the largest and most diversified medical technology companies in the world.
- American Medical Systems: Earlier in his career, McGaugh held leadership positions that helped shape his expertise in process optimization, supply chain integration, and organizational efficiency.
This blend of experiences positions McGaugh as a seasoned operator capable of steering Sonendo through its operational transformation while ensuring the company’s commercial organization is aligned with its growth objectives.
Expanded Responsibilities as COO
In his previous role, McGaugh’s oversight included:
- Quality Assurance – Ensuring Sonendo’s products met the highest regulatory and clinical standards.
- Manufacturing – Leading production processes, including console assembly and instrument development.
- Supply Chain Management – Streamlining sourcing, logistics, and inventory management to reduce costs.
- Technical Services – Overseeing service operations and post-market technical support.
Now, as COO, his role expands to include commercial leadership responsibilities:
- Capital Sales: Driving adoption of the GentleWave® console across dental practices and institutions.
- Consumables Sales: Scaling the recurring revenue model through procedure instruments and other disposable product offerings.
- Commercial Operations: Integrating operations with frontline sales execution to maximize efficiency and ensure consistent customer experiences.
This combined operational and commercial oversight places McGaugh at the center of Sonendo’s execution strategy, aligning product innovation, manufacturing efficiency, and sales growth under a unified leadership structure.
The GentleWave® System and Sonendo’s Market Position
Sonendo is best known for its GentleWave® System, a transformative dental technology platform designed to improve the outcomes of root canal treatments. The system uses advanced fluid dynamics, broad-spectrum acoustic energy, and accelerated chemical reactions to clean and disinfect root canal systems more thoroughly than conventional techniques.
The platform represents a paradigm shift in endodontic care, providing:
- Better Clinical Outcomes – More complete cleaning of root canal systems.
- Patient Benefits – Faster procedures, reduced discomfort, and a higher likelihood of tooth preservation.
- Practice Efficiency – Opportunities for dental practitioners to differentiate their services and improve productivity.
The company’s business model is built on both capital sales (placement of GentleWave consoles) and recurring consumables sales (single-use procedure instruments). This dual-revenue structure allows for scalability and long-term customer engagement.
McGaugh’s expanded responsibilities—especially over commercial operations—will be crucial in accelerating adoption and expanding recurring revenue streams.
Driving Operational and Financial Transformation
Sonendo’s strategic reset has already delivered progress in three key areas:
- Revenue Stabilization – The company has managed to arrest declines in sales and maintain a consistent revenue base despite a competitive environment.
- Gross Margin Improvement – Operational efficiencies have helped reduce costs in manufacturing and supply chain, contributing to stronger margins.
- Expense and Cash Burn Reduction – Sonendo has significantly lowered its operating expenses and reduced adjusted EBITDA losses, improving cash management and financial resilience.
McGaugh’s operational discipline has been central to these improvements, particularly in driving manufacturing efficiencies and enhancing the profitability of consumable products.
What McGaugh’s Promotion Means for Sonendo’s Future
The promotion of McGaugh to COO is more than just a leadership change—it signals Sonendo’s commitment to execution, efficiency, and profitability. By consolidating operational and commercial responsibilities under one executive, the company is aiming for tighter alignment between product delivery, sales execution, and customer satisfaction.
For investors and stakeholders, this appointment suggests that Sonendo is entering a new phase of its reset strategy—shifting from stabilization toward scaling and profitability.
Industry observers will be watching closely to see how the company leverages McGaugh’s operational background to expand GentleWave adoption and grow recurring consumables revenue, while continuing to manage expenses with discipline.
