Hallmark Cards Inc. executive Roderick Sturgeon has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

Sturgeon’s hiring, announced by the Stowers Institute on Monday, comes after an 18-month search. The biosciences facility said Sturgeon will start Feb. 1 and will be responsible for all financial operations.

At Hallmark, Sturgeon was senior vice president for Personal Expression Group Finance. He started at Hallmark in 1974 as a financial analyst and has held various positions. Before assuming his current position and being named a corporate officers in 1993, he was vice president of finance and planning for Hallmark International.

The Stowers Institute is housed in a 600,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Kansas City, Mo., and has plans to expand.