Former Boston Scientific CEO Joins Venture Capital Group

BioStar Ventures III, a Michigan-based medical device venture capital fund, has hired medical device industry veteran William H. (Hank) Kucheman as a director. Kucheman recently was the interim CEO of Natick, Mass.-based industry giant Boston Scientific. He will assist BioStar in selecting its portfolio companies.

Before being named CEO in October 2011, Kucheman was executive vice president and president of the Cardiology, Rhythm and Vascular (CRV) Group at Boston Scientific and was responsible for the company’s Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Rhythm Management businesses, and its Endovascular unit, which included the Peripheral Interventions, Neurovascular, Imaging and Electrophysiology businesses.

He joined the company in 1995 as a result of Boston Scientific’s acquisition of SCIMED Life Systems Inc. As senior vice president of marketing for Boston Scientific, Kucheman was responsible for the global marketing functions of the company’s cardiovascular group and corporate marketing functions. He was promoted to senior vice president and group president of the company’s Cardiovascular Group prior to his role in overseeing Boston Scientific’s CRV Group.

“We are extremely excited to have Hank become a director in BioStar Ventures III. While at the helm of Boston Scientific’s Cardiologoy, Rhythm and Vascular Group and later, as CEO, Hank shaped the company’s strategy and directed the acquisition of numerous medical device companies. This strategy has made Boston Scientific one of the most successful medical device companies in the world,” said Louis Cannon, founder and senior managing director of BioStar Ventures, “I have worked with Hank for over 20 years, and know that his addition to our team will continue to push BioStar’s mission of generating returns for our LPs by making a difference in patients’ and physicians’ lives through enhancing frugal medicine in the cardiovascular and medical device space.”

Before joining Boston Scientific, Kucheman held a variety of management positions in sales and marketing for SCIMED, Charter Medical Corporation and Control Data Corporation. He began his career at the United States Air Force Academy Hospital and later was Healthcare Planner, Office of the Surgeon General, for the United States Air Force Medical Service.

Kucheman earned a B.S. and M.B.A. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He serves as a senior advisor or board member to various public and private medical device and healthcare companies.