SafeHeal Appoints Chris Richardson as CEO

SafeHeal, a company specializing in digestive surgery and developer of the Colovac device to eliminate the need for diverting ostomies post colorectal cancer resection, has named Chris Richardson as its new CEO.
 
With over 30 years of experience in the medical device industry, Richardson was most recently president and CEO of structural heart device firm Keystone Heart. Keystone was creator of the first cerebral embolic protection device designed to provide complete coverage to all brain regions for patients undergoing cardiac procedures. Keystone was acquired by Venus Medtech in 2018.
 
Prior to that Richardson was international president and COO of transcatheter aortic valve company Direct Flow Medical and CM of Evalve (MitraClip) before it was acquired by Abbott. He succeeds prior CEO Karl Blohm who will remain as VP interational.
 
“We’re fortunate to have Chris come on board at this stage in SafeHeal’s development,” Antoine Papiernik, chairman and managing partner of Sofinnova Partners, a cornerstone investor and a member of the company’s Board of Directors, told the press. “Chris has the experience and operational track record the company needs right now to execute on its ambitious plan to transform the standard of care for colorectal cancer patients.”
 
SafeHeal announced in April the beginning of its U.S. pivotal study of Colovac (SAFE 2) at potentially 20 U.S. and European sites. Sofinnova Partners co-led a co-led a €40 million financing round of the company with Genesis MedTech in January.
 
“I’m delighted to be joining this talented team,” Richardson said. “It’s an exciting time for SafeHeal, building upon our European clinical success and preparing for EU commercial launch. Colovac has the potential to improve the quality of life for millions of patients around the world and reshape colorectal surgery.”
 
Jay Watkins, chairman of SafeHeal’s board of directors, said Richardson was “the perfect candidate for the CEO role. He has what it takes to bring SafeHeal to the next level—strategy-development skills, integrity, experience building teams, and much more.”