CVRx Gains Two New Board Members

CVRx Inc. has appointed Kevin Ballinger and Mitch Hill to its Board of Directors, and bid farewell to long-serving board member Ali Behbahani. The board now consists of seven members.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin and Mitch to our Board of Directors,” CVRx President/CEO Kevin Hykes said. “Their extensive experience in the medical device industry, coupled with their strong track records driving growth and innovation, will be invaluable as we continue to expand the adoption of our Barostim therapy. Kevin’s deep understanding of interventional cardiology and Mitch’s financial acumen in high-growth healthcare companies align perfectly with our strategic goals.”
 
Ballinger has more than 25 years of experience in the medical device industry, most recently serving as CEO of Aldevron LLC, where he successfully led the company through a period of rapid growth and its subsequent acquisition by Danaher Corporation. Prior to that, he spent more than two decades at Boston Scientific Corporation in various leadership roles, including executive vice president and global president of Interventional Cardiology. Ballinger’s expertise spans product development, global commercialization, and strategic planning in the cardiovascular space. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Silk Road Medical Inc., and, prior to its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson earlier this year, served on the board of Shockwave Medical Inc.
 
Hill joins the board with more than 30 years of financial and operational experience in the healthcare and technology sectors. He is retiring as the chief financial officer of Inari Medical Inc., effective Oct. 1, having led the company through its initial public offering and a period of significant growth. Prior to Inari, Hill held executive positions at Cameron Health Inc. and Visiogen Inc., both of which were acquired during his tenure. Hill also held leadership roles at Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Development Co.
 
Behbahani, general partner of New Enterprise Associates, has served on the board since 2013. “On behalf of CVRx and the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Ali for his tireless support of the company throughout much of our long history. His expertise and dedication have been instrumental in the development and commercialization of Barostim therapy, which has had a positive impact on thousands of patients suffering from heart failure,” Hykes stated.
 
CVRx developed and commercializes the Barostim System, the first medical technology approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that uses neuromodulation to improve heart failure symptoms. Barostim is an implantable device that delivers electrical pulses to baroreceptors located in the carotid artery wall. Baroreceptors activate the body’s baroreflex, which in turn triggers an autonomic response to the heart. The therapy is designed to restore balance to the autonomic nervous system and thereby reduce heart failure symptoms. Barostim received FDA Breakthrough Device designation and is FDA-approved for use in heart failure patients in the United States. It has also received the CE Mark for heart failure and resistant hypertension.