CardioKinetix Nabs Former Stryker Executive as New CEO

Twenty year medical device industry veteran Maria Sainz has been appointed to the post of president and CEO of CardioKinetix Inc. Sainz previously was general manager of Concentric Medical, a business unit of Stryker Neurovascular.

Armed with a master’s degree in languages from University Complutense in Madrid, Spain, and a master’s in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Ariz., Sainz started her career in sales and marketing in European operations for Guidant Corp. In 1998, she served as vice president of the Intermedics Cardiac Rhythm Management business of Guidant in Europe after its acquisition of Intermedics. In 2001, she was promoted to vice president of global marketing for the company’s Vascular Intervention division, until 2003 when she became president of the Cardiac Surgery division. It was in 2006 that Sainz joined Concentric, where she was president, CEO and a member of the board. When Stryker acquired Concentric in October of last year, she then became general manager.

“CardioKinetix is at an exciting time as we prepare for commercialization of the first-of-its-kind Parachute ventricular partitioning device in Europe and begin the randomized pivotal trial of the therapy in the United States,” said Sainz. “I feel fortunate to be part of bringing this innovative technology to heart failure patients around the world. There is a significant unmet need for new treatments for these patients, who suffer from debilitating symptoms and are in need of additional options for improving their quality of life.”

Based in Menlo Park, Calif., CardioKinetix produces the catheter-based Parachute ventricular partitioning device for heart failure. Privately held, the company is backed by SV Life Sciences, New Leaf Venture Partners, U.S. Venture Partners, Panorama Capital, and H&Q Healthcare Investors.