Endoscopy Company Medigus Names New CEO

Medigus Ltd., an endoscopy technology company based in Omer, Israel, has appointed Christopher Rowland as its new CEO.

Rowland, who has served as a director of Medigus since March 2013, will replace Elazar Sonnenschein, Ph.D., one of the founders of the company. The appointment, approved by the board of directors, is subject to approval by the company’s shareholders who will convene within approximately one month.

Sonnenschein will assume the role of global chief operating officer (COO) and will assist in Rowland’s transition. In his role as global COO, Sonnenschein will be responsible for operations, manufacturing and research and development.

“Chris possesses deep knowledge, expertise and rich experience in leading medical device companies to commercial and financial success,” said company Chairman Nissim Darvish, M.D., D.Sc., or Rowland. “As we expand globally and enhance our sales and marketing infrastructure, we believe that his experience will take us to the next phase in our development—the introduction of our flagship product, the SRS, both in our U.S. target market, in Europe, and globally, positioning the company as a world leader in the field of minimally-invasive procedures for gastroenterology and other surgical procedures.”

“Chris’s appointment strengthens our management team and I look forward to working with him and under his leadership in support of our commercial and clinical objectives, as well as our vision of becoming a standard-setter in the field of surgical endoscopy,” added Sonnenschein.

“Medigus offers advanced technological solutions, wonderful talent and a robust infrastructure for future growth,” said Rowland. “These competitive advantages will support our vision to become an innovative market leader in the minimally invasive medical markets. Our goal is to establish the SRS system as an alternative to more invasive surgical procedures and continue to build Medigus as a global innovative company in the field of endoscopy and gastroenterology. I thank the Board for their confidence and support, and look forward to working with Elazar and his team.”

The SRS system allows treatment of chronic reflux by means of a one-time endoscopic procedure, which restores the patient’s health and quality of life. The system is approved for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; CE marked for sale in the European Union; and has received Canadian approval. Medigus is in the preliminary stages of marketing the system in the United States and Europe.

Rowland has 24 years of experience in the life sciences market, specifically in the medical device and non-invasive medicine sectors. During his career he has held senior executive positions in the United States and overseas in both public and private companies, ranging from large multi-national corporations to small innovative companies. Between 2006 and 2009, he served as president of the Americas at Given Imaging, and was also a member of the company’s executive committee. During his tenure, Given Imaging revenues in the United States doubled and operating profit increased. Prior to his position at Given Imaging, Rowland served 17 years in positions of increasing responsibility at the Boston Scientific Corporation, including country manager for Israel and global vice president of marketing for the Endoscopy division. Most recently, he served as CEO of NeoTract Inc. and president of IntraPace Inc.