Former Abbott Executive Appointed President of PQ Bypass

PQ Bypass Inc., a medical device company pioneering innovative advancements in the treatment of complex Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), has named Heather Simonsen as its president. With this appointment, PQ Bypass now outperforms 90 percent of health technology companies with regards to women representation at the executive level.¹
 
“With almost 30 years of healthcare experience and a proven track record of success leading organizations in both early- and late-stage ventures, Heather is uniquely qualified to guide the future strategic direction of PQ Bypass,” said Rich Ferrari, PQ Bypass board chairman and CEO. “The board and I are confident that the leadership she has demonstrated at PQ Bypass over the past four years, combined with her extensive knowledge of the peripheral intervention space, will be invaluable as we move into our pre-market stage for not one, but two PMA submissions.”
 
Simonsen has held senior leadership roles for both venture-funded medical technology startups and Fortune 500 companies such as Abbott and Johnson & Johnson. She spent the early part of her career in hospital administration and management consulting with a specialty focus on risk management for healthcare organizations. Her record in effectively and efficiently bringing multiple companies from start-up to liquidity was a key factor in the Board of Directors’ decision.
 
“I am proud and honored to be appointed to the role of president of PQ Bypass, and look forward to further advancing our mission to develop new options for patients with complex PAD,” said Simonsen. “I thank Rich and the board for the opportunity to lead our team.”
 
In addition to her operating roles, Simonsen was one of the founding board members for the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) in San Francisco and also served on the HBA national Board of Directors, as well as the board of the Medical Marketing Association. Currently, she serves on the Founders Board of Advisors for Stanford’s StartX incubation program for entrepreneurial companies focused on changing the future of healthcare. She earned an MBA from Chicago’s DePaul Kellstadt School of Business and completed the Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
 
The company also announced the promotion of two industry veterans into key leadership roles to support Simonsen and the company during the next phase of company growth. Marion Larrea has been appointed vice president of Operations, and Colleen Holthe has been appointed vice president of Clinical Affairs.

“Colleen and Marion have been integral to the success of the company and the significant milestones we achieved this year,” said Simonsen, of the Detour System’s admittance into the prestigious FDA Breakthrough Device Program, and the company’s nearing enrollment completion for both of its IDE studies. “Their leadership and expertise will be vital to the future of PQ Bypass.”
 
PQ Bypass is currently sponsoring two multicenter IDE trials, DETOUR2 and TORUS2, focused on complex SFA disease.

Reference 
¹ Technology: A Call to Action. Ann Biomed Eng 48, 1573–1586 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02478-0