05.17.10
Tegra Medical Names President as CEO
Tegra Medical, which provides precision contract manufacturing and assembly services, has given company President Bob Roche the title of CEO as well, according to the firm. Gerald Ma-zzenga, former CEO, will become director and chief technical officer of the Franklin, Mass.-based company.
Roche joined New England Precision Grinding (Holliston, Mass.) in 2003 as general manager and served as vice president and chief operating officer from 2004-2008. He was involved in the acquisition of American Medical Instruments, the merger with Accu-Met Laser Inc. and the selection of Riverside Partners LLC as an equity investor in 2007. He also led the site selection process of Tegra’s new 81,000-square-foot headquarters facility and the rebranding of the three companies as Tegra Medical.
Previously, Roche served as chief operations officer of Graycer Screw Products Company and Graycer Fabricating & Design Inc. in Bellingham, Mass., manufacturers of precision machined and sheet metal components for medical, laboratory, automation and commercial segments. Earlier in his career, he held positions in materials, operations and distribution management with Pharmacia NuTech, Haemonetics Corp. and Zymark Corp.
“Bob is a tireless performer, always working in the best interest of customers and employees alike,” said Mazzenga. “We have worked closely together for seven years, and the time is right to transition the CEO position to Bob. I will continue to provide counsel and participate on the board of directors, but I will have more time to engage in technology assessment and development at Tegra where my true passion resides.”
Watts Joins Minnetronix as Software Engineering Director
James Watts has joined Minnetronix Inc., a medical device design and manufacturing firm, as director of software engineering, according to the St. Paul, Minn., firm.
Watts has more than 22 years experience in the software engineering field focusing on the medical device and defense industries. He joined Minnetronix 14 years ago as its first software engineer, leading the company’s software effort on a perfusion system and laying the foundation for the software development process, company officials said.
Previously, Watts served as a software engineer at 3M, where he was involved in the design of numerous medical devices, including a perfusion system, arthroscopy pump and a centrifugal blood pump.
“We’re looking forward to leveraging Jim’s leadership and innovative style, as well as his technical excellence, to take our team to an even greater performance level. We’re excited to further enhance and expand our software development capabilities,” said Dirk Smith, Minnetronix co-founder and vice president of engineering.
Blanche Promoted at Guill Tool & Engineering
Stephen Blanche has been promoted to Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Inc.’s sales manager for New England, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Previously, he served as national sales representative manager.
With more than 30 years of experience in sales and operations management, Blanche most recently was president of ETCO Cord Products, an electrical terminal manufacturer based in Warwick, R.I. Earlier in his career, he was involved with technical education at secondary and post-secondary level schools.
Blanche has experience with Phillip Crosby Principles of Quality Management and holds six patents for electrical terminal products, company officials said.
“Steve Blanche’s years of service at Guill, combined with his thorough understanding of our product lines, makes him the ideal candidate to help focus our new business efforts in New England and the Northeast corridor areas. This territory demands more intensive sales efforts because it’s our home region,” said Glen Guille-mette, Guill Tool president.
Guill Tool & Engineering is a Warwick, R.I.-based designer and manufacturer of extrusion tooling.
Cordis Corp. Names Worldwide VP, Medical Affairs
Christian Spaulding, M.D., Ph.D., has been named worldwide vice president of medical affairs for Cordis Corp., a Johnson & Johnson firm that manufactures interventional vascular technology, according to the Bridgewater, N.J., company.
Spaulding, who will assume his role June 1, will be responsible for leading the company’s global clinical strategy.
He most recently served as director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Cochin Hospital and professor of medicine at René Descartes University, both in Paris, France. He is a fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology and has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Spaulding also has served as principal investigator in international trials of devices.
“He [Spaulding] brings a wealth of experience both in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and in clinical research. His passion for teaching has made him a valued educator around the world. He and his global team will ensure our clinical strategies are aligned with patient and physician needs,” said Campbell Rogers, M.D., Cordis’ chief scientific officer and global head of research and development.
Invuity Appoints CEO
Invuity Inc., a company that focuses on surgical lighting, has appointed Philip Sawyer as CEO. Kenneth Trauner, M.D., co-founder and former CEO, will transition to the positions of chief scientific officer and board chairman.
Sawyer brings to Invuity more than 20 years of senior management experience in the medical device sector. He has served as co-founder and CEO of Fusion Medical Technologies Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., a surgical sealants company that was acquired by Baxter International Inc.
Invuity develops illuminated surgical instruments that allow surgeons to direct uniform, efficient and targeted light within a surgical site, according to the San Francisco, Calif.-based company.
“Phil is an ideal pick for Invuity’s chief executive, as he has the proven ability to lead high-growth medical device companies,” said Dana Mead, an Invuity board member and a partner at investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. “His experience and strategic leadership skills will be important assets for the company moving forward, as it seeks to take advantage of key business opportunities.”
Owens & Minor Inc. Names VP, Corporate Development
Owens & Minor Inc., a Richmond, Va.-based distributor of medical and surgical supplies to the acute-care market and a healthcare supplychain management company, has named Robert Snead as operating vice president, corporate development. Snead will lead the company’s corporate development efforts, evaluating potential acquisitions and strategic partnerships.
Prior to joining Owens & Minor, Snead served as a director in Barclays Capital Inc.’s global mergers and acquisitions group in New York City. He joined Barclays Capital through its acquisition assets of Lehman Brothers, a company he began working for in 2004.
Before joining Lehman Brothers, Snead was an associate and an analyst for the corporate finance consulting firm Stern Stewart & Co. in New York City and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
“Robert’s expertise in healthcare investment banking brings a new perspective to developing our strategic initiatives, all of which are aimed at expanding our presence in the healthcare market,” said James Bierman, Owens & Minor’s senior vice president and chief financial officer.
Bacchus Vascular Exec Joins Novasys as President, CEO
Scott Cramer has joined Novasys Medical Inc. as president and CEO, according to the Newark, Calif., firm.
Cramer has more than 20 years of experience in general management, sales and sales management with medical device companies, according to the company. Prior to joining Novasys, he was president and CEO of Bacchus Vascular Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif., a company focusing on the treatment of peripheral vascular disease.
Cramer negotiated the sale of Bacchus to Covidien plc in 2009. Previously, Cramer served as senior vice president of U.S. sales and account services for San Jose, Calif.-headquarteredVNUS Medical Technologies, a provider of medical devices and procedures for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease. He joinedVNUS in October 2000 as vice president of North American sales. “We are very pleased to have someone with Scott’s experience lead Novasys as it enters a stage of growth,” said C. Raymond Larkin, Novasys’ board chairman.
Damian P. “Pat” Alagia III, M.D., has been named medical director and vice president of medical affairs. Alagia is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Alagia also was the founding program director for the minimally invasive surgery program at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.