Z-MEDICAL Appoints Chief Commercial Officer, Vice President of Sales

Z-Medical LP, a subsidiary of Z-Medical GmbH & Co. KG, a designer, developer, manufacturer, and marketer of implants and surgical instruments, has appointed René Rothacker as chief commercial officer (CCO) and Jim Talbert as vice president of sales, U.S.A.
 
Z-Medical received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance to market the MIS Z-Pedicle Screw System in the first quarter of 2015, and established a U.S. subsidiary later that year to support launch with logistic partner WebOps LCC and GlobalMed Logistix LLC. In the fourth quarter of last year, the company entered into an agreement with InterMed Resources LLC to distribute the MIS Z-Pedicle Screw to HealthTrust’s 1,600 acute care facilities in the United States.
 
Rothacker will report directly to Alexander Henninger, CEO of Z-Medical LP and shareholder of Z-Medical GmbH & Co. KG. Rothacker is responsible for leading the commercialization of Z-Medical’s MIS Z-Pedicle Screw System including sales and product promotion to drive U,S, business growth.
 
He has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and product management in the medical device industry with an expertise in pharmaceutical packaging and spinal implants. Prior to joining the company, he was a consultant for Z-Medical and provided technical expertise and training in support of product development. Prior to this role he worked as product marketing manager at joimax GmbH, a developer and provider of complete systems for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery and as senior product manager at Paradigm Spine GmbH, a developer of non-fusion spinal implant technology. He was responsible for defining product marketing strategies, including preparation of international product launches as well as developing and implementing training programs for sales representatives, global distribution partners and surgeons. From 1999 to 2008, he was employed by Aptar Pharma (former Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH) and was responsible for coordination of international customer projects, product training and support of the global distribution network. In 2002, Rothacker received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and engineering at the University of Cooperative Education at DHBW Stuttgart Campus Horb.
 
In his previous position as director of international business development at Z-Medical, Rothacker was responsible and the main driver in setting up the company’s U.S. operations, including the strategic partnership with WebOps add GlobalMed Logistix, which provide Z-Medical with operational processes, tools and services for the U.S. commercialization of MIS Z-Pedicle Screw System.
 
In this position Rothacker has worked in close cooperation with Talbert, a renowned leader in the orthopedic, neurosurgical, and spine industries and a formidable force in international and regional markets. He formerly was Z-Medical’s U.S. national distributor and supported Z-Medical in its startup phase with his history of success in sales and product promotion as well as his talent for building and maintaining business relationships. Talbert reports to Rothacker.

The strategic partnership with InterMed Resources, which distributes spinal implants manufactured by Z-Medical to HealthTrust Purchasing Group, was initiated by Talbert. Under the agreement, Z-Medical sells its MIS Z-Pedicle Screw System at a contracted price for distribution to HealthTrust member facilities throughout the United States.
 
Talbert has extensive experience in training medical professionals in the proper application of surgical equipment and medical devices and is a driven individual committed to developing professional and personal skills to their greatest potential. He has provided customer care and support to clients such as Amedica Corp., Exactech Inc., Globus Medical Inc., Johnson & Johnson, DePuy Synthes, Medtronic plc, Pfizer, Smith & Nephew plc, Stryker Corporation, Zimmer Biomet, and Zimmer Spine.
 
“We are delighted to have René Rothacker as our CCO and Jim Talbert as vice president of sales USA on board of our U.S. team. Their combined expertise and experience in marketing and sales will drive our business growth in the U.S. to continue the success in our direct markets,” said Alexander Henninger, CEO of Z-Medical LP. “The Innovative Simplicity and high versatility of our MIS Z-Pedicle Screw System can be a game changer, in a technical but also in an economical aspect. It was designed for a straight forward approach and to reduce surgical steps. The preloaded set-screw makes it faster and easier with fewer problems (no cross-threading or tulip splay). The multifunctional system and innovative implant design reduces the OR time, minimizes potential risks and offers a wide range of treatment options.”
 
The MIS Z-Pedicle Screw System with only one instrument tray offers surgeons a solution for their indication specific needs. The high versatility of the system, the pre-sterilized implants as well as the screw design enables them to efficiently and cost effectively address the most common pathologies. It was specifically designed for a minimally-invasive approach but can also be used in open procedures. It is approved for degenerative, trauma, tumor and deformity applications. Alignment after surgical correction of spondylolisthesis, reduction in fracture, and the derotation in scoliosis treatments are achieved directly with the pre-assembled set-screw, the long reduction thread and the especially designed uniplanar fracture and deformity screws.
 
Based and founded in Tuttlingen in 2010, Z-Medical GmbH is a privately financed and privately held medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets implants and surgical instruments ifor spine, hand and foot, and arthroscopic procedures. The company’s U.S. subsidiary was established in Atlanta, Ga.