Ascension Orthopedics Appoints Guy Mayer as CEO

Mayer joins the Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of orthopedic implants after more than 30 years of serving in leadership roles at medical device firms.

He most recently served as president of sterile biological implant provider RTI Biologics Inc. in Alachua, Fla., where he completed the integration of Tutogen Medical Inc., a bio-implant manufacturer. Prior to that, Mayer was president and CEO of West Paterson, N.J.-based Tutogen Medical Inc., where he doubled sales from $27 million to $60 million over three years.

Mayer also assumed various executive roles at the now-defunct Cleveland, Ohio-headquartered Picker International, manufacturer of medical imaging equipment; Visen Medical Inc., manufacturer of in vivo image devices in Bedford, Mass.; Etex Corp., the Cambridge, Mass.-based manufacturer of nonocrystalline calcium phosphate-based biomaterials that help repair bone damaged by trauma or disease; and orthopedic device giant Zimmer Inc., based in Warsaw, Ind.

“We are delighted to welcome Guy to Ascension Orthopedics to lead the company,” said Trevor Moody, chairman of the firm. “He brings a proven track record of growing companies and building value for shareholders. We expect that Guy will provide outstanding leadership, enabling Ascension to realize expanding opportunities in the extremity implant market,” he added.

NuVasive Appoints Executive VP, CFO

NuVasive Inc. has appointed Michael Lambert as executive vice president and chief financial officer.The San Diego-based company, which develops products for minimally invasive surgical treatments for the spine, also has made other promotions. Lambert most recently served as chief financial officer of Advanced Medical Optics (purchased by Abbott Park, Ill.-based Abbott Laboratories in February), a medical device company focused on technologies used by eye-care professionals.
NuVasive announced the following promotions, effective Jan. 1, 2010:

• Patrick Miles to president of the Americas• Jeffrey Rydin to executive vice president of sales, Americas• Jason Hannon to executive vice president and general counsel• Takaaki Tanaka to executive vice president of Asia Pacific• Stephan Siemers to executive vice president of Europe

SpineAlign Medical Board Names President, CEO

SpineAlign Medical Inc. in San Jose, Calif., has named Gary L. Grenter as president and CEO.

Grenter

Grenter joins the early-stage company from Issaquah, Wash.-based Spacelabs Healthcare, where he supervised medical device operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to Spacelabs, Grenter was president and CEO of Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Kyphon Inc. (purchased by Medtronic Inc.) and BioElectron (now Biomet Inc., in Warsaw, Ind.). At Kyphon, Grenter led the company from its early growth through its initial public offering in 2002. Before joining Kyphon, Grenter negotiated the sale of Bioelectron to Biomet.

“This is an exciting time to join SpineAlign Medical Inc., and I am delighted for the opportunity to lead it going forward,” said Grenter. “The company has a distinctive product with the potential to address a significant medical need.”

Grenter will succeed Paul Chirico, SpineAlign Medical’s founder, who has served as president and CEO since its inception in 2005. Chirico will continue with SpineAlign as chief technology officer and board member.

SpineAlign develops minimally invasive technology for the spine surgery market. John C. Moran Named CEO at Core Essence Orthopaedics Core Essence Orthopaedics Inc. has tapped John Moran to serve as CEO and board chairman of the Yardley, Pa.-based developer of soft tissue and skeletal repair solutions.

From 1990-1997, Moran founded and served as president of Synthes Spine, a U.S. division of global orthopedic device manufacturing firm Synthes, headquartered in West Chester, Pa.

Since leaving Synthes Spine, Moran has been an active angel investor in the medical device arena and serves on the boards of Power Medical Interventions (purchased by Covidien) in Langhorne, Pa.; and Paradigm Spine in New York, N.Y.

“The addition of John as CEO will greatly benefit the company as it moves from product development to commercialization,” said Zev Scherl, member of Core Essence Orthopaedics’ board of directors. “In his new role as CEO of CE Ortho, he now has a platform to build another highly attractive orthopedic business.”

NeuroMetrix Appoints Chief Financial Officer

NeuroMetrix Inc. has appointed Thomas T. Higgins as senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Higgins formerly was executive vice president and chief financial officer at Hopkinton, Mass.-based Caliper Life Sciences Inc., a provider of technology and services for life sciences research.

Before joining Caliper, Higgins was executive vice president of operations and chief financial officer at Watertown, Mass.-based V.I. Technologies Inc., a biotechnology company focused on blood safety. Higgins directed the financial side of the business, including fund raising, and also was responsible for Vitex’s U.S. Food and Drug Administration-regulated plasma manufacturing business until its divestiture in 2001.

Higgins also worked at Cabot Corp., a global performance materials company in Boston, Mass. He assumed various senior finance and operations roles there.

“Tom’s credentials in finance and accounting plus his operations experience are an excellent fit with our needs,” said Shai N. Gozani, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of NeuroMetrix, based in Waltham, Mass.