SANTA ROSA -- The board of directors of TriVascular, Inc. appointed Christopher G. Chavez as chairman, CEO and president, effective immediately.
Mr. Chavez takes over from TriVascular co-founder Michael V. Chobotov, Ph.D., who was appointed chief technology officer and will continue to serve on the company's board.
Mr. Chavez has over 30 years of experience in the medical device industry. For the past six years, Mr. Chavez served as president of the Neuromodulation Division (NMD) of St. Jude Medical.
He joined St. Jude Medical through its acquisition of Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS) in 2005. At ANS, Mr. Chavez served as CEO, president and director leading ANS/NMD for 14 years, Prior to ANS, Mr. Chavez spent 17 years at Johnson &
Johnson.
Mr. Chavez has previously served as chairman of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, chairman of the Dallas/Fort Worth Health Industry Council, and as a board member of Advanced Medical Optics, which was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in 2009.
Mr. Chavez received his MBA from the Harvard Business School and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from New Mexico State University.
“Chris has a proven track record leading high technology, growth-oriented medical device businesses,” Dr. Chobotov said in a statement. “His values and leadership style fit TriVascular’s culture well and we are thrilled to have him join the team. Chris’ decision to join us is a testament to the strength of our technology, team and opportunity. As we prepare for our U.S. commercial launch, we are confident that Chris is the right person to lead TriVascular to rapid growth, further innovation and, ultimately, to a leadership position in endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).”
“TriVascular’s mission and promise are inspiring and motivating,” said Mr . Chavez. “The Company’s innovative, proprietary EVAR solution, Ovation, will save and improve the lives of thousands of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Mike and his highly capable team have conceived and developed a powerful and innovative technology platform with compelling clinical data. I am excited to join TriVascular and help the team fulfill its important mission and lead it through the commercial growth stage of its journey.”
