01.28.15
JenaValve Technology Inc. has named medical device veteran and JenaValve chairman of the board, Jan Keltjens, as interim CEO and executive chairman. He replaces David J. Drachman, who resigned from the company for non-business related personal reasons. Keltjens will assume the role effective immediately and until a permanent replacement for Drachman is hired.
Keltjens has a strong track record in the medical device sector and more than 30 years of management experience. In addition to his position as chairman of the board, which he assumed in October, he currently holds a number of non-executive board roles. He most recently served as CEO of Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation (acquired by Medtronic in August 2014).
“I would like to thank Dave Drachman for his many valuable contributions to JenaValve over the past six months,” said Keltjens. “It is unfortunate that his personal circumstances led him to resign his position. We sincerely wish Dave all the best for his future. As interim CEO, I will work closely with the leadership team to ensure that we maintain momentum and continue to drive our company forward while we search for a new U.S.-based chief executive. In the past six months, we have made great progress in finalizing the design and testing of our next generation pericardial valve platform. Moreover, we have worked closely with the regulatory agencies in both the United States and the European Union to define clear clinical and regulatory pathways. I am confident in our future based on great technology, strong teams in Munich and Irvine and the TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implant) market being one of the fastest growth opportunities in medical devices as well as unwavering support from our board and shareholders.”
JenaValve Technology, based in Munich, Germany and Irvine, Calif., develops, makes TAVI systems to treat patients suffering from aortic valve disease.
Keltjens has a strong track record in the medical device sector and more than 30 years of management experience. In addition to his position as chairman of the board, which he assumed in October, he currently holds a number of non-executive board roles. He most recently served as CEO of Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation (acquired by Medtronic in August 2014).
“I would like to thank Dave Drachman for his many valuable contributions to JenaValve over the past six months,” said Keltjens. “It is unfortunate that his personal circumstances led him to resign his position. We sincerely wish Dave all the best for his future. As interim CEO, I will work closely with the leadership team to ensure that we maintain momentum and continue to drive our company forward while we search for a new U.S.-based chief executive. In the past six months, we have made great progress in finalizing the design and testing of our next generation pericardial valve platform. Moreover, we have worked closely with the regulatory agencies in both the United States and the European Union to define clear clinical and regulatory pathways. I am confident in our future based on great technology, strong teams in Munich and Irvine and the TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implant) market being one of the fastest growth opportunities in medical devices as well as unwavering support from our board and shareholders.”
JenaValve Technology, based in Munich, Germany and Irvine, Calif., develops, makes TAVI systems to treat patients suffering from aortic valve disease.