Thoratec Announces Appointment Of William A. Hawkins To Board Of Directors

PLEASANTON, Calif., Dec. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thoratec Corporation (Nasdaq: THOR), a world leader in device-based mechanical circulatory support therapies to save, support and restore failing hearts, today announced the appointment of William A. Hawkins to its board of directors. 

"Bill brings tremendous skill, leadership, and experience to the Thoratec team, and we are delighted to add him to our board of directors," said Neil F. Dimick, Chairman of Thoratec's board of directors.  Gary F. Burbach, President and CEO, added, "Bill has been a leader in the healthcare industry for over three decades.  We are confident that his industry knowledge, strategic insight, and depth of experience, spanning from technology innovation to market development to broader healthcare policy, will be of great value to Thoratec."

Hawkins currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Immucor, Inc. and as a Senior Advisor to TPG Capital.  Previously, he held a number of senior executive positions at Medtronic, Inc., including the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  Prior to Medtronic, Hawkins was the Chief Executive Officer of Novoste Corporation and held leadership positions at American Home Products, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and Guidant.  Additionally, he has served on a number of corporate and non-profit boards of directors.

"I am excited to join the Thoratec board," said Mr. Hawkins.  "Thoratec has a rich history of innovation and leadership in the mechanical circulatory support industry, and I look forward to participating in the company's mission of driving greater adoption of its therapies, in order to deliver meaningful benefits to patients worldwide."

Mr. Hawkins's appointment will be effective as of January 1, 2012.  His appointment brings the number of the company's directors to nine.

Thoratec is a world leader in therapies to address advanced-stage heart failure. The company's products include the HeartMate LVAS and Thoratec VAD, with more than 18,000 devices implanted in patients suffering from heart failure. Thoratec also manufactures and distributes the CentriMag® and PediMag® / PediVAS® product lines. Thoratec is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.thoratec.com.

Thoratec, the Thoratec logo, HeartMate and HeartMate II are registered trademarks of Thoratec Corporation and IVAD is a trademark of Thoratec Corporation. CentriMag and PediMag are registered trademarks of Thoratec LLC, and PediVAS is a registered trademark of Thoratec Switzerland GmbH.

1 2 Next › Last »