AEGEA Medical, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on the development of its patented Adaptive Vapor Ablation technology, a minimally invasive and clinically proven approach for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding, announced today that Maria Sainz has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Don Gurskis, the Company’s CEO since 2013, will remain an integral member of the executive management team.
Most recently, Ms. Sainz was President and CEO of Cardiokinetix, a medical device company that developed a novel treatment for heart failure. Prior to Cardiokinetix, Ms. Sainz was President and CEO of Concentric Medical where she led the commercialization of the company’s MERCI system and successfully negotiated its sale to Stryker Corporation in 2012. Prior to Concentric, Ms. Sainz held various senior management positions at Boston Scientific Corporation and Guidant Corporation including President of the Cardiac Surgery Group and head of Global Marketing for Vascular Interventions. Ms. Sainz serves as a director of several public and private companies and is an Innovation Team Mentor at the Stanford University Biodesign Program.
“Maria is a highly respected industry veteran with an exceptional track record of building and leading strong teams and growing businesses with groundbreaking, PMA-class devices. Maria’s experience and successful record in commercializing medical technologies around the world will be a significant asset as she leads AEGEA into the next phase of its growth,” said Paul Goeld, AEGEA’s Chairman. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, investors and employees, we thank Don Gurskis for his contributions which have created a solid foundation for the company’s future success. We look forward to continuing contributions from Don.”
“I am thrilled to join AEGEA and am truly impressed by the company’s accomplishments. AEGEA’s endometrial ablation system, the first system developed for in-office use, will accelerate the market shift to office-based treatments. The AEGEA Vapor System’s best-in-class safety, simplicity and effectiveness provides physicians and patients with a much-needed new solution,” said Ms. Sainz. “I look forward to working with the AEGEA team to deliver on our mission to improve the quality of lives for millions of women who suffer from this disabling condition.”
“We could not be more pleased with Maria’s addition to the AEGEA team,” said Doug Kelly, MD, of Alloy Ventures, an original investor in the company. “Her leadership and expertise, especially in sales and marketing, will have a big impact on AEGEA’s ability to gain market share as we launch the AEGEA Vapor system.”