Smith and Nephew appoints president of orthopaedic reconstruction

Smith & Nephew has announced the appointment of Joseph DeVivo as president of orthopaedic reconstruction at the firm. This appointment will be effective on June 18th 2007, with Mr DeVivo to be based at the headquarters of this business division in Memphis.

Mr DeVivo most recently served as president and chief executive officer of radiofrequency ablation technology company Rita Medical Systems, a company acquired by AngioDynamics last year.

He has also been employed by medical robotics firm Computer Motion, serving as president and chief operating officer of the company in advance of its merger with Intuitive Surgery.

Prior to this job, Mr DeVivo held a number of executive roles at a division of Tyco Healthcare named United States Surgical, including vice president of global marketing and research and development.

David Illingworth, chief operating officer of the company, said: “Joe has tremendous experience in the medical technology industry and his proven track record in managing fast-growing and innovative businesses is an excellent fit for Smith & Nephew.”

He added that following the acquisition of Plus Orthopaedic, the orthopaedics reconstruction unit at the firm is currently at a key stage in its development, with the segment having an increased product portfolio and wider international market.

The acquisition of Plus Orthopaedic gave the company a 12 per cent market share in this sector, making it the fourth-largest orthopaedics firm worldwide.