Creganna-Tactx Medical has announced today that Robert B. Hance will join the company as Chief Executive Officer in September 2013, taking over the role from Helen Ryan who has held the position for the last eight years.
Robert “Chip” Hance has extensive experience in the medical device sector with more than 23 years at Abbott Laboratories, most recently as President of Abbott Vascular. Over a four year period at Abbott Vascular, Hance led a 9,000 person organisation through a period of significant sales growth from $1.7bn in 2007 to $3.3bn in 2011, to command global market leadership in the drug eluting stent market.
Scott R. Ward, Creganna-Tactx Medical’s Chairman, said that the company’s Board unanimously selected Mr Hance based on his extensive experience within the medical device industry. “Mr. Hance has an outstanding track record as a leader who delivers high quality innovative medical device products to achieve exceptional business growth.”
Mr Ward added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Helen for the leadership and strong customer focus she has shown in her role as Chief Executive. Thanks to Helen’s commitment and vision, Creganna-Tactx Medical has a strong and solid future as a leader in delivering medical technology solutions.”
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Chip Hance said: “I’ve come to know Creganna-Tactx Medical for pioneering technology, a passion to serve its customers around the globe, and most importantly, a capable, exceptional staff. I look forward to working with the team to build on the foundation that has been established and extend its leadership by working closely with our customers. I am committed to Creganna-Tactx Medical’s vision to be a leading global medical technology company.”
Helen Ryan, who will take up a new board role as non-executive director, said she is proud of the company’s achievement. “In my eight years as CEO, I have had the pleasure of working with a committed organisation and together we have grown the company into a leader in our field with a reputation for quality and service. I would like to wish Chip every success for when he joins in September.”
About Creganna-Tactx Medical
Creganna-Tactx Medical is ranked among the Top 10 global companies in the medical device outsourcing industry. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of minimally & less invasive delivery and access devices for a range of therapies. Serving over 400 companies across 30 countries, Creganna-Tactx Medical’s customers include the world’s leading medical device and lifescience companies. Headquartered in Galway, Ireland, Creganna-Tactx Medical has a global operational footprint with design and manufacturing facilities spanning the US, Europe and Asia.
Mr Robert “Chip” Hance
Robert “Chip” Hance is a leading healthcare executive with more than 23 years of global medical device management experience. Currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at the FDA, he was most recently President of Abbott Vascular, the cardiovascular device division of Abbott.
Over four years at Abbott Vascular, Hance led the 9,000 person fully-integrated organization to global leadership in the drug-eluting stent market through exemplary launches of Xience in the U.S., Japan and China, during which time sales nearly doubled to reach $3.3 billion.
Prior to joining Abbott in 1989, Hance was an associate fellow at Harvard Business School and a product development engineer at Procter & Gamble. He earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Ms Helen Ryan
Helen Ryan is the Chief Executive Officer of Creganna-Tactx Medical, a global supplier to the medical device industry, specializing in products and services for minimally invasive device solutions.She has over twenty years medical device industry experience across a large range of medical areas including vascular, airway, surgical and urology. Prior to joining Creganna-Tactx in 2003, she worked with Medtronic and Tyco Healthcare (Covidien) in Product Development and R&D functional management roles.
Helen has a Bachelor of Engineering and a Masters in Project Management and has completed a Senior Executive Programme at Stanford University. Helen is a fellow of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland and a past Chair of the Irish Medical Device Association.
