Accellent Inc. named a former leader at Respironics and later Philips Healthcare to be its new president and CEO.

The Wilmington, Mass.-based medical device contract manufacturer said it tapped Donald Spence for the top slot effective May 24, replacing Robert Kirby, who resigned in November 2009 after two years at the helm. Chairman Kenneth Freeman will continue in that role, according to a press release.

Before joining Accellent (PDF), Spence was president of the sleep and home respiratory group of Respironics Inc. when it was acquired by Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG) for $5.1 billion in 2008. That merger created Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, which tapped Spence to be its CEO. He began his career as a financial analyst for the Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) and later put in stints at BOC Group plc (NYSE:BOC) and GKN plc (LON:GKN).