Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced that Paul LaViolette, the company’s board chair, will step down from his position.
LaViolette, who has served as the chair of the board since 2013, will step down as chair later this month and intends to leave the board before the end of the year due to other professional commitments. According to a news release, the board intends to appoint David Milne, an existing board member, as the company’s chair after LaViolette steps down.
“It has been a remarkable journey being a part of this organization over the last 8 years and I have valued my time spent on the board,” LaViolette said in the release. “The company has evolved multiple times and is now in a position to revolutionize the way surgery is being performed. I’m confident the team will deliver on the promise of Performance-Guided Surgery through the continued development of Senhance. I wish David, Anthony, and the rest of the organization the best.”
LaViolette will work closely with Milne to ensure a smooth transition, the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based robotic surgery technology developer said.
“We are very excited that David has agreed to succeed Paul as chair of our board. David has a deep understanding of the Asensus business strategy and our potential to revolutionize digital surgery as well as an established track record of successfully leading growth initiatives within medical technology companies. I look forward to working closely with David moving forward,” Asensus Surgical president & CEO Anthony Fernando said. “On behalf of the whole organization, I want to thank Paul for his thoughtful leadership. During his tenure as Chair, we became a public company, completed two strategic acquisitions and reset the strategic direction of the Company, culminating with our rebranding as Asensus Surgical. We greatly appreciate his guidance over the years and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.’’
Milne has served on the board since 2013 and currently operates a consulting practice focusing on high-growth companies in the medical device and healthcare industries. He previously served as managing partner, leading the medical technology practice at SV Healthcare Ventures for 13 years. Before that, eh spent over 20 years as an operating executive at a number of medtech companies, including Boston Scientific, BD and SCIMED Life Systems.
“I am honored to be named Chair of the Board at Asensus during this critical time in its market development and commercialization efforts,” Milne said. “I have been highly engaged with the company for many years and truly believe Asensus Surgical’s technology is very well placed to usher in a new era of digital surgery for surgeons, hospitals and patients.’’