Hykes already has familiarity with the Minneapolis-based neurostimulation technology developer, having joined its board in December 2022. He will continue to serve on the board, with CEO Nadim Yared set to retire from the company and resign his board seat.
Yared agreed to consult with the company to ensure a seamless transition as Hykes takes over the corner office.
“I am excited to be stepping into the role of CEO after over a year as an independent board member. I have spent the last 32 years commercializing disruptive medical devices like Barostim with the goal of bringing them to standard of care and making a difference in patient’s lives,” said Hykes. “The team has done a tremendous job demonstrating a strong clinical benefit and driving commercial adoption of Barostim, and has generated a significant amount of momentum up to this point.
“My goal is to leverage this momentum and to continue to build the organization to drive and support further commercial success.”
About new CVRx President and CEO Kevin Hykes
Hykes joins CVRx with 30 years of experience commercializing novel therapies, including several years as a president and CEO. He currently serves as president and CEO of Augmedics, a role he took on in January 2022. Before that, Hykes held the president and CEO posts at Bardy Diagnostics.
Additionally, Hykes spent time as president and CEO of Relievant Medsystems, a spinal cord stimulation company. He was also an operating partner at Versant Ventures, chair and CEO at Metavention, CEO of Cameron Health and CCO of Visiogen. Hykes spent 16 years at Medtronic as well, working across cardiac rhythm management, neurostimulation and cardiac surgery.
“We are thrilled that Kevin chose to be a candidate as part of our deliberate search and that he will become the next president and CEO to lead CVRx during this critical period of the company’s growth,” said Ali Behbahani, chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. “His considerable experience and proven track record of success in driving the adoption of medical devices, in combination with his knowledge of CVRx, make him an excellent fit.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Kevin in his new capacity as we continue to expand commercial adoption of Barostim and positively impact the lives of patients suffering from heart failure.”
