Orthofix International (NSDQ:OFIX) and Echo Therapeutics (OTC:ECTE) are both looking for new operations chiefs, but for different reasons.

Lewisville, Texas-based Orthofix is promoting its COO, Robert Vaters, to be its new president and CEO. Alan Milinazzo, who manned the corner office for six years, will stay on as a member of the company’s board.

Vaters joined Orthofix in 2008, according to a regulatory filing. He was named COO in January.

"Since joining Orthofix as chief financial officer in 2008, Bob has delivered measureable business value in our key business drivers, proving himself a tireless worker and terrific leader through a series of increasingly challenging and successful assignments. The board believes Bob is the right person to lead our company during this next phase of our growth and we’re excited that he has accepted the position of President and CEO,” chairman Jim Gero said in prepared remarks. "We’re also very thankful to Alan for everything he has done for Orthofix over the past 6 years and delighted that he will remain an essential advisor to us as a member of the Board."

Read more Personnel Moves from MassDevice.com

LifeScience Alley taps two for board

LifeScience Alley, a Minnesota life sciences lobby, named two new directors.

Joe Galatowitsch is founder and CEO of Dymedex Consulting LLC. Robert Kieval is founder and chief technology officer of CVRx Inc.

Galatowitsch has more than 25 years of experience in medical and medical device marketing, market development, strategic planning and business management. He spent seven years at Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), most recently as strategic marketing leader. Before his stint at Medtronic, Galatowitsch held various positions in marketing and strategic planning at 3M Co. (NYSE:MMM) for 19 years. Now he runs Dymedex Consulting, a medical technology market development firm.

Kieval has more than 19 years of medical device industry experience. His previous positions include business development director at ProtoStar Inc. — and, like Galatowitsch, Kieval also worked at Medtronic, as divisional medical director. During his tenure at CVR from 2001 to 2006, the company raised more than $60 million in private equity financing.

The two additions to the board follow the departure of two other board members since the beginning of 2011, but are not meant as replacements, according to LifeScience Alley spokesman Ryan Barid. The departed directors are Terry Kerby, strategy vice president at 3M Healthcare, and Andy LaFrence, CFO of CNS Therapeutics.

Echo Therapeutics COO Mitchell is out

Echo Therapeutics, which relocated its headquarters from Franklin, Mass., to Philadelphia early in May, said COO Harry Mitchell is no longer with the company. In a terse, one-line filing with the federal Securities & Exchange Commission, the company said Mitchell’s departure was effective June 13.

The move comes less than a month after Echo, which is developing a skin preparation device to aid transderaml drug delivery and a wireless, transdermal glucose monitor, split Mitchell’s duties and hired Christopher Schnittker to be its CFO.

“Harry has been a key member of the company’s senior management team for over four years. We appreciate Harry’s service and commitment to the company and his assistance in driving the development of Echo’s Prelude SkinPrep System and Symphony tCGM System during that time. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors," Echo president and CEO Dr. Patrick Mooney wrote in an email to MassDevice. "The company’s recent addition of John Garibotto, VP of operations, and Ken Gary, VP of research and development, who together have over 50 years of medical device and diagnostics experience, position the company to continue to move its product development programs forward as planned.”

There’s been a lot change at ECTE this year. Aside from the move to the City of Brotherly Love,
in March Echo announced the addition of John Garibotto as vice president of operations and Kenneth Gary as vice president of research. In February, the company tapped two new board members, William Grieco and James Smith.

Material from MedCity News
was used in this report.