Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> August 3, 2000
D. KEITH GROSSMAN joined Thoratec Corporation as President and Chief
Executive Officer in January 1996 and was elected to the Board of
Directors one month later. In this role, Mr. Grossman sets and leads the
strategic and operating direction for the company, including Thoratec's
medical devices for circulatory support, vascular grafts and blood
coagulation testing. Some of his most notable, recent initiatives
include the successful conclusion of the Thoratec ' Thermo Cardiosystems
merger and seeing the REMATCH clinical trial through conclusion to FDA
market launch of the HeartMate as a permanent implant, called
Destination Therapy. During his tenure at Thoratec, the company has
grown from 35 employees and $3 million in sales, to its current position
of approximately 700 employees, $130.8 million in sales and profitable
operations. Mr. Grossman brings extensive business, sales and marketing
experience to Thoratec, helping to create the company's position as a
world leader in cardiac and vascular disease technology. He was recently
named one of the '10 Hotshots of 2003' by Contra Costa Times, an honor
given to rising stars in various industries who are likely to have a big
impact on the local and state economic landscape for the year and
beyond. Prior to joining Thoratec, Mr. Grossman was a Division President
of Major Pharmaceuticals, Inc., from June 1992 to September 1995, at
which time it was sold. Previously, Mr. Grossman served as the 1988-1992
Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Calcitek, Inc., a manufacturer
of implantable medical devices, and division of Sulzermedica (formerly
Intermedics, Inc.). Prior to 1988, Mr. Grossman held various sales and
marketing management positions within the McGaw Laboratories Division of
American Hospital Supply Corporation. Mr. Grossman has a Bachelor of
Science degree in Life Sciences from Ohio State University and a
Master's in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, and is a
current member of the Board of Advisors to the College of Business at
San Francisco State University. Profile
company as it stands today?
Mr. Grossman: Thoratec was founded in 1976 on the work it was doing in
the area of artificial
