CoNextions Medical CEO Richard J. Linder is Honored by BioUtah with Outstanding Entrepreneurial Spirit Award
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) December 07, 2015 -- CoNextions Medical, Richard J. Linder, co-founder, president and CEO of CoNextions Medical, Inc. (http://www.conextionsmed.com), received from BioUtah, an independent, non-profit trade association that serves the life science industry in the state of Utah, its Outstanding Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for 2015 at its annual Life Science Summit.
Gary R. Herbert, the governor of Utah, presented the award to Linder on behalf of BioUtah after delivering the summit’s keynote address. The award, which BioUtah said it bestows for “taking risk and demonstrating commitment, vision and entrepreneurial spirit” and “accomplishing change by advancing life science innovation,” honors Linder for a lifetime of industry achievements.
Those achievements include Linder’s work as co-founder, director and former chairman of the board of BioUtah and his current leadership of CoNextions, a Sandy, Utah-based medical device company that is pioneering a promising new generation of soft tissue repair technology that is designed to accelerate procedures and subsequent patient recoveries at lower costs compared to traditional suture repairs.
Mr. Linder began his career in the medical device industry in 1991 with Merit Medical Systems. In 1996, Rich co-founded Rubicon Medical, Inc. and served as President and Chief Executive Officer, taking the company public in 2000 and overseeing its acquisition by Boston Scientific in 2005. Following his tenure at Boston Scientific, where Rich served as Vice President of Vascular Protection, he served as President/CEO and a Director of Coherex Medical from 2006 to 2012. Coherex is a company dedicated to the minimally invasive treatment of structural heart disease. Mr. Linder also serves on the board of directors of Vital Access Corporation, a vascular access company.
Governor Herbert was one of several prominent figures who honored the CoNextions executive for his many contributions to Utah’s life science industry during a short video that was presented, to Linder’s surprise, during the summit’s breakfast session.
The video also featured on-camera tributes from Orrin Hatch, the senior U.S. senator for Utah, with whom Linder says he has worked closely for years to advance the interests of life science companies in Utah; Fred Lampropolous, president and CEO of Merit Medical Systems in South Jordan, Utah, with whom Linder began his career in the medical device industry in 1991; and George Hamilton, vice president of business development at Intermountain Healthcare in Murray, Utah, who succeeds Linder as BioUtah chairman of the board.
When asked how he felt as he watched the tribute video play that morning, unexpectedly, Linder said he was “absolutely shocked, humbled and honored” by the “kind words and generous thoughts” spoken about him by the assembled dignitaries. He then proceeded, without hesitation, to divert attention away from himself and toward the work of the teams he had assembled over the years, and his family.
“But I couldn’t do anything without my exceptional colleagues, who make me look good,” he said, “and my loving wife, Marla, who has provided unwavering love and support over the years.”
“This is a remarkable technology,” Linder added, referring to his current company’s CoNextions TR device and procedure, which he pointed to as the preeminent example from his career of the kind of innovative accomplishment for which BioUtah distinguished him with its Outstanding Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
About CoNextions Medical
Founded in 2011, CoNextions Medical, Inc. is a privately held company located in Sandy, Utah. They are an innovation-based medical device company dedicated to achieving safer, stronger and more durable tendon repairs worldwide marked by faster rehabilitation, fewer complications and lower long-term costs.
For additional information about CoNextions Medical or the CoNextions TR, contact Angela Bailey, senior vice president of marketing, at (801) 580-4049 or abailey(at)conextionsmed(dot)com.
Angela Bailey, CoNextions Medical, Inc, http://www.conextionsmed.com, +1 801-580-4049, [email protected]
Share this article