Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> October 26, 2004
RICHARD E. OTTO is President and Chief Executive Officer of CorAutus
Genetics Inc. Mr. Otto has spent the past 35 years in the cardiac
therapy marketplace. As CEO, he reorganized CardioDymanics International
Corporation, located in San Diego, California. A redefinition of the
company's business plan and thoughtful reengineering of the Company's
product offerings led to successful funding and a full NASDAQ relisting
of the Company's stock. Recruiting and directing an experienced
management team and multiple product introductions have made CDIC the
leader in noninvasive measurement of critical cardiac function
parameters. Mr. Otto was a consultant to the founder of WebMD and was
instrumental in significant funding of the predecessor company to WebMD,
Endeavor Technologies. Mr. Otto also served as a consultant to the
Cardiac Rhythm Management division of St. Jude Medical. Mr. Otto's
career includes key management positions with Cardiac Pacemakers Inc.
(now a Guidant company). Mr. Otto was instrumental in the early AICD
clinical trials and strategies. Activities included selection and
recruitment of key clinical centers and investigators, as well as
successful implementation of market strategies and business development.
Mr. Otto also held positions at Intermedics, Inc., Medtronic Inc., and
Eli Lilly and Company. Mr. Otto serves on the Georgia Board of Directors
of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and Leukemia Society. Mr. Otto was
a semifinalist in the 1997 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the
Southern California Region. He received his BS degree in Chemistry from
the University of Georgia. Profile
products.
Mr. Otto: Corautus resulted from the merger of a private company,
Vascular Genetics, of which I was the CEO,
