Jan Keltjens, an executive with more than 20 years of successful medical industry leadership experience, will become president and CEO of AngioDynamics Inc. March 1, replacing Eamonn Hobbs, a co-founder of AngioDynamics who has led the company for the past 21 years.

Hobbs will become vice chairman of the board of directors, and was quick to praise Keltjens and clarify his own role with Keltjens taking his former position.

“Jan Keltjens brings to our company a comprehensive understanding of our current markets, and during his career has even managed an angiographic catheter product line,” Hobbs said. “I look forward to working with Jan on a smooth transition of the CEO’s responsibilities, as well as refining my ongoing role with the company in the development of markets for IRE technology.”

Keltjens comes to AngioDynamics (angiodynamics.com) after serving as president and CEO of CryoCath Technologies Inc. since early 2007. The Montreal, Quebec-based medical technology company manufactures cryotherapy products for treating cardiac arrhythmias and was recently acquired by Medtronic Inc.

Before CryoCath he served in various leadership positions at Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson company, including his last position as worldwide general manager of Cordis Neurovascular. He first joined Cordis in 1995 as vice president and managing director responsible for international manufacturing and distribution operations, as well as research and development. Before joining Cordis, Keltjens led research and development departments at Unilever and was managing director of a group of small high tech companies.

Keltjens said: “The company’s IRE technology has the potential to become a game-changing technology addressing significant unmet clinical needs in the oncology field, and I believe there are many more opportunities to consistently grow the access, peripheral vascular and oncology businesses. At the same time, a strong balance sheet presents more opportunities for growth through carefully targeted and well executed acquisitions.”

Keltjens was born and reared in The Netherlands. He holds a masters degree in physics, with a specialty in low-temperature physics from the University of Eindhoven.

AngioDynamics’ Chairman of the Board Vincent Bucci said: “Jan’s appointment is the culmination of an extensive search for the best candidate to build on the successes of Eamonn’s founding leadership and take us to the next level in the company’s growth and development.

“Eamonn built AngioDynamics into a $200-million enterprise, and we believe Jan is the right person to take us to the half billion dollar revenue level and beyond. Jan brings to the company extensive global operating and managerial experience, as well as very strong industry background and a continuous track record of success.