WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Nov. 21, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viking Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:VKNG), a leading worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of 3D and 2D visualization solutions for complex minimally invasive surgery, has appointed Andrew J. Zappas to the position of Vice President, U.S. Sales. Reporting to Jed Kennedy, President and CEO, Mr. Zappas will assume direct responsibility for sales of Viking's 3DHD Vision Systems product line in the United States.
From 1977 to 2006, Mr. Zappas held a variety of sales and sales management positions with medical device manufactures, including Baxter, Inc., Spacelabs Corporation, Cabot Medical, Circon/ACMI, and Gyrus Medical. The majority of this time he was involved with medical capital equipment sales, with emphasis on visualization. From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Zappas was president and CEO of the US operations of Gyrus/ACMI, which represented over half of the company's global sales. Gyrus, a minimally invasive surgical device company with annual sales at the time of approximately $350 million, was acquired by Olympus Corporation in 2008 for approximately $2 billion.
Mr. Zappas' most recent assignment has been as a consultant to Viking Systems regarding the restructuring of its US sales operations. During the past 4 months he was the architect of the changes announced by the Company in its September 22, 2011 press release in this regard. Mr. Zappas continued in his capacity as a consultant until joining the Company as Vice President, U.S. Sales.
Mr. Zappas holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Temple University in Marketing and Finance. After college he entered the United States Air Force where he was a T-38 instructor pilot.
Jed Kennedy, Viking Systems' President and CEO said, "We are extremely pleased to announce the hiring of Andy as a key addition to our management team. Andy's wide range of experience and his contacts with the medical distribution community will serve us well. We are also mindful that his desire to join Viking after a thorough review as a consultant of both our product roadmap and our sales strategy is an added vote of confidence in the plan that we are executing."
Mr. Zappas commented, "During my career I have been involved with the introduction of several new medical technologies including surgical vision systems. I have had an opportunity to evaluate Viking's 3DHD Vision System and present and discuss it with surgeons, distributors and hospital administrators. Based on my previous experience and the reaction I have seen to Viking's technology, I am very excited to join Viking Systems and help drive market adoption of this cutting edge technology."
About Viking Systems, Inc.
Viking Systems, Inc., is a leading worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of 3D and 2D visualization solutions for complex minimally invasive surgery. It markets and sells the only stand alone, FDA cleared, cost-effective 3D system for use in minimally invasive surgery. Viking partners with medical device companies and healthcare facilities to provide surgeons with proprietary visualization systems enabling minimally invasive surgical procedures, which reduce patient trauma and recovery time. Viking, through its OEM business, also manufactures and assembles 3-D and 2-D cameras and components for several leading medical instrument companies worldwide. For more information, please visit our website at www.vikingsystems.com.
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