Cardiovascular Dynamics Founder Returns

Cardiovascular Dynamics Inc.’s founder and chairman Michael Henson is back as chief executive officer.

The Irvine biomedical company said Henson succeeds Jeffrey O’Donnell, who was named chief executive about six months ago. O’Donnell said he is moving back to the Philadelphia area for family reasons and plans to start his own medical-device company.

O’Donnell, who will remain a director, joined the company in November 1995. He became president and chief operating officer in June 1997, and was named chief executive in June.

Henson, who started Cardiovascular Dynamics six years ago, previously served as its chief executive until March of this year.

Last year, he also became chief executive of its offspring company--Radiance Medical Systems. In October, Cardiovascular announced that it was buying back the firm in a deal expected to be completed by early February.

Henson said that when O’Donnell announced his resignation, the company’s directors decided to hire him back. The two men have known each other for ten years. “I hate to see him leaving,” Henson said.