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Altamont Capital Partners hires John Barr to pursue investments in the medical device sector

01.08.18

Altamont Capital Partners hires John Barr to pursue investments in the medical device sector

Palo Alto, California, January 8, 2018 – Altamont Capital Partners (“Altamont”), the San Francisco Bay area‐based private equity firm with over $2 billion under management, announced today that John R. Barr has joined the firm as an Operating Partner. Mr. Barr will partner with the Altamont team to acquire and build market leading companies in the medical device sector.

Mr. Barr is a proven executive with over 25 years of experience running medical device businesses across a diverse range of healthcare verticals. Most recently he was Chief Executive Officer of Surgical Specialties, a leading supplier of wound closure products and surgical knives to major medical device companies. Prior to Surgical Specialties, John was Executive Vice President of Bausch + Lomb’s Global Surgical Business Unit, a manufacturer of equipment and instruments for ophthalmic procedures; President & CEO of AGA Medical, a global provider of minimally invasive medical devices for the treatment of structural heart defects; President & CEO of V.I. Technologies, a leading innovator in pathogen inactivation technologies for transfusion blood products; and President of North American Operations at Haemonetics, a global leader in equipment and disposable products for blood processing. Mr. Barr started his career at Baxter Healthcare.

“We are very excited to welcome John to the team. John’s deep industry experience, operating skillset, and track record of building and leading successful platform companies will help meaningfully broaden our reach across the medical device space,” said Altamont Managing Director Casey Lynch.

Mr. Barr added, “I am excited for the opportunity to partner with the Altamont team and believe there are multiple opportunities across medical device end markets that would benefit from their unique, thoughtful approach and willingness to dive deep to understand complex situations.”

“Medical device companies are a key focus area for Altamont, and our partnership with John demonstrates the firm’s continued interest in investing capital in the space,” added Altamont Principal Melissa Francis. “We believe the combination of John’s industry and operational knowledge and Altamont’s expertise in healthcare investing, with a focus on transitioning family- and founder-owned businesses and corporate carve out transactions, make us a unique potential partner for businesses in the space.”