Pete Nicholas, chairman of Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts), last month announced his intention to further reduce his involvement in the management of the company, with an eye toward completing the transition from his executive role by the time of the company's annual meeting next May. He will remain as chairman. Nicholas founded Boston Scientific in 1979 with John Abele. He served as chairman and CEO from 1979 until turning over the CEO responsibilities to Jim Tobin, who joined the company as president and CEO in 1999. "This has been part of the overall succession plan for quite some time, both for myself and the company," said Nicholas. "In 1997, I told our board that I wanted to begin a process of reducing my involvement in the day-to-day management of the company, with an eye toward eventually retiring. In 1999, I turned over those responsibilities to Jim Tobin when he became CEO. The board and I agree that Jim is doing an outstanding job. He has our total confidence, and we are completely comfortable with his managing the company."

Michael Concannon has been named vice president of marketing for InterCure (Princeton, New Jersey). Concannon previously was the vice president of merchandising for drugstore.com. InterCure is a medical technology company developing a new family of non-drug, device-guided breathing treatments for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, including RESPeRATE, a device used in the adjunctive treatment of hypertension.

Kem Hawkins has been promoted from vice president of global sales and marketing to president of Cook Group (Bloomington, Indiana), the holding company for the Cook companies worldwide. Hawkins succeeds Bill Cook, who remains chairman of the board. Cook makes minimally invasive medical device technology for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Arthur Lalone has resigned as senior vice president, finance, for Wilson Greatbatch Technologies (Clarence, New York). Wilson Greatbatch makes power sources and components used in pacemakers and other implantable medical devices and specialty batteries for non-medical applications.