• Jeffrey Joseph has been named vice president of communications for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (Washington), effective Sept. 6. Joseph is presently vice president of communications and strategic relations at the Consumer Electronics Association. BIO represents biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotech centers and related organizations across the U.S. and 31 other nations.

• Brian Ennis has been appointed executive vice president of Encore (Austin, Texas) and president of the Empi business unit of Encore. Since March, Ennis has served as president of the Empi. Prior to joining Encore, Ennis was president of international at Wright Medical Group. Encore is a diversified orthopedic company.

• Tony Chou, MD, has joined The Vertical Group (Summit, New Jersey), a medical technology venture capital firm, as a partner in its Palo Alto, California, office. Chou is an interventional cardiologist and formerly vice president and general manager of the Abbott Vascular division of Abbott Laboratories. While at Abbott, Chou managed the IDE study, PMA process and the global launch of the StarClose femoral closure device and was a member of the team that executed Abbott Vascular's strategic transactions.