Renee Ryan has been named managing director of the healthcare investment banking team at Baird (Palo Alto, California). Ryan formerly was a managing director in health care investment banking at Jefferies & Co. Baird is an employee-owned, international capital markets, private equity, asset management firm.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC; Washington) said that Jeffrey Schmidt, director of the bureau of competition for the past two-and-a-half years, will leave the FTC, and that David Wales, currently a deputy director, has been named acting director.

Reliant Healthcare Professionals (Denver), operating at Fastaff and U.S. Nursing, reported that Ray Marcy has been named executive chairman, investor, and a member of the board. Marcy most recently was a shareholder and executive chairman of Nursefinders. Fastaff and U.S. Nursing provide nurse staffing services, generally for multiple weeks at a time.

Stereotaxis (St. Louis) has named president/CEO Michael Kaminski to the company's board. Kaminski joined Stereotaxis in April 2002 as its COO. Stereotaxis makes a cardiology instrument control system for the treatment of coronary artery disease and arrhythmias.

Synergetics USA (O'Fallon, Missouri) said that it has accepted the resignation of its president/CEO and chairman, Gregg Scheller. The company said it has begun a search for a successor. Robert Dick has been appointed chairman. Synergetics says it is focused on improving patient outcomes.

Vikram Simha has been named chief technology officer and executive VP of engineering for Vital Images (Minneapolis). Simha most recently was chief technology officer and senior VP of 3D engineering. Vital Images is a provider of advanced visualization and analysis software solutions.

Zimmer Holdings (Warsaw, Indiana) reported that Stuart Essig, an independent director on its board since 2005, has resigned from that position. Essig had served on the board's compensation and management development, audit and corporate governance committees. Zimmmer makes orthopedic reconstructive and surgical products.