Augmedics, a developer of augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation, has appointed Paul Ziegler as its new president and chief executive officer. Interim CEO Gwen Watanabe will move from her position and serve as vice chair of the company’s board.

Ziegler is a 20-year medical device veteran with a track record in commercial and operational disciplines while scaling high-growth companies. He had a five-year tenure at ViewRay, culminating in service as the company’s president and CEO.

Before ViewRay, Ziegler worked in VP roles at TransEnterix (now Asensus Surgical) and Intuitive Surgical.

He begins leading Augmedics as the company enters a new commercial growth phase. In November, the company celebrated a new milestone of 100 patients treated in a single week, as well as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for a new CT-Fluoro registration for the xvision Spine System that expands navigation access for spine surgeons.

“I am thrilled to join the Augmedics team and build on the foundation they’ve established as the leading spine-based AR platform on the market,” said Ziegler. “I am excited and honored to lead the company through this next phase of growth as we capitalize on the game-changing potential of xvision to make spine surgery safer, simpler, and more reproducible.”

The xvision Spine System allows surgeons to see patients’ anatomy as if they have “x-ray vision” and accurately navigate instruments and implants during spine procedures.

“We thank Gwen for her outstanding leadership during what is shaping up to be a terrific year,” added Augmedics Chairman of the Board Rick Anderson. “In Paul, we’ve found a dynamic leader with incredible energy and all the qualities needed to take Augmedics to the next level as we continue to advance our world-class AR surgical navigation offerings.”