HeartWare names Mark Strong (MS'01) Vice President of Research and Development

Framingham, Mass., October 31, 2013 – HeartWare International, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTWR), a leading innovator of less invasive, miniaturized circulatory support technologies that are revolutionizing the treatment of advanced heart failure, today announced the appointment of Mark Strong as vice president of research and development, effective immediately. Strong joins HeartWare from Boston Scientific Corporation’s Cardiac Rhythm Management business unit, where he worked for 20 years, most recently serving as the company’s vice president of cardiac rhythm vascular research and development.

“Mark has extensive experience working in the cardiovascular medical device space with diverse roles in both R&D and Quality Assurance,” said Doug Godshall, President and Chief Executive Officer of HeartWare. “He brings a tremendous technical background in implantable electronics as well as monitoring technologies. He also brings impressive managerial skills to his new position at HeartWare, where he will lead our R&D efforts, which have grown in size, scope and complexity in the past few years. Mark will play an integral role in advancing the progression of HeartWare and in developing our technology pipeline as it continues to mature.”

At Boston Scientific, Strong led a worldwide team of employees and managed R&D programs to improve the quality of patient care. He also served as Boston Scientific’s director of systems engineering and product development process, managing the product development life cycle process and regulatory design controls. As director of design engineering, Strong was responsible for the direction and work product of nine major support staff areas, and he facilitated efforts to expand new product lines into key international geographies.

Strong began his career at Guidant as a product electrical engineer and then as an electrical design engineer and system design engineer. Working at Guidant for more than a decade, he was a quality assurance and reliability manager prior to the acquisition by Boston Scientific. During his tenure at Guidant, he managed the design and implantation of a first-of-its-kind Radio Frequency Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator.

Strong holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering from North Dakota State University. In addition, he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota and an MBA at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Strong will report to the CEO and partner with Chief Scientific Officer Jeff LaRose who will transfer day-to-day R&D leadership responsibilities in order to focus on developing new growth modalities for HeartWare.

About HeartWare International
HeartWare International develops and manufactures miniaturized implantable heart pumps, or ventricular assist devices, to treat Class IIIB / IV patients suffering from advanced heart failure. The HeartWare® Ventricular Assist System features the HVAD® pump, a small full-support circulatory assist device designed to be implanted next to the heart, avoiding the abdominal surgery generally required to implant competing devices. The HeartWare System is approved in the United States for the intended use as a bridge to cardiac transplantation in patients who are at risk of death from refractory end-stage left ventricular heart failure, has received CE Marking in the European Union and has been used to treat patients in 35 international countries. The device is also currently the subject of a U.S. clinical trial for destination therapy. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.heartware.com.

HeartWare International, Inc. is a member of the Russell 2000® and its securities are publicly traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market.

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