Tag Archive for: Chief Executive

Ron Hebert Joins Vivex Biologics as Vice President, Marketing

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Ron Hebert as Vivex Biologics’ Vice President of Marketing.

Vivex Biologics, a leading regenerative medicine company that markets tissue technology products and cellular therapies. They focus on orthopaedic applications with an emphasis on spine related therapies, and have developed a diverse portfolio of current products including cellular bone matrices, amniotic tissue, general orthopaedic treatments, and sports medicine products to meet the therapeutic demand in the areas of spine, dental, sports medicine, and wound care.

The next stage of the company’s growth is the launch of its new product, VIA Disc.

Ron Herbert

This viable allograft is delivered by a minimally invasive procedure and will be used for the treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). As the company continues to grow in the spine and biologics space, it sought a talented Vice President, Marketing who could lead the branding campaigns and support the efforts of the geographic and product-focused sales forces.

Hebert was the Vice President, Marketing, Communications, and Growth Initiatives at MEDNAX, a physician-led healthcare organization that partners with hospitals and health systems to provide a wide range of clinical services. Coming into one of the largest physician-owned/operated national staffing companies, Hebert refocused the company strategy to the hospital-customer and provided them with proof of value. He also created programs that productized services such as women/children, anesthesia, and ENT/plastics specialists.

He also spent a majority of his marketing career at Beckman Coulter serving as Director of Global Strategic Marketing and Global Product Management and Strategy. Hebert’s notable accomplishment during his time here was being able to provide innovation within the traditional product portfolio of the hematology unit.

With the arrival of Hebert, Vivex will gain a marketing leader, an integrative thinker that focuses on the customer needs, a person with a demonstrated track record of successful product launches, and a strong communicator. By utilizing Hebert’s expertise in hospital-based marketing, Vivex Biologics hopes for continued growth of its new products and a skilled manager of its existing lines.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Peter Wehrly Joins Vivex Biologics as Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Peter Wehrly as Chief Executive Officer with Vivex Biologics.

Vivex Biologics is a leading regenerative medicine company that markets tissue technology products and cellular therapies focused on orthopaedic applications with an emphasis on spine related therapies. They have a diverse portfolio of current products including cellular bone matrices, amniotic tissue, general orthopaedics, and sports medicine products to meet the therapeutic demand in the areas of spine, dental, sport medicine, and wound care. 

Peter Wehrly

Vivex is preparing for its next stage of growth with the launch of its VIA Disc product, a paradigm-changing treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). As the company moves into the biologics space, it sought a seasoned Chief Executive to lead the company through its next stage of growth.

Wehrly is a leader in the spine and orthobiologics industries and will help lead Vivex Biologics’ expansion of their sales force and guide the company through continued growth. He is a strategic leader with a broad background in growth and operational efficiencies within public and private companies in the medical device industry. Prior to joining Vivex, Wehrly served as Chief Executive Officer with Synaptive Medical, where he led a global team launching the 2nd generation disruptive surgical robotic technology portfolio across North America, Western Europe, and Asia.

He was also Chief Executive at PQ Bypass, where he led a cross-functional team in gaining CE Mark for their Detour System, a technology designed to advance the treatment of long-segment peripheral artery disease, and approval to embark on their PMA trial in the US and Europe.

Previously, Wehrly served as Group President for Covidien where he turned around the Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions business and was later responsible for the Vascular Therapies business. Wehrly is a seasoned executive in the spine industry having led several divisions of Medtronic including Spinal and Biologics for 8 years. He played an integral role in their global market leadership positions and saw them grow from $500M to over $2.8B in compound annual growth rate.

Wehrly will play a pivotal role in helping Vivex Biologics during its next stage of growth and development as they launch a new product in the biologics space, leveraging his expertise in the spine industry and his commercial and operational strengths to ensure continued growth and preparation for a future financing event.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Balakrishnan Shankar Joins Canary Medical as Vice President, Operations

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Balakrishnan Shankar to Canary Medical, where he will serve as Vice President of Operations.

Canary Medical is an innovative medical technology company commercializing smart implants in the orthopedic, cardiovascular, and aesthetic markets. The company integrates a sensor and microprocessor system into FDA-cleared implantable medical devices to generate real-time insights about the performance and safety of these products.

In his new role, Shankar will lead all operational aspects including manufacturing and supply chain for Canary Medical’s smart medical implants.

Balakrishnan Shankar

Shankar’s 20+ years of leadership in the development and commercialization of active implantable devices as well as their associated software will be an invaluable asset as Canary Medical prepares for the launch of the company’s connected devices.

Shankar previously served as Vice President of Software Development for Medtronic’s Cardiac Rhythm and Heart Failure division, where he led software development across all product lines, including the CareLink patient monitoring system. He was previously at Nevro and St. Jude Medical where he led software product development, operations, and technology development, and systems engineering.

“Shankar has seen the entire spectrum of implantable, electronic medical devices – from concept and design to manufacturing/operations and systems integration,” notes Tom Callaway, Founder of Life Science Partner. “He is the world’s expert for taking connected medical devices from concept to commercialization. His deep technological and operational expertise will be a tremendous asset to Canary Medical as the company continues to develop and commercialize connected implantable devices.”

Shankar earned his MS in Biomedical Engineering from John Hopkins University and his BS in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Megan Eckerman Joins CryoLife as Vice President, Global Marketing

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Megan Eckerman to CryoLife (NYSE:CRY) as Vice President of Global Marketing.

Eckerman will lead the unification of this Atlanta-based company’s US and European marketing efforts under a common worldwide strategy as CryoLife continues its transformation from an allographic human tissue provider to a global aortic cardiovascular device leader.

CryoLife is a leader in cryogenically preserved human tissues for cardiovascular applications, as well as heart valves and other medical devices for blood vessel repair.

Megan Eckerman

With a focus on aortic technologies, the company has recently expanded their offerings to heart valves and stent grafts with the acquisition of On-X Life Technologies and JOTEC stent graft systems, respectively.

Ms. Eckerman joins CryoLife from Bolton Medical, an aortic stent graft manufacturer, where she served as Vice President of Global Marketing and was instrumental in the merger of Bolton Medical and Terumo’s subsidiary Vascutek under the brand Terumo Aortic following Bolton’s 2017 acquisition by the Japanese medical equipment company. Her earlier career features progressive sales and marketing roles with Medtronic and Intuitive Surgical, as well as service as Chief of Satellite Launch Operations in the United States Air Force.

“Megan’s deep understanding of cardiovascular technologies and their various worldwide customer bases will be a tremendous asset to CryoLife as they continue to reinvent themselves on a global stage,” notes Tom Callaway, MD, MBA, Founder of Life Science Partner. “I am confident her high emotional intelligence and thoughtful leadership philosophy will help her mobilize her team toward this ambitious goal.”

Ms. Eckerman earned her BS in Kinesiology from Indiana University and her MBA from the University of Colorado.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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About CryoLife

Headquartered in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, CryoLife is a leader in the manufacturing, processing, and distribution of medical devices and implantable living tissues used in cardiac and vascular surgical procedures.  CryoLife markets and sells a highly competitive product portfolio focused on treating aortic disease in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Press Release PDF

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Heather Creran Joins Lineagen as Chief Operating Officer (CEO)

Life Science Partner has recruited Heather Creran to become the Chief Operating Officer for Lineagen, an innovative genetics diagnostics company for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Creran’s depth of operational leadership experience will be a great asset for Lineagen, whose painless cheek swab test can detect hundreds of genetic conditions which can give rise to developmental delay and autism spectrum disorder. Lineagen’s test results are customized to help patients, parents and providers fully understand diagnoses and develop a healthcare management program which is tailored to the individual patient’s needs.

Heather Creran

“Throughout her career, Creran has demonstrated a knack for strategic thinking and operational success,” emphasized Tom Callaway, President and Founder of Life Science Partner. Creran comes to Lineagen with extensive experience in highly relevant leadership roles. Most recently, she served as President and Board Director for Emory Genetics Laboratory, a joint venture between Emory University and the US Clinical Diagnostics Division of Eurofins Scientific, an international provider of bioanalytical testing and genomics services. Also of note is Creran’s experience as President and CEO of the cancer diagnostics company SCI Laboratories.

Creran looks forward to leveraging her passion for operational excellence to pursue accelerating growth and success at Lineagen.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Liz Spurgin Joins the Medical Device Innovation Consortium as Vice President, Health Economics & Patient Value

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Liz Spurgin to become the first Vice President, Health Economics and Patient Value for the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC).

The MDIC brings together representatives of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), industry, and non-profits and patient organizations to improve the processes for development, assessment and review of new medical technologies. Spurgin will lead the MDIC’s efforts to increase predictability regarding the scientific and clinical evidence to support health economics assessment and the “reasonable and necessary” standard. She will build on the organization’s earlier successes in advancing regulatory science, but with a focus on patient science and economic value.

Prior to assuming her new role, Spurgin was a senior advisor at the prestigious healthcare advisory firm Leavitt Partners. Here and in her earlier roles, Spurgin has extensive experience working with CMS on health economics and coverage matters. Spurgin holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in health care management from the University of Connecticut, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois. Her deep understanding of the CMS coverage process as well as her thoughtful, results-oriented leadership style will make her a valuable addition to the MDIC leadership team.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Carl Spear, OD, MBA Joins Luxottica as Senior Vice President, Eyecare

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Carl Spear, OD, MBA, to serve as Senior Vice President, Eyecare for Luxottica, the world’s largest eyeware company.

Luxottica is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of fashion, luxury, sports and performance eyewear. Of Luxottica’s 80,000 employees, more than 5,000 are US-based Doctors of Optometry providing patient care and business leadership at LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, and Target Optical retail stores across the nation.

Carl Spear, OD, MBA

Luxottica is the world’s leading consumer eyecare group, with proprietary brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Alain Mikli and Arnette, as well as licensed brands including Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, Dolce&Gabbana, Michael Kors, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., and Versace.

A merger is underway between Luxottica and Essilor, the world’s leading manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses.

Dr. Spear will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and will be responsible for the strategic recruitment, development, and retention of Luxottica’s optometrist community while maximizing the economic return of resources allocated among the Company’s retail brands.

Previously, Spear served as Senior Director, Professional Services for Vision Group Holdings, where he recruited and managed the contracting of ophthalmologists and optometrists to staff their 75 refractory and cataract surgery centers. In parallel, he held a consulting role overseeing the professional affairs strategy for Alcon, the eyecare subsidiary of Novartis.

Before joining industry, Spear spent more than 20 years in private optometry practice. He also served in the United States Air Force as Company Commander for a special operations team in Iraq.

“Carl brings the clinical and industry insights to help Luxottica shape how consumer Eyecare is delivered in the years to come,” said Tom Callway, MD, MBA, President of Life Science Partner. “His tremendous network and deep experience in the space will serve him well as he develops strategies to ensure Luxottica attracts and retains best-in-class clinical talent during this critical period for the company.”

Spear earned his Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Alabama School of Optometry with a residency in Primary Care and Ocular Disease from Northeastern State University College of Optometry. He also earned an MBA from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Western Kentucky University.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Mark Alvarez Joins Irrimax as Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Mark Alvarez to Irrimax, where he will serve as Chief Executive Officer.

Irrimax is an Atlanta-based medical technology company that is redefining wound irrigation with Irrisept, the only FDA-cleared medical device for irrigation containing the proven antiseptic chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG).

Mark Alvarez

Alvarez was most recently Chairman, President & CEO of BC Technical, a healthcare services company focused on diagnostic imaging solutions for hospitals & clinics across the US. BCT was acquired in 2017 by Alpha Source, a portfolio company of Baird Capital. Prior to his BC Technical role, Mark was Chairman-Elect & COO of Microtek Medical (Nasdaq:MTMD), a global manufacturer of custom infection control products acquired by Ecolab.

“Mark is a high-energy executive who has demonstrated the ability to fund, grow, and sell small to mid-sized healthcare companies but also has held P&L responsibility in a large global medtech organization,” commented Tom Callaway, MD, MBA, President of Life Science Partner. “His strategic experience in the infection control space will be indispensable to Irrimax during this important inflection point in the company’s growth.”

Alvarez earned a MBA from Illinois State University, a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Louisville, and has completed multiple executive programs at the GE Leadership Institute. He is a former professional tennis player and lives in Atlanta.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Barbara Benedict Joins Notal Vision as Director, Patient Engagement

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Barbara Benedict to Notal Vision as Director of Patient Engagement.

Notal Vision is a tele-health company offering the first patient-initiated, home-based monitoring system to prevent the progression of macular degeneration through early detection and intervention. The technology combines a physical device with a data management infrastructure and a cloud-based physician monitoring system.

In her new role, Benedict will have broad responsibility over all operational aspects of the customer experience, developing key patient engagement strategies and ensuring an exceptional experience for patients and their caregivers.

Previously, Benedict led customer engagement and marketing at Conifer Health, the healthcare management services subsidiary of Tenet Health. Prior to joining Conifer Health Solutions, Benedict spent 4 years in enterprise physician marketing and communications for BayCare Health System, a health care system connecting patients to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals throughout central Florida. She also spent three years as Director, Customer Relations, Marketing and Operations at Healthcare Partners, which manages and administers healthcare products for contracted health plans. Here she led operations for a large multi-specialty medical clinic including a comprehensive customer relations program and community engagement program.

“Barbara has demonstrated she knows how to use remote monitoring technologies to keep patients well, and that she can build and enact a strategy for ensuring these patients are engaged and supported throughout the entire patient journey,” notes Tom Callaway, MD, MBA, President of Life Science Partner. “Her blend of patient-centered empathy and healthcare operations rigor make her a great match for this important role.”

Benedict earned a degree in Marketing and Business Development from the University of South Florida.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

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Pamela Goldberg Joins Medical Device Innovation Consortium as President, CEO

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Pamela Goldberg to lead the Medical Device Innovation Consortium as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to starting her own consulting firm in 2017, Ms. Goldberg served as the CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaboration, a public economic development engine designed to foster technological advancements, where she helped launch Massachusetts to national leadership for adoption and interoperability of electronic medical records and collaborated to build the health information exchange connection to the EHR.

She will succeed Bill Murray as CEO, whom Life Science Partner recruited at the organization’s inception, and is well-suited to lead MDIC into its next phase of growth and impact, building on the foundational successes of Mr. Murray and his team.

Pamela Goldberg

“Pamela’s solid entrepreneurial experience synergizing objectives for multiple government and for-profit institutions, combined with her successful leadership experience in digital health advancements, leveraging big data, and advancing healthcare technological innovation, make her uniquely suited to lead this pioneering organization,” said Tom Callaway, MD, Founder and President of Life Science Partner. “We are confident MDIC and the many stakeholders it serves will benefit greatly from her thoughtful leadership in the months and years to come.”

Ms. Goldberg has demonstrated consistent success in working across the boundaries of government, in both non-profit and private industry and with regulatory bodies to drive consensus. Previously, Ms. Goldberg served as director of The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Tufts University, a program she launched to drive innovation for the university. Ms. Goldberg received her BA from Tufts University and her MBA from Stanford University.

The MDIC, through its public-private partnership between government and regulatory agencies, non-profits, and the medical device industry, aims to advance regulatory science and bring innovative technologies to patients. MDIC coordinates the development of methods, tools, and resources used in managing the medical device life cycle to improve patient access to cutting-edge medical technology.

About the Medical Device Innovation Consortium

Founded in 2012, the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) is the first public-private partnership created with the sole objective of advancing medical device regulatory science throughout the total product life cycle. MDIC’s mission is to promote public health through science and technology and to enhance trust and confidence among stakeholders.

MDIC works in the pre-competitive space to facilitate development of methods, tools, and approaches that enhance understanding and improve evaluation of product safety, quality, and effectiveness. Its initiatives improve product safety and patient access to cutting-edge medical technology while reducing cost and time to market.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

More information is available here.

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