Mike Tomas
Mike Tomas was appointed as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and as a director on June 19, 2010. Mr. Tomas has been President for the past nine years of The ASTRI Group, an early stage private equity investment company in Florida with an investment in Bioheart since 2001. In 2003, he joined Bioheart’s board as the independent representative of The ASTRI Group. ASTRI provides capital, business development and strategic marketing support to emerging private companies. Mr. Tomas will continue to serve as President of The ASTRI Group. Previously from 1983 to 2001, Mr. Tomas held ascending executive positions including Chief Marketing Officer at Avantel, a $1 billion dollar joint venture with MCI. Upon retiring from MCI and WorldCom, Tomas joined other ex-MCI executives and helped raise $40M in venture capital to form Ineto, an integrated customer communications software solution that was successfully sold in 2001. Today Mr. Tomas sits on the boards of Perimeter Internetworking (SaaS providing secure transfer of information for medical and financial institutions), Avisena (revenue cycle management for medical practices) and Total Home Health (Medicare-certified home care provider). Mr. Tomas is also the current chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University and a founding coach/mentor at the University of Miami’s Launch Pad at the Toppel Center. Mr. Tomas holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami and a Bachelors degree from Florida International University. This experience, together with his other board experience and his extensive experience in strategic development, makes him well-qualified to serve on, and a valuable member of, our Board of Directors.
Howard J. Leonhardt
Mr. Leonhardt was appointed as a member of our Board of Directors on June 20, 2010. Mr. Leonhardt had served as our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since the Company’s incorporation in August 1999, until March 2007. He resumed his position as Chief Executive Officer in July 2008 and served until August 2009. He has served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer since March 2007. Mr. Leonhardt also served as the company’s Executive Chairman from March 2007 until March 2008. In 1986, Mr. Leonhardt founded World Medical Manufacturing Corporation, or World Medical, and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 1986 until December 1998 when World Medical was acquired by Arterial Vascular Engineering, Inc., or AVE. AVE was acquired by Medtronic, Inc. in January 1999. Mr. Leonhardt was the co-inventor of World Medical’s primary product, the TALENT (Taheri-Leonhardt) stent graft system. From December 1998 until June 1999, Mr. Leonhardt served as President of World Medical Manufacturing Corporation, a subsidiary of Medtronic. Scientific articles written by Mr. Leonhardt have been published in a number of publications including Techniques in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and the Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery. Mr. Leonhardt received a diploma in International Trade from the Anoka-Hennepin Technical College, attended the University of Minnesota and Anoka-Ramsey Community College and holds an honorary Doctorate Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Northern California.
Catherine Sulawske-Guck
Ms. Sulawske-Guck was appointed Chief Operating Officer in July 2010. From January 2007 to June 2010, Ms. Sulawske-Guck served as our Vice President of Administration and Human Resources. Ms. Sulawske-Guck joined Bioheart in the full-time capacity as Director of Administration and Human Resources in January 2004 after having served us in a consulting capacity since December 2001. Prior to joining Bioheart, from May 1989 until November 2001, Ms. Sulawske-Guck served as Director of Operations and Customer Service for World Medical Manufacturing Corporation, a subsidiary of Medtronic.
Kristin Comella
Ms. Comella was appointed as our Vice President of Research and Corporate Development in December 2008. Ms. Comella joined Bioheart in September 2004 and has played a major role in managing our product development, manufacturing and quality systems. Ms. Comella has over ten years of cell culturing experience including managing the stem cell laboratory at Tulane University’s Center for Gene Therapy. Ms. Comella also developed stem cell therapies for osteoarthritis at Osiris Therapeutics. Ms. Comella holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University.
Alain Hernandez
Mr. Hernandez was appointed as our Vice President of Sales and Marketing in July 2010 with over 10 years of experience in the health care field. Mr. Hernandez is an expert in building effective sales and marketing teams to serve the medical community. As the founder and operating CEO and CMO of Total Home Health, a licensed home health care agency with over 200 employees, he built to revenues of over $13M. Mr. Hernandez has also founded Health Medical Inc, a medical equipment company with revenues of over $2.5M. He has also served as the managing director of AHI consultants establishing and implementing organizational systems, controls, policies, and procedures to facilitate a home health or durable medical equipment startup operation.
Doug Owens, RN, MPH, CCRA
Mr. Owens joined Bioheart in August 2005 and is our Director of Clinical Affairs. Mr. Owens has over 20 years of clinical nursing experience with 11 years of clinical affairs experience, encompassing research and regulatory, working with devices, pharmaceuticals, and biologics. Mr. Owens holds a B.S. in Nursing from Madonna University as well as a M.S. in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Linda Palermo
Ms. Palermo joined Bioheart in September 2005 and was appointed our Operations Manager in December 2008. Ms. Palermo has 19 years of experience in the Supply Chain Industry with responsibilities in purchasing, inventory control, warehouse management, distribution, quality management, and customer service. Prior to joining Bioheart Ms. Palermo served as Materials Supervisor/Buyer for Bolton Medical, Inc. from 2003 until 2005. Prior to that, she served as Distribution Supervisor for Medtronic AVE (formerly World Medical). Ms. Palermo has an A.S. from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Angel Rodriguez
Mr. Rodriguez joined Bioheart in April 2006 as our Controller. Mr. Rodriguez has 36 years of experience in the controllership function and business management, with more than 10 years experience as Controller of a Public Company. Prior to joining Bioheart Mr. Rodriguez held positions with Bradford Healthcare, Inc., Equinox Systems, Inc. and Fidelity National Leasing Corporation. Mr. Rodriguez has a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico.
Board of Directors
Karl E. Groth, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Dr. Groth has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2009. He was appointed Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in August 2009. On June 19, 2010 he resigned as the Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Groth is co-founder, along with Ms. Farley, of the Ascent Medical Technology Funds and since May 2000 has served as President and CEO of Ascent Private Equity, the General Partner of the funds, which are focused on investments in medical device, life science and biotechnology. Dr. Groth has over 30 years experience in the health care industry. Dr. Groth received his B.S. from the State University of New York in biology, his M.S. in plant physiology from New York University and his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Minnesota. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals. In addition, Dr. Groth continues to publish and present on topics including vascular disease and endovascular intervention.
Mark P. Borman
Mr. Borman has served as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors since May 2009. Mr. Borman served as Chief Financial Officer from August 18, 2009 to February 10, 2010. Mr. Borman is a seasoned financial officer with more than 30 years of broad-based financial and investor relations experience. He most recently served as Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasurer of ADC Telecommunications from 1998 to 2008. During his career, Mr. Borman has held positions with General Instrument Corporation, First Chicago Corporation, FMC Corporation, Price Waterhouse, and KMG. Mr. Borman received his B.A. in Accounting from Michigan State University and his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst and has experience as an advisor, board member, faculty, speaker, and mentor.
Bruce C. Carson
Mr. Carson has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2001. Since May 2001, Mr. Carson has served as the Vice President of Sales of FinishMaster, Inc., a privately held company specializing in the distribution of paints and products to the automotive and industrial refinishing industries. From 1987 until May 2001, Mr. Carson was President of Badger Paint Plus, Inc., a privately held distributor of paints and products, until Badger Paint Plus’ merger with FinnishMaster, Inc. Mr. Carson is co-owner of the Southern Minnesota Express Hockey Club, a member of the North American Hockey League. Mr. Carson is also the founder and President of the Athletic Performance Academy in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a privately held athletic training facility that has specialized in sports specific training for elite athletes since August 2004.
Peggy A. Farley
Ms. Farley has served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer since August 2009 and as Chief Financial Officer since February 2010. On June 19, 2010 Ms. Farley resigned as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, effective July 1, 2010. Ms. Farley has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2007. Ms. Farley was appointed to our Board as a representative of Ascent Medical Technology Funds. Since January 1998, Ms. Farley has served as a managing director of the general partner and co-founder of the Ascent Medical Technology Funds. She is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascent Capital Management, Inc. From 1984 until 1997, Ms. Farley was Chief Executive Officer of a set of firms that she developed as the locus for investment in the United States for non-US investors, engaging in venture capital investments, identifying and conducting acquisition transactions in the United States and South Asia as well as directing the management of private and corporate assets. From 1978 to 1984, she was with Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, in the International Group of the Corporate Finance Division. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Ms. Farley served as consultant to U.S. corporations, including Avon, Ingersoll-Rand, Citibank, and Morgan Stanley. Her career in business began in the mid-1970s in Citibank’s Athens-based Middle East and North Africa Regional Office. She received an M.A. from Columbia University in 1972 and an A.B. from Barnard College in 1970.
Charles Hart
Mr. Hart has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2009. Mr. Hart has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience. Mr. Hart founded Hart Masonry, Inc. in 1986 and has served as its President since then. He is also the Founder and President of Wildridge Enterprises. Mr. Hart is a member of the Board of Directors for Eagle Street Properties LLP.
Howard J. Leonhardt
Mr. Leonhardt was appointed as a member of our Board of Directors on June 20, 2010. Mr. Leonhardt had served as our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since the Company’s incorporation in August 1999, until March 2007. He resumed his position as Chief Executive Officer in July 2008 and served until August 2009. He has served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer since March 2007. Mr. Leonhardt also served as the company’s Executive Chairman from March 2007 until March 2008. In 1986, Mr. Leonhardt founded World Medical Manufacturing Corporation, or World Medical, and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 1986 until December 1998 when World Medical was acquired by Arterial Vascular Engineering, Inc., or AVE. AVE was acquired by Medtronic, Inc. in January 1999. Mr. Leonhardt was the co-inventor of World Medical’s primary product, the TALENT (Taheri-Leonhardt) stent graft system. From December 1998 until June 1999, Mr. Leonhardt served as President of World Medical Manufacturing Corporation, a subsidiary of Medtronic. Scientific articles written by Mr. Leonhardt have been published in a number of publications including Techniques in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and the Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery. Mr. Leonhardt received a diploma in International Trade from the Anoka-Hennepin Technical College, attended the University of Minnesota and Anoka-Ramsey Community College and holds an honorary Doctorate Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Northern California.
William P. Murphy, Jr., M.D.
Dr. Murphy has served as a member of our Board of Directors since June 2003. Dr. Murphy founded Small Parts, Inc., a supplier of high quality mechanical components for design engineers, in 1964 and served as its Chairman until his retirement in April 2005. Small Parts, Inc. was acquired by Amazon.com, Inc. in March 2005. From October 1999 until October 2004, Dr. Murphy served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hyperion, Inc., a medical diagnosis company which had an involuntary bankruptcy filed against it in December 2003. Dr. Murphy is the founder of Cordis Corporation (now Cordis Johnson & Johnson) which he led as President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at various times during his 28 years at Cordis until his retirement in October 1985. Cordis Johnson & Johnson is a leading firm in cardiovascular instrumentation. Dr. Murphy received an M.D. in 1947 from the University of Illinois and a B.S in pre-medicine from Harvard College in 1946. He also studied physiologic instrumentation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. After a two year rotating internship at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, he became a Research Fellow in Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston where he was the dialysis engineer on the first clinical dialysis team in the United States. He continued as an Instructor in Medicine and then a research associate in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Murphy is the author of numerous papers and owns 17 patents. He is the recipient of a number of honors, including the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award, the MIT Corporate Leadership Award, the Distinguished Service Award from North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology, and the Jay Malina Award from the Beacon Council of Miami, Florida.
Richard T. Spencer, III
Mr. Spencer has served as a member of our Board of Directors since December 2001. From April 1982 until July 1987, Mr. Spencer was President of the Marketing Division of Cordis Corporation (now Cordis Johnson & Johnson) and a member of its executive committee and a Vice President of Cordis Dow Corporation, a joint venture of the Dow Chemical Company and Cordis to manufacture hollow fiber dialysers and machinery for dialysis. Mr. Spencer was Chief Operating Officer and held other executive positions with World Medical from 1993 to January 1999. Mr. Spencer received a B.A. in Economics in 1959 from the University of Michigan. He has studied business theory, case studies and financial management while attending executive programs at the Stanford University School of Business, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and the Clemson University School of Business. Between his University of Michigan studies and embarking on a career in healthcare, Mr. Spencer served in Europe with the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps as a military intelligence analyst with top secret security clearance. Mr. Spencer is also the founder and a member of the board of directors of Viacor, Inc., a private company that is developing techniques for the percutaneous repair of heart mitral valves.
Mike Tomas
Mike Tomas was appointed as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and as a director on June 19, 2010. Mr. Tomas has been President for the past nine years of The ASTRI Group, an early stage private equity investment company in Florida with an investment in Bioheart since 2001. In 2003, he joined Bioheart’s board as the independent representative of The ASTRI Group. ASTRI provides capital, business development and strategic marketing support to emerging private companies. Mr. Tomas will continue to serve as President of The ASTRI Group. Previously from 1983 to 2001, Mr. Tomas held ascending executive positions including Chief Marketing Officer at Avantel, a $1 billion dollar joint venture with MCI. Upon retiring from MCI and WorldCom, Tomas joined other ex-MCI executives and helped raise $40M in venture capital to form Ineto, an integrated customer communications software solution that was successfully sold in 2001. Today Mr. Tomas sits on the boards of Perimeter Internetworking (SaaS providing secure transfer of information for medical and financial institutions), Avisena (revenue cycle management for medical practices) and Total Home Health (Medicare-certified home care provider). Mr. Tomas is also the current chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University and a founding coach/mentor at the University of Miami’s Launch Pad at the Toppel Center. Mr. Tomas holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami and a Bachelors degree from Florida International University. This experience, together with his other board experience and his extensive experience in strategic development, makes him well-qualified to serve on, and a valuable member of, our Board of Directors.