SENIOR OPERATING and MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE
President / CEO / Chief Operating Officer leading high growth organizational development
Comprehensive operating management background with innovative biopharmaceutical company, privately held manufacturing venture, and IT systems integrator. Visionary leadership evidenced through creating synergies and building high-performance teams in change-intensive environments. Organizational driver and consummate business leader with strong track record in start-up, turnaround, and high growth organizations. Versatile “internal CEO,” consensus builder, and noted multi-tasker with solid history of solving myriad business problems through calm understanding, enlightened perspective, and decisive execution.
Operations/Infrastructure – Emisphere: CEO for acquired FarmTech subsidiary. Executed growth, development, and rehabilitation of Connecticut laboratory operations. Revamped infrastructure through change initiatives vis-ŕ-vis human capital, processes, and operations. Led Sarbanes-Oxley implementation team for regulatory compliance; instituted cost savings financial controls; built IT infrastructure – 2 servers, 2 staff to 25/9, supporting 250 employees
Business Development/Entrepreneurship – Hydrovalve: evolved seasonal heating business into year-round pool products company – 300% growth; sold to upstream manufacturer. Grew Computer Network from scratch to $5MM in six years; sold to national computer retailer
Sales & Marketing – Hydrovalve: designed/implemented short/long-term marketing program i.e., annual catalog; direct mail; brand awareness; dealer loyalty; packaging. Expanded catalog offerings through “distributed” product lines and additional proprietary products
Project Management – Emisphere: led operations for 3+-year, $35MM international Phase III Clinical Trial - 2,200 patients at 125 sites in 10 countries
Facilities Management – Emisphere: led $30MM construction project for 120,000 ft2 mixed laboratory and office space – negotiated additional space, vendor contracts, etc.
CORDEX PHARMA INC., Philadelphia, PA Oct. 2007 to Present
Chief Executive Officer Jan. 2010 to Present
Board Director, Audit Oct. 2007 to Present
Specialty pharmaceutical company developing new cardiovascular medicines based upon the emerging new pharmacology of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP).
• Selected by Board of Directors to maximize value to shareholders through sale of company.
• Negotiated bridge loans with company’s investors to finance ongoing operations and maintain integrity of intellectual property portfolio.
SMG CONSULTING, Hewlett, NY Jan. 2008 to Present
Principal
Provide management consulting for small and medium size businesses that require a trusted advisor and are in need of marketing & business development, growth & profit strategies, turnaround management services, and financial management. Clients get practical solutions which impact organizational growth, create strategic alliances and partnerships, improve customer retention, heighten brand loyalty and increase top and bottom-line results.
EMISPHERE TECHNOLOGIES INC., Tarrytown, NY 1998 to Dec. 2007
Biopharmaceutical company charting new frontiers in drug delivery. Core business strategy is to develop oral forms of injectable drugs by applying proprietary eligen® technology to drugs.
Senior Vice President, Operations; Office of the President 2001 to Dec 2007
In charge of Finance & Accounting; Information Technologies; Vivarium Operations; Corporate Design and Creative Services; Facilities; Safety; Purchasing; Project Management; Regulatory Affairs; Quality; Manufacturing; Chemistry; Drug Development. Serve on executive leadership teams – Chair Contract and Disclosure Controls & Procedures Committees; member, Promotion Review and Rewards/Recognition Committees; member, Financial Review Team for 401k Plan and Benefits. Designated Institutional Officer - oversee animal research and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Staff: 50+; report to Chief Executive Officer.
• CEO for acquired FarmTech subsidiary, overseeing day-to-day operations of Farmington, CT site - revamped infrastructure through change initiatives regarding human capital, processes, and operations, i.e., staffing; purchasing; rehabilitation of laboratory operations; budgeting; systems, and processes, updating SOPs, and computer systems. Signatory on regulatory permits, interface with parent.
• Created synergies through the development of close working relationship between Emisphere and FarmTech science staff allowing data produced to be more meaningful which fostered faster development of technology. Established capabilities for handling GLP stability, Non-Human Primate (NHP), rabbit, and rodent studies, Radio Chemistry lab, and bioanalytical and chromatographic assays.
• Instituted massive cost control programs including upgrade of financial systems to Oracle Financials and establishment of peer review process for all large expenditures through the Contract Committee.
• Collaborated with CFO to form and manage Sarbanes-Oxley (Sarbox) implementation team; sourced and managed outside Sarbox consultant; led Information Technology compliance effort, identified IT controls; worked with auditors through testing process; served as Chair of Disclosure Controls and Procedures Committee.
• Passed Sarbox compliance audit with no significant observations, a critical requirement to operate as a public company and continue to raise money in the public markets. Significant cost savings achieved by handling bulk of IT compliance internally.
Vice President, Operations 1998 to 2001
Managed Finance & Accounting; Information Technologies; Corporate Design and Creative Services; Facilities; Safety; Purchasing; Regulatory Affairs. Served on executive leadership teams – Chair Contract; member, Promotion Review and Rewards/Recognition Committees; member, Financial Review Team for 401k Plan and Benefits. Staff: 20+; reported to CEO.
• Rescued stalled $35MM, three-year international, multi-center phase III trial - 2,200 patients at 125+ sites in 10 countries. Led all operations - established clear responsibilities with internal and external teams; identified bottlenecks and instituted changes to streamline workflow and simplify execution of trial while maintaining quality and integrity of data; contracted with additional Contract Research Organizations to expand countries and sites resulting in increased enrollment rates; negotiated contracts and budgets with outside vendors; point of contact with outside scientific advisors allowing them to give valuable support and input to the progress of the trial.
• Led $30MM construction project for 120,000 square feet of mixed laboratory and office space - formed internal team to identify user requirements; negotiated with landlord to identify and lease required space; contracted with vendors (architect, engineer, general contractor, etc.); oversaw design and construction of facility; formed and managed validation team, allowing space to be used for FDA approved GMP manufacturing.
HYDROVALVE CO., INC., Long Island, NY 1977 to 1998
Privately held manufacturing/distribution business (60+ employees) with national and Canadian catalog sales serviced through 3 warehouse locations
President 1982 to 1998
Vice President 1977 to 1982
Grew seasonal heating business 300% to complementary heating/pool products company generating $16+MM revenues and year-round positive cash flow. In 1997 sold heating component to upstream manufacturer; 1998, sold pool products business to large competitor.
• Sales and Marketing: designed and implemented short and long-term marketing programs including design and supervision of annual catalog, direct mail literature, brand awareness, dealer loyalty, and packaging design. Doubled customer base through aggressive direct mail and trade magazine marketing programs. Created customer marketing database and analysis to improve customer service and profitability.
• Expanded catalog offerings through addition of “distributed” product lines and proprietary manufactured products. Swimming pool business ultimately grew from an eight page to an eighty page catalog.
• New product design and procurement: designed multitude of new products and managed tooling, purchasing, production set-up, packaging, and marketing.
• Accounting/controls: oversaw significant ongoing reductions in overhead and product costs.
• Information technology: implemented new PC network-based management information system using Windows NT Server.
COMPUTER NETWORK, INC., Garden City, NY 1982 to 1990
IT systems integrator
Vice President /Founder
Co-founded, co-managed two-location computer retailer specializing in desktop publishing and networking, selling IBM PC and Apple Macintosh solutions. Concurrent with Hydrovalve.
Grew annual sales from $0 to $5 million in less than six years. Planned and oversaw retail store design and construction in regional mall. Trained personnel in computer software and hardware, sales and customer service. Coordinated local advertising campaign including radio and newspaper ads. Managed store display and signage. Negotiated sale of company to national retail computer chain.
BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
Forticell Biosciences, Inc. – regenerative medicine biotechnology company
Chairman of the Board, Member: Audit Committee, Compensation Committee
EDUCATION
MBA, Marketing and Business Administration, Adelphi University, 1980
BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Polytechnic Institute of NYU, 1977 |
