Board of Directors

Dr. M. Kathleen Behrens served as a member of the board of directors of each of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (SRPT), a multi-billion dollar medical research and drug development company focused on the discovery and development of unique RNA-targeted therapeutics for the treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases, since March 2009 (Chairwoman of the Board since April 2015) and IGM Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, since January 2019.

Dr. Behrens has worked as an independent life sciences consultant and investor since December 2009. She served as the Co-Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the KEW Group Inc., a private oncology services company, from January 2012 until June 2014.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Behrens served as a general partner for selected venture funds for RS Investments, a mutual fund firm, from 1996 until December 2009. While Dr. Behrens worked at RS Investments, from 1996 to 2002, she served as a managing director at the firm and, from 2003 to December 2009, she served as a consultant to the firm. During that time, Dr. Behrens also served as a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), from 2001 to 2009 and as chairwoman of PCAST's Subcommittee on Personalized Medicine, as well as the President, director and chairwoman of the National Venture Capital Association, an organization that advocates for public policy that supports the American Entrepreneurial ecosystem, from 1993 until 2000. Prior to that, she served as a general partner and managing director for Robertson Stephens & Co., an investment company, from 1983 through 1996.

She served as a director of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly AMLN), a biopharmaceutical company, from 2009 until the company's sale in 2012 to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Prior to that, she served on the board of directors Abgenix, Inc. (formerly ABGX), a biopharmaceutical company, from 2001 until the company was sold to Amgen, Inc. in 2006. From 1997 to 2005, Dr. Behrens was a director of the Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy for the National Research Council.

Dr. Behrens was also a Co-Founder of the Coalition for 21st Century Medicine, a trade association for new generation diagnostics companies.

Dr. Behrens holds a B.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis.

Mr. Wright was appointed Chief Executive Officer effective May 13, 2019. Previously, Mr. Wright served as a Partner at Signal Hill Advisors, LLC, a consulting practice, since February 2011. Mr. Wright served as President and Chief Executive Officer of M2Gen Corp., a privately held cancer and health informatics company, between July 2017 and September 2018. Prior to M2Gen Corp., Mr. Wright served as Executive Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions, Strategy and Innovation for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., a pharmaceutical company specializing in generic medicines, from April 2015 until August 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Wright was the founding partner of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Drug Development Institute. Mr. Wright also served as Chairman, Interim Chief Executive Officer and a director of Curaxis Pharmaceutical Corporation, a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and various cancers, from July 2011 to July 2012.

Mr. Wright has been a director of Agenus, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), an immune oncology company, since 2006 and its lead director since 2009. Mr. Wright also serves as Chairperson of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Drug Development Institute, serves as Director of The Ohio State Innovation Foundation and sits on The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Dean’s Corporate Council. Mr. Wright earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing from The Ohio State University.

Mr. Bierman served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Owens & Minor, Inc., a Fortune 500 company and a leading distributor of medical and surgical supplies, from September 2014 to June 2015. Previously, he served in various other senior roles at Owens & Minor, including President and Chief Operating Officer from August 2013 to September 2014, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from March 2012 to August 2013, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from April 2011 to March 2012, and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from June 2007 to April 2011. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Bierman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Quintiles Transnational Corp. Prior to joining Quintiles Transnational, Mr. Bierman was a partner at Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. Bierman currently serves on the board of directors of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) and previously served on the boards of directors of Owens & Minor, Inc. (OMI) and Team Health Holdings, Inc. (formerly TMH). Mr. Bierman earned his B.A. from Dickinson College and his M.B.A. at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Dr. Gardner has spent more than 35 years in academia, medicine and industry. She has served on the board of directors of several public and private companies, including Revance Therapeutics, Inc. since 2006, Corium International, Inc. from November 2007 to December 2018, and CohBar, Inc. from February 2019 to present. Dr. Gardner has also served as an advisor to Change Health Care, Inc. from April 2019 to present. From June 1999 to July 2014, she served in various capacities including as an Adjunct Partner at Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, a growth equity firm that focuses on the healthcare industry (and a predecessor firm to EW Healthcare Partners, a holder of MiMedx Series B Preferred Stock). Additionally, Dr. Gardner has been a member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows since April 2013 and is a scientific reviewer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. 

She began her academic medical career at Stanford University, where she has held several positions including Senior Associate Dean for Education and Student Affairs and remains today as Professor of Medicine. From 1994 to 1998, she took a leave of absence from Stanford University to serve as Principal Scientist, Vice President of Research and Head of ALZA Technology Institute, a major drug delivery company. 

Dr. Gardner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Illinois and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School. She trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by Chief Residency at Stanford University Hospital and post-doctoral fellowships at Columbia University and University College London.

Since July 2016, Dr. Giuliani has been a consultant for several small pharmaceutical companies and has provided expert testimony for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. In addition to advising these companies, he volunteers his time and expertise to assist individuals or entities attempting to bring a pharmaceutical product forward from the pre-concept phase. From November 2007 to June 2016, Dr. Giuliani served as Vice President, Research and Development, for Mallinckrodt plc (formerly known as the Pharmaceuticals Division of Covidien) (NYSE: MNK), a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies for autoimmune and rare diseases in the areas of neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, ophthalmology, and pulmonology; and immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care. During his tenure, the Company obtained FDA approval for 16 new products. Prior to joining Covidien, he served as the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on women's healthcare and pain management.

Dr. Giuliani received his B.S. from Tulane University and his M.D. from Ohio State University. Dr. Giuliani was nominated to serve as a director because of his extensive clinical and regulatory experience with multiple FDA divisions, and development, regulatory and manufacturing experience for complex biologic products.

Mr. Hawkins serves as a Senior Advisor to EW Healthcare Partners, a life sciences private equity firm. Mr. Hawkins is the former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Inc., a global leader in medical technology. He was at Medtronic from 2002 until 2011. After retiring from Medtronic, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Immucor, Inc., a private equity backed global leader in transfusion and transplant medicine from October 2011 to July 2015. From 1998 to 2001 Mr. Hawkins served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Novoste Corporation (NASDAQ:NOVST), an interventional cardiology company. Prior to that, Mr. Hawkins served in a variety of senior roles at American Home Products, a consumer, pharma and medical device company, Johnson & Johnson, a healthcare company, Guidant Corporation, a medical products company, and Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical company. Mr. Hawkins also serves as a director of Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB), a biopharmaceutical company; Avanos Medical, Inc. (NYSE:AVNS), a medical technology company; as Chairman of Bioventus, LLC; as Chairman of 4 Tech; and as a director of AskBio, Cirtec, Virtue Labs, Immucor, Inc., Cereius, Inc. and Baebies, Inc., all of which are life science companies. He previously served on the board of Thoratec Corporation. Mr. Hawkins is Vice Chair of the Duke University Board of Trustees and is Chair of the Duke University Health System. Mr. Hawkins was elected as a member of the AIMBE College of Fellows and the National Academy of Engineering. He has a dual B.S.E.E. degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and a M.B.A. from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Mr. Hawkins has significant leadership experience as a chief executive officer, significant knowledge of, and experience in, the healthcare industry and significant international experience. He also has extensive governance and public company board experience.

Dr. Laurencin currently serves the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut, and is one of two designated University Professors at the school. He is also a materials scientist and engineer and is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He has been a professor at the University of Connecticut since 2008. He is the Chief Executive Officer of The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering. Previously, he served as Vice President for Health Affairs at the University of Connecticut Health Center and Dean of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. From 2003 until 2008, Dr. Laurencin was the Lillian T. Pratt Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Virginia. Dr. Laurencin was also designated a University Professor by the President of the University of Virginia. Prior to 2003, Dr. Laurencin held various positions of increasing responsibility at Drexel University, including the Helen I. Moorehead Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, Vice Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Director of Shoulder Surgery, and at MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine, where he served as Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Research Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology. An International Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering, he received the Founders Award from the Society for Biomaterials. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Laurencin is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, our nation's highest honor for technological achievement. He has over 500 publications and patents.

Dr. Laurencin received his B.S.E. degree in engineering from Princeton University, his Ph.D. in biochemical engineering and biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his M.D. from the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Laurencin was nominated to serve as a director because of his experience as a practitioner and professor of orthopaedic surgery, as well as his deep technical, research, and clinical experience.

Mr. Newton has, since 2014, served as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. (APEN), a leader in the field of gastrointestinal therapeutic endoscopy. From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Newton served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at ArthroCare Corporation (ARTC), a medical device company, including from 2013 as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his leadership at ArthroCare, Mr. Newton served in a number of executive officer roles, including President and Chief Executive Officer, at Synenco Energy, Inc., a Canadian oil sands company. From 1994 to 2004, Mr. Newton was a Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Mr. Newton holds a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Since 1985, Mr. Sutter has been the Co-Founder and a Managing Director of EW Healthcare Partners, previously known as Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, a healthcare-focused growth equity firm. Mr. Sutter has been directly involved with more than 30 of EW Healthcare Partners’ portfolio company investments. Educated in chemical engineering and finance, Mr. Sutter has more than 35 years of management experience in operations, marketing, finance and venture capital. Mr. Sutter holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. He currently serves on the Boards of Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD), Bioventus LLC and Prolacta Bioscience. He previously served on the boards of directors of the following EW Healthcare Partners’ portfolio investments: ATS Medical (later acquired by Medtronic, Inc.); BioForm Medical (later acquired by Merz GmbH & Co KGaA); LifeCell (later acquired by Kinetic Concepts); St. Francis Medical (later acquired by Kyphon, Inc./Medtronic, Inc.); Confluent Surgical (later acquired by Tyco International/Covidien); and Rinat Neurosciences (later acquired by Pfizer, Inc.). We believe that Mr. Sutter’s in-depth knowledge of the medical device industry, his skills as an investor in developing medical device companies, his extensive board experience and his position as a representative of a large stockholder in our Company qualify him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.