A first class corporate governance body with global experience and multi industry influence
- Aki von Roy, Chairman
- G. Steven Burrill
- Bertold Fridlender, Former President and CEO
- Ilan Kaufthal
- Mark W. Pierce
- Ilya Raskin, Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor
- Gunnar Weikert
Mr. Aki von Roy, Chairman, has spent a distinguished 41-year career in variouscapacities across the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including the position of President-Europe, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), serving on both the pharmaceutical and corporate operating councils of the company. He has also served in executive management positions at Schering AG.
G. Steven Burrill is CEO of Burrill & Company, a San Francisco-based life sciences firm with principal activities in Venture Capital, Merchant Banking and Media, and has been involved in the growth and prosperity of the biotechnology industry for over 35 years. An early pioneer, Mr. Burrill is one of the original architects of the industry and one of its most avid and sustained developers. Prior to founding Burrill & Company in 1994, he spent 28 years with Ernst & Young, directing and coordinating the firm's services to clients in the biotechnology/life sciences/high technology/manufacturing industries worldwide. In 2002, Mr. Burrill was recognized as the biotech investment visionary by the prestigious Scientific American magazine (The Scientific American 50).
Bertold Fridlender, Ph.D., Former President and CEO, formerly the CEO of Biotech M.A.H. and the Plant Genomic Fund of Israel, received his Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from UCLA (1971). After research and academic work in the U.S., Chile, Argentina and Israel, Dr. Fridlender moved into industry in 1977 when he joined Ames-Yissum Ltd., a company co-owned by Miles Laboratories Inc. and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This company specialized in medical diagnostic kits. After managing the R & D department, Dr. Fridlender became Technical Director, where he had responsibility for evaluating and structuring all new product opportunities. In 1982, he became the Scientific and Operations Director of International Genetic Sciences Partnership, a company partially owned by First Mississippi Corporation. This led to his being promoted to General Manager and then Managing Director of Biotechnological Applications, Ltd., another company in which First Mississippi Corporation had an ownership interest. Biotechnological Applications Ltd. focused on ag-biotechnology, especially the development of biopesticides. When this company was bought by Ecogen Inc. in 1991, Dr. Fridlender remained as Managing Director and joined the Operating Committee of Ecogen, Inc. in 1992. Ecogen was a publicly traded company that discovered and manufactured biopesticides. In 1994, Dr. Fridlender became President and Director of Ecogen Biotechnologies Israel, an Ecogen subsidiary established to manufacture new products, particularly biopesticides, developed by Ecogen. Dr. Fridlender moved to Italy in 1996 to be Managing Director of Bio Integrated Technology S.r.l. This company was involved in the development and marketing of bioinsecticides for the European markets. Dr. Fridlender had all operational responsibilities of the Company, including setting its business strategy and managing its growth. He was also an active member of the Board of Directors of Bio Integrated Technology. He then returned to Israel in 1999 to be CEO of the newly formed Biotech M.A.H. His career path has given Dr. Fridlender experience in managing small but growing businesses, in assessing the value and viability of businesses, in negotiating new product arrangements and in maximizing the benefits from partnerships. Dr. Fridlender was responsible for the Biotech M.A.H. investment in Phytomedics and held a Board seat prior to moving to the States and joining the Company in late 2000.
Ilan Kaufthal is Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. He joined the firm in May 2000. Prior to joining Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc., he was with Schroders & Co. Inc. as Vice Chairman and head of mergers and acquisitions for 13 years. Preceding Schroders, he was with NL Industries, Inc., a firm in the chemicals and petroleum services businesses, as its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kaufthal also serves on the Board of Directors of United Retail Group, Inc., Cambrex Corporation, Russ Berrie & Company, Inc., Aveta Health Inc. and Edmunds.com. He also serves on the Trustee Council of The Jewish Museum, the Advisory Board of Gemini Israel Funds, and is a trustee of the Russell Berrie Foundation.
Dr. Mark W. Pierce, M.D., Ph.D., has spent a distinguished 25 year career in various capacities across the global pharmaceutical industry. Most recently he has served as Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global Research and Development, where he had responsibility for worldwide clinical research as well the Neuroscience / Oncology Therapeutic Area. He has also held senior level clinical development positions at both Abbott Laboratories and the Warner-Lambert Company.
Ilya Raskin, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor, has 20 years of research experience in plant biology. He received a B.S. degree from Brandeis University along with the C.K. Schiff Memorial Award in Science. In 1984, he was awarded his Ph.D. by Michigan State University after winning the Earnst A. Bessey Memorial award for his research on plant biochemistry. From 1984 to 1989, Dr. Raskin worked as Research Scientist at the Shell Agricultural Chemical Company, which merged with the DuPont Co. in 1986. Dr. Raskin joined the faculty of the Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment at Cook College of Rutgers University in 1989, where he currently works as a Professor of Plant Sciences. Dr. Raskin has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Albert Shull Award from the American Society of Plant Physiologists given every two years to a young scientist for outstanding contributions to plant biology. In 1996, he was chosen as a recipient of the Rutgers University Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research. In 1997, Dr. Raskin was named a finalist in the Discover Magazine Awards for Technological Innovation in the area of environment. In 1999, Dr. Raskin was honored as one of only five finalists for the World Technology Award for Biotechnology for his work in developing novel molecular farming techniques for drug discovery and manufacturing. These are the technologies that are being commercialized by Phytomedics, Inc. The award, presented in association with the British Museum of Science and Technology and The Economist magazine, has been created to honor those individual leaders from around the globe who contribute most to the advancement of emerging technologies for the benefit of business and society. Dr. Raskin has achieved his international reputation through his work on salicylic acid as a signal in plant thermogenesis and disease resistance, as well as for his major role in the development of phytoremediation (the use of green plants to extract contaminants from soil and water). Phytoremediation of toxic metals is now practiced by university and industry scientists around the world as a safe and cost-effective alternative for environmental clean up. In 1996, Dr. Raskin co-founded Phytomedics, Inc. with the goal to develop an efficient process for the discovery and manufacture of valuable natural products from plants, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and biopesticides. Dr. Raskin's research is featured in 100 major scientific publications and in many popular press articles. Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) lists Dr. Raskin among 106 most cited authors in Plant and Animal Sciences.
Dr. Gunnar Weikert is Chairman, CEO and Founder of Inventages Venture Capital Investments Inc., an international investment group with a focus on cutting-edge life science and health science research and technologies. Inventages manages several funds with $1.3 billion under management in the areas of prevention, food, nutrition, nutraceuticals, lifestyle drugs, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic and green biotech, including the Life Ventures by Nestle fund. Before founding Inventages, Dr. Weikert had more than 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. In his last position, he was a senior vice president and global head for life science deals at Bayer AG. While at Bayer, Dr. Weikert oversaw venture investments in technology companies and collaborations representing some of the biggest deals between big-pharma and biotechnology in the late 1990's. Dr. Weikert holds an M.D., a Ph.D. in the field of metabolism, and an MBA.