Board of Directors
Michael J. McKenna, PhD, Chairman
Dr. McKenna has served as our chairman since February 2008, as our chief executive officer from April 2004 to February 2008, and on our board of directors since April 2004. From April 2004 to April 2006, Dr. McKenna served as chairman of our board of directors. From September 1999 to March 2004, Dr. McKenna served as vice president of science and technology at A.M. Pappas & Associates, LLC, a life sciences venture development company. Previously, he owned and operated Pharmaceutical Consulting Services, advising the biopharmaceutical industry in drug development and drug safety. Prior to this he was Vice President, Drug Development at Parke Davis. Dr. McKenna also held numerous scientific and managerial positions in the toxicology laboratories of The Dow Chemical Company and Parke Davis. Dr. McKenna received a B.A. in English from St. John Fisher College and a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
John Lynch, Chief Executive Officer
John Lynch has extensive Pharmaceutical industry experience, with a 20 year career of achievement in many facets of the industry. In that time he has worked in senior positions in operations, business development, sales & marketing and finance. Mr. Lynch has served as our Chief Executive Officer since February 2008, as our Chief Operating Officer since May 2005, as our Managing Director from April 2004 to May 2005, and on our Board of Directors since April 2005. From April 2003 to April 2004, Mr. Lynch was the Chief Executive Officer of JML Healthcare, providing strategic consultancy to blue chip big pharma as well as indigenous life science companies. Previous to that he had a 15 year career with Abbott Laboratories in increasingly responsible management positions. From April 1999 to April 2003, Mr. Lynch served as Divisional Director of Abbott Laboratories Ltd., a global health care company, growing the business area to $100M turnover and gaining significant market share. Previously, he held positions as Senior Business Development Manager, Abbott International USA (with International responsibilities); Division Director, Hospital Products and Nutritional Products Divisions, Abbott Laboratories, Ireland, and Financial Director, Abbott Laboratories, Ireland. Earlier in his career Mr. Lynch held financial positions with Bayer Diagnostics Limited and Ernst & Young. Mr. Lynch received a B.Comm. from University College Dublin. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and holds a marketing qualification through the MII.
Patrick O'Sullivan, Non-Executive and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee
Patrick O'Sullivan is a Pharmaceutical Business Consultant and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Beacon Hospital.
Prior to retirement in 2006, Mr. O'Sullivan was CEO of the Leo Pharma Group of Companies in Ireland and a Board Member of the parent company of the Leo Pharma Group in Denmark.
He also served on the boards of The LEO Foundation, LEO Pharmaceuticals Ltd. UK and LEO Pharma SA France.
For more than 20 years, Mr O'Sullivan was Chairman of the Pharma Industry team that negotiated the supply of research based pharmaceuticals to the Irish Health Services, on behalf of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association Ltd.
Mr. O'Sullivan holds Bachelor of Commerce and MBA degrees from University College Dublin, he is a registered pharmacist, member and honorary fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.
James S.J. Manuso, Ph.D., Non-Executive and Chair of the Remuneration Committee
Dr. Manuso has served as Supergen Inc.'s chairman, president and chief executive officer since January 1, 2004, and as a director since February 2001. Dr. Manuso is co-founder and immediate past president and chief executive officer of Galenica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Manuso co-founded and was general partner of PrimeTech Partners, a biotechnology venture management partnership, from 1998 to 2002, and Managing General Partner of The Channel Group LLC, an international life sciences corporate advisory firm. He was also president of Manuso, Alexander & Associates, Inc., management consultants and financial advisors to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He currently serves on the boards of NASDAQ-listed, Novelos, Inc., and privately-held KineMed, Inc. Previously, he served on the boards of Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals, Symbiontics, Quark Biotech, Galenica Pharmaceuticals, Supratek Pharma, and The Greater Bay Area Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Dr. Manuso earned a B.A. with Honors in Economics and Chemistry from New York University, a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychophysiology from the Graduate Faculty of The New School University, a Certificate in Health Systems Management from Harvard Business School, and an Executive M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
Peter Thornton, Non-Executive and Chair of the Audit Committee
Mr. Thornton is currently SVP, Head of Product, Technology and Business Development Elan Drug Technologies. He was formerly president and chief operating officer of Circ Pharma Limited, a specialty pharmaceutical product development company, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Antigenics Inc., a NASDAQ listed biotechnology company, as well as senior vice president of business operations at Elan Corporation plc. He previously held a series of other senior finance and operations roles with Elan. Prior to joining Elan in 1994, Mr. Thornton worked with the international accounting firm KPMG in Dublin and Paris. Mr. Thornton is a director of US based Antigenics Inc. and Cydex Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company. Mr. Thornton earned his bachelor's degree in commerce from University College, Cork, Ireland, and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
Anthony Carragher, Non-Executive
Mr. Carragher has his own consultancy and advisory business that focuses primarily on International financial and property investments. He is also a director of Eurocommerce, Growcorp, and The Vaults. Mr. Carragher is a qualified chartered accountant and has spent over 15 years in the corporate finance and investment area. He is also CFO to a major Irish charitable organisation.
Michael Donnelly, Non-Executive
Mr. Donnelly is Chairman of Growcorp Group Ltd. Prior to Growcorp, he was Vice President and General Manager of a medical products company in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1996-1998, Vice President of IEP Group Research Triangle Park, NC from 1993-1996, Professor of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Director of Bioengineering Research at the Perinatal Research Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio from 1986-1996. Mr. Donnelly sits on the Boards of Growcorp Group, Growcorp (GP), Merrion Biopharma, Ltd., Gas Sensor Solutions, Fluorocap and Pharmatrin, Orakine, North Wall General Partners, Neutekbio, Irish Venture capital Association and Irish Biotechnology Association and is the Managing Partner of the European Bioscience Fund.
Fintan Maher, Non-Executive
Mr. Maher is the Managing Director of Northwall General Partner Ltd., the General Partner of Growcorp Lifescience Limited Partnership an investment fund focused on Lifescience investments, Mr Maher has held this position since October 2004. He has 18 years Investment experience covering Private Wealth Management, Private Equity and Investment Management. From 1999 to 2004 Mr. Maher was the Investment Manager for Irelandia Investments Ltd., the family office of the Ryan Family. He previously held a series of senior roles in Investment Management in the US and Ireland. Mr. Maher sits on the Boards of Growcorp Group, Growcorp (GP), North Wall General Partner Ltd., Merrion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Gas Sensor Solutions, Orakine and nEUtekbio. Mr. Maher earned a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Dublin, and is a member of The Society of Investment Analysts in Ireland (SIAI) a member society of the CFA Institute.
