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Board of Directors
Frank Menzler Harmel S. Rayat Javier Jimenez Roland Schomer
Frank Menzler: President, CEO and Chairman
In addition to his technical know-how, Mr. Menzler has medical device and life science research, development, and sales and marketing management experience, which spans the globe and ranges from early stage start-ups to executive positions with multi-billion dollar corporations.
Mr. Menzler was at ABIOMED, Inc., developer of the world’s first completely self-contained total artificial heart, where among other positions he served as General Manager for the company’s European division in Germany. Among other European appointments, Mr. Frank Menzler served at Guidant Corporation's, Cardiac Surgery Business Unit for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada (EMEAC) in Brussels, Belgium. In 2006 Guidant was acquired for $27.5 billion by Boston Scientific Corporation. Prior to joining Guidant, Mr. Menzler co-founded Impella Cardiotechnik AG, Germany, helping raise more than $30 million in grants and venture capital for one of the nation's first academically-sponsored medical device research effort to receive private venture capital funding. In 2005, Impella was acquired by US-based, ABIOMED, Inc.
Mr. Frank Menzler holds a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from RWTH Aachen, Germany.
Harmel S. Rayat: Secretary, Treasurer and CFO
Mr. Rayat brings over 20 years of experience in the venture capital and corporate finance industry to HepaLife Technologies, Inc., and is credited with founding numerous companies based on novel, emerging technologies with broad commercial applications.
A well-established venture capitalist, Mr. Harmel S. Rayat's wide investment portfolio ranges from commercial real estate to cutting-edge technology-centric companies, including a Princeton, NJ-based biopharmaceutical company developing entirely new classes of novel compounds for type-2 diabetes and cancer, and a technology incubator currently developing the world's first 'spray-on' nanoparticle coating to create transparent glass windows capable of generating electricity from sunlight.
Mr. Rayat serves as President of Montgomery Asset Management Corporation, a privately held firm providing financial consulting services to emerging growth corporations, and has served in numerous capacities on HepaLife's Board of Directors since December, 2000.
Javier Jimenez:
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Javier Jimenez brings more than 15 years of global experience, including executive-level management, sales, operations, finance, and mergers and acquisitions in the medical device and healthcare arena.
At ABIOMED, Inc., Mr. Javier Jimenez served in numerous positions, most recently as Vice President, General Manager Europe and Vice President, Operations. In his role as acting Chief Financial Officer at ABIOMED, Mr. Javier Jimenez led the company’s interaction with external auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, and effectively implemented Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 internal controls. At GE Healthcare, a $15 billion unit of General Electric Company, Mr. Jimenez held several key finance and management positions in the United States and Latin America.
Mr. Javier Jimenez earned his Bachelor and Masters degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from Universidad Politécnica in Madrid, Spain, and subsequently completed his MBA from Boston University. He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, an advanced management methodology.
Roland Schomer: Non-Executive Director
Dr. Roland Schomer brings more than 10 years of global experience with executive-level management, marketing, operations and business development in the pharmaceutical industry.
At Novartis Pharma AG in Basel, Switzerland, Dr. Roland Schomer currently serves as Global Brand Director, Transplantation. Previously he served as Business Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa, for Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. in Switzerland, where Dr. Schomer oversaw global brand development and its implementation for the company's metabolic disorder drug, Zavesca. At Actelion Pharmaceuticals Deutschland GmbH, he built the company's German affiliate as General Manager, Germany. Prior to this role he held several key marketing positions at Pfizer Inc. and Warner-Lambert Inc. in Germany and the Middle-East.
Dr. Roland Schomer holds a Medical degree from Medical School of Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, and subsequently completed his Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
