BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Development Specialist
- Foundation Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Chief Operating Officer, South Texas Blood & Tissue
- Senior Vice President With
Adrienne Blevins Mendoza became Senior Vice President with BioBridge Global and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for South Texas Blood & Tissue in January 2022. Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Blood Operations after transitioning in December 2020 from her role as Vice President of Global Quality for BioBridge Global.
She has more than 20 years of experience in quality systems and regulatory affairs, Lean 6-Sigma and strategic planning, and she has expertise in blood and blood components, cell-based therapies and human tissue products. Adrienne completed undergraduate studies in Business Administration at California Coast University and Biology at California State University, San Marcos. She pursued graduate studies in Administrative Leadership at University of Oklahoma and later completed executive leadership programs in Business Culture at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She holds a certificate in Healthcare Executive Leadership from the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University and has been nominated to the 2022 Harvard Business School's Young American Leaders Program. She enjoys team building, art, and music and loves spending time outdoors, camping and riding horses.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, GenCure
Becky Cap, a 25-year veteran of the life sciences industry, was named chief operating officer of San Antonio-based GenCure in February 2016. GenCure, a subsidiary of BioBridge Global, is focused on providing process development and cGMP manufacturing services. Cap drove the intra-preneurial development and integration of these new service lines for BioBridge Global and supported the extension of other business unit offerings into the cell therapy and regenerative medicine space. GenCure's mission is to realize the potential of donated human cells and tissue to save and enhance lives.
Cap, a native of Texas, earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Management. She began her career at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where she worked on early trials exploring the benefits of hematologic stem cell transplant for breast cancer and the effects of growth factors in high-dose chemotherapy trials.
Her move to industry began at Eidetics, a consulting firm focused on informing biomedical product development support. She supported US and global development and strategic marketing efforts for chemotherapeutics, leading monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immuno-oncology agents, including PD-1 and PDL-1 inhibitors. Her expertise was honed as Oncology became an active and competitive market in which physicians and patients had multiple treatment options available to them for their cancers. She started one of the first Oncology Consulting Practices in this strategic marketing and market research space. She also has run her own consulting firm and worked with a number of local startups in the San Antonio community.
Cap has provided strategic guidance for the development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, both in large, established firms and early stage ventures. She has provided extensive entrepreneurial executive coaching and mentoring. She is an active member of local and national committees on Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy, two private company Boards of Directors and the Governing Committee for Seton Home. Additionally, Cap is a co-founder and founding president of San Antonio TechBoosters, a 501(c)6 organization established to mentor student entrepreneurs.
Job Titles:
- Chief Science Officer
- Cofounder
Dr. Mason is a Cofounder and Chief Science Officer at AvroBio, a clinical-stage, gene therapy company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
He also is a professor of cell and gene therapy in the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, working on the clinical translation and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He has a multidisciplinary track record, spanning R&D, clinical practice, bioprocessing, regulation, healthcare economics, reimbursement and business.
He is on a number of national and international committees, working groups and initiatives related to the academic, clinical translation and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He is the founder and CEO of the London Regenerative Medicine Network (LRMN) and a founding member of the UK-Israel Science Council. He also is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the UK Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Strategic Advisory Board of the Canadian Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), and Scientific Advisory Board of the Canadian Stem Cell Network.
He is a general spokesperson for the cell and gene therapy sector, including frequent newspaper, radio and TV interviews.
He is Senior Editor of the journals Cell and Gene Therapy Insight and Regenerative Medicine.
He received his bachelor's in molecular biology from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in 1993, an MBBS in medicine/surgery from United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals in 1994, and Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from University College London in 2005.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Director
- Business Development Director at GenCure
A 25-year industry veteran, Christie Malone is the Business Development Director at GenCure. Malone focuses on advancing the organization's strategic collaborations with not only therapeutic cell and cell & gene therapy companies in every stage of the product development pipeline, but also the companies that provide tools to facilitate clinical product manufacturing.
Since joining GenCure in 2017, Malone has established GenCure as a preferred contract development and manufacturing organization for the cell and gene therapy marketplace, ensuring client satisfaction and enduring trust as a long-term partner.
Her current role relies on more than 2 decades experience in transfusion medicine, which includes pediatric transfusion practice, blood center immunohematology and infectious disease testing. She also has experience in sales and marketing of 510(k)-regulated, closed-system medical devices.
Job Titles:
- Foundation Staff Member
- Director, Development
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Talent & Performance Management
Granville has 30 years of experience in operations, manufacturing, services, quality, safety, and process improvement and has successfully guided teams across multiple global locations, driven revenue growth and ensured excellence in service delivery.
After graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, he worked for DuPont in Delaware and Mississippi before joining GE in 1990. He spent the next 24 years in GE working in its Plastics, Medical Systems, and Silicones businesses. He held many positions with GE of increasing complexity and responsibility. In 2014 he moved to Houston TX where he worked for Nexeo Solutions, InterWrap, Inc. and Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center before joining BioBridge Global in October 2017.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Managing Partner of Proteus LLC
Bonfiglio is the Founder and Managing Partner of Proteus LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused solely on regenerative medicine. Formed in 2006, Proteus provides fund management and consulting services to the regenerative medicine industry. Proteus works with regenerative medicine companies across all levels of development, from early stage entities to large pharma and biotech companies, as well as governmental organizations pursuing regenerative medicine initiatives.
He is the Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, Canada. Bonfiglio serves on the Board of Healios KK, one of the largest publicly traded regenerative medicine companies in Japan. In addition, he has served on the boards of several other regenerative medicine companies, including VistaGen Therapeutics (in vitro tools from hESCs); Advanced Cell Technologies (hESC therapeutics); California Stem Cell (hESC tools and therapeutics); and StemCyte, Inc. (cord blood storage and therapeutics).
Bonfiglio was an early investor in the field of stems cell and regenerative medicine, and he continues to be actively involved in the field. He is a frequent speaker at regenerative medicine conferences and is a member of the ISSCR, as well as serving on its advisory board, as well as its Finance Committee. He also is a member of the ISCT. In 2013, Bonfiglio was listed 14 th among the Top 50 Stem Cell Influencers in the world.
He has more than 25 years' experience working with technology companies. From 2000-05, Bonfiglio was a General Partner with Anthem Venture Partners - an early stage venture fund in California. While at Anthem, Bonfiglio led investments in both biotechnology and IT.
Prior to joining Anthem, he was a Partner with Morrison & Foerster, where he worked extensively with technology clients. Bonfiglio was an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stanford Law School from 1996-2000. He has been a Guest Lecturer at the Stanford Business School on the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine Technologies. From 1995-2005, he was a regular Guest Lecturer at the UC Berkley Haas Business School in the Entrepreneurship Program.
Bonfiglio received his bachelor of arts degree in Mathematics (magna cum laude) from Michigan State University in 1975, and his J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Senior Vice President
John Youngdahl became Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in July 2022. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Finance after transitioning in September 2021 from his role as Sr. Director of FP&A. John joined BioBridge Global in December 2016 and has more than 20 years of experience holding senior financial positions in finance, including roles in operations and marketing.
John earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in finance from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, and an MBA from Texas State University. He is a native of Texas and has had the good fortune of spending the majority of his life in Central and South Texas.
Bertram has had a career of medical service to the warfighter. After more than 20 years as an active duty officer, Bertram retired from government service as the Principal Assistant for Acquisition for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), Fort Detrick, Maryland, and as a member of the Senior Executive Service.
While in that role, he was responsible for the advanced development and acquisition of medical products (drugs, vaccines, and devices) for the U.S. Army. In addition, Bertram served as the Surgeon General's Sponsor's Representative to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as the U.S. Army's Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) for medical products. As such, he was responsible for the life-cycle management of fielded medical products (research, development, acquisition, and sustainment). He was a member of the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps and is Acquisition Level III Certified in both Program Management and Science and Technology Management. Bertram has been awarded the highest recognition for Army civilians, the Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service by the Secretary of the Army for his contributions to the Warfighter.
Bertram previously served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel in the Medical Corps after 24 years of active duty. His assignments included: Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; Chief of Staff, USAMRMC; Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (USAMRMC); and Chief, Hematology/Medical Oncology Service at Madigan Army Medical Center. Bertram's military honors include two Legion of Merit awards, the Army's The Surgeon General's "A" Proficiency Designator in Hematology/Oncology, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.
He is board certified in internal medicine and has been board certified in hematology and medical oncology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (F.A.C.P.). He completed both his Hematology/Medical Oncology Fellowship and Internal Medicine Residency at Madigan Army Medical Center. Bertram received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Washington and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. Bertram continues his work to bring new therapies to the market in his work at Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Chief Operating Officer, QualTex Laboratories
Mark Fite joined BioBridge Global in July 2020 and has been Chief Operating Officer for QualTex Laboratories since June 2021. He brings more than 30 years of wide-ranging operations experience from a variety of biomedical and pharmaceutical organizations.
Fite's most recent role was as Chief Operating Officer at Pharmaceutical Associate Inc., a generic liquid oral dose manufacturer focused on producing generic oral dose liquid bioequivalent formulations for children, adults and the elderly who may have swallowing disorders or restricted diets. Prior to that, Fite worked for 14 years for DPT Laboratories, a San Antonio-based CDMO. During his tenure at DPT as Senior Vice President for Operations, he was the project leader for multiple high-impact projects that allowed DPT to grow into a premier CDMO provider.
After graduating from Appalachian State University, Fite started his career at international health and beauty aid company Revlon, and then moved on to other management roles in the United States and the United Kingdom before joining DPT.
Martin "Marty" J. Landon has 30 years of experience in the health care industry. Landon has held senior positions in public and private companies and is recognized for building and leading high-performance teams and value-creating initiatives. In 2016, he joined BioBridge Global as chief executive officer. Landon serves on the board of the San Antonio Medical Foundation and as secretary/treasurer on the board of BioMed SA.
Landon began his career as an internal auditor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and later was an auditor for four years at public accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co. In 1987, Landon joined lntelogic Trace, a NYSE-traded firm, where he was appointed chief financial officer.
From 1994 to 2012, Landon was an executive at Kinetic Concepts Inc., now Acelity, a global medical device company, where he led numerous acquisitions, financial and securities transactions. He developed major process improvements and IT initiatives that contributed to extraordinary growth, culminating in a $6.3 billion leveraged buyout. During his tenure at KCI, annual revenues increased from $250 million to nearly $2 billion.
Prior to his current role, Landon served as president and CEO of CeloNova BioSciences Inc., an early-stage, innovative medical device company that develops, manufactures and sells products with multiple vascular applications. Landon remains a member of the CeloNova board of directors.
Landon was a Certified Public Accountant from 1984 to 2010 and received his BA in accounting from Benedictine College in Kansas. Landon is a member of the advisory council of SAMMinistries in San Antonio, Texas, chair of the UTSA Research External Advisory Council and a member of the board of visitors at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Renovo Concepts Inc.
Job Titles:
- Foundation Staff Member
- Manager, the Blood & Tissue Center Foundation
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Foundation Staff Member
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Dr. Yaszemski is the Krehbiel Family Endowed Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic and director of its Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory.
He is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and served in the office of the Air Force Surgeon General and the office of the President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences prior to retiring in 2013. He served as president of the Mayo Clinic medical staff from 2013-2014, and had served for 10 years as the Chair of the Spine Surgery Division of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic Rochester prior to entering the presidential line.
He organized and then served as the first chair of the Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering study section at NIH, and served as a member of the Advisory Council of the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering from 2010-2014.
He currently is a member of the NIH Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases. He served as chair of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiologic Health Advisory Committee and is a member of the FDA Science Board. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors. He has 84 issued patents and 24 additional patents pending. He is an emeritus member of the Lehigh University Board of Trustees.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Secretary
- Chairman Emeritus
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- General Manager of GE Healthcare 's Cell
Vanek is General Manager of GE Healthcare's Cell and Gene Therapy business strategy, a business initiative funded in part through GE Ventures and GE Healthymagination, a $6 billion strategy to revolutionize the world's health by improving the quality, access and affordability of care. Prior to joining GE, he was Head of Business Development for Cell Therapy, and later Head of Innovation, for Lonza's pharmaceutical division, helping to drive new technology initiatives focused on cell, protein and viral therapeutic manufacturing.
Vanek's career has included a number of innovation, business and market development roles at Becton Dickinson, Invitrogen and Life Technologies, as well as two start-up biotechnology companies in the Washington, D.C., area. Additionally, he was an Instructor for Johns Hopkins University Advanced Academic Programs, teaching Biotechnology Marketing for several years while working at BD and Lonza.
Vanek received his doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Georgetown University Medical Center and subsequently held an IRTA fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and the Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
He is an active board member of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, where he has served as an officer and chair of the Governance and Oversight committee. He also has been a board member of the ARM Foundation. Vanek serves on the board of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, Canada, where he chairs the HR and Governance committee. He has published a number of industry position pieces and serves on the Editorial Board of Cell and Gene Therapy Insights.
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer
- Senior Vice President
- South Texas Blood & Tissue Center As the VP, Medical Affairs
Dr. Beddard joined South Texas Blood & Tissue Center as the VP, Medical Affairs on August 2007. Prior to joining our organization, she worked for Johns Hopkins University as an Immunology Laboratory Research Associate, Tidewater Blood Research Laboratory, as the Medical Director, and Texas Cord Blood Bank, as the Medical Director.
Dr. Beddard received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her graduate degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She has licensures from Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and New York. She is also board certified in Clinical Pathology and Transfusion Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer
- Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, BioBridge Global, and Chief Commercial Officer
Ward Carter, who has been with the organization for five years, brings more than 31 years of experience with Abbott Laboratories to his role in leading sales, marketing and customer relationship management for BioBridge Global.
At Abbott Laboratories, Carter was responsible for managing sales and service teams supporting transfusion medicine in the United States and was responsible for implementing new commercial sales and marketing processes specific to customer contract and pricing development, along with ongoing customer contract and entitlement management. He also was directly involved in development of commercial compliance initiatives, including customer reporting processes and new ethics and compliance guidelines specifically for all Abbott Diagnostics commercial organizations.
During his five years as Chief Operating Officer of QualTex Laboratories, Carter led a complete computer system change and integration, two facility redesigns and renovations, and the implementation of laboratory automation systems in both Atlanta and San Antonio. Carter has been instrumental in expanding the capacity footprint and introducing new products and services that expand the customer service offering, while at the same time ensuring that quality is core to everything the QualTex Laboratories team delivers. With facilities in San Antonio and Atlanta, QualTex Laboratories is one of the largest independent nonprofit biologic testing centers in the United States. QualTex Laboratories provides testing services for blood, plasma and tissue donations, as well as advanced testing to support cellular therapy and cell manufacturing, in addition to reference testing and clinical research testing support.
William "Richey" Wyatt - Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Officer, SVP
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- General Counsel
- Senior Vice President
Richey Wyatt has an extensive legal background, first as a corporate attorney with the law firm Strasburger & Price, LLP (formerly Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison and Tate, Inc.), where he was a partner and subsequently as Sr. Vice President and General Counsel for a group of health care related entrepreneurial ventures.
Richey received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University (double majoring in English & Philosophy) and his law degree, with honors, from the University of Houston Law Center. Richey is very involved in the San Antonio community having served on various community and non-profit boards as well as in Leadership San Antonio (a leadership program jointly sponsored by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce & the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce). Richey is married to Joan and has two sons, Henry & Taylor.