MEDIWOUND - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Quality Assurance
In early 2024, Sandra assumed the role of Executive Director of Quality with over a decade of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. With an extensive background in regulatory compliance, quality assurance, process enhancement, and risk-centered methodologies, Sandra brings a wealth of expertise to the table. She has been instrumental in navigating rigorous on-site inspections conducted by regulatory bodies such as the FDA, EMA, and PMDA, effectively steering them toward approval. Sandra's track record underscores her pivotal contribution to elevating the company's quality standards, while her strategic vision propels MediWound towards its future objectives, ensuring steadfast support for our collaborative initiatives. Sandra holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Ben-Gurion University.
"As stated by Viktor Frankl (1949), I believe one should transcend the self to find meaning. Alleviating the burden of those suffering from severe burns or chronic wounds, provides such meaning."
Job Titles:
- Vice President of European Operations
Ms.Torrenova is Vice President of European Operations after having successfully overseen operations in Spain, Portugal and LATAM countries as a Business Unit Manager. Prior to MediWound, Ms. Torrenova was a Country Manager in Spain and Portugal for LifeCell, where she was responsible for introducing biological matrices for soft tissue repair. She began her career at Coloplast where she served as a marketing and sales manager working closely with surgeons, national patient collectives and marketing authorities launching and developing the market for breast cancer products. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from the Sorbonne University in Paris, and received a Master's degree in Business Management and Sales from the CEF school of business in Madrid.
"Regulatory affairs are the final stamp for our products and we are keen to maintain it at the highest standard. I am proud of the experience, know-how and knowledge we have aquired over the years working with all the major health authorities and bringing NexoBrid to burn patients worldwide."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
- Plant Manager
Andey has served as our VP Plant Manager since 2008 and as our head of production since MediWound's inception in 2001. Mr. Kon has over 20 years of experience in the biotech industry. Prior to joining MediWound he served as head of production of Omrix pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Kon holds a M.Sc. in Biotechnology from St. Petersburg pharmaceutical institute.
"Clinical trials are important for discovering new treatments for diseases, as well as new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the chance of developing diseases. I'm proud to be part of all discoveries achieved in the last 20 years in the clinical development of our products and having new therapies available to patients"
Asi Haviv joined MediWound's leadership team in September 2023, assuming the role of Medical Director and contributing nearly two decades of invaluable expertise in clinical drug development. Before joining MediWound, Dr. Haviv served as Vice President of Clinical Development at Chiasma Pharma and Amryt Pharma (2012-2022). During his tenure, he led the clinical development and securing regulatory approvals for Mycapssa® in both the United States and the European Union, addressing the needs of patients with Acromegaly. Prior to his work at Chiasma and Amryt, Asi held the position of Global Program Leader at Teva Pharmaceuticals (2005-2012), where he oversaw the development of innovative products within the inflammatory/autoimmune and neurology therapeutic areas. Dr. Haviv holds board certification in Oral Medicine and has served as a senior physician at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he provided care for patients with pathologies affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. He also conducted research in immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, further showcasing his dedication to advancing medical knowledge. Throughout his career, Asi has authored numerous publications in leading peer-reviewed medical journals, including Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
Aya Ben Yaakov assumed the role of Regulatory Department Head in early 2023, following her tenure in various positions at MediWound spanning nearly a decade. Before taking on her current role, Aya led clinical trials for both the NexoBrid and EscharEx programs within the Clinical Department. Her notable accomplishments include leading the Phase 3 NexoBrid pediatric study, which entailed liaising with regulatory authorities such as the EMA and FDA to secure approval for the use of NexoBrid in pediatric patients. Aya's holds a B.Sc. in Nutritional Sciences earned with honors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also has an M.Sc. in Medical Sciences and a Ph.D. in Pathology, with her doctoral research focusing on impaired wound healing in diabetic patients, conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
- Executive Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development
Mr. Wolfenson co-founded and is also CEO of vTail Healthcare Telecommunications, a healthcare-wide digital platform with an initial focus on the advanced wound care market. He also recently served as a key Strategic Advisor to Origin, Inc. on the development of their Phase III-ready IonoJet TM technology with an initial indication of diabetic foot ulcers. Mr. Wolfenson is currently on the Board of Directors at SANO Diagnostics, after having served as their CEO. SANO Diagnostics is a point-of-care inflammation diagnostic platform with initial focus on chronic wounds. Mr. Wolfenson spent 13 years at Derma Sciences in roles of increasing responsibility, helping to build the company's advanced wound care business prior to its acquisition by Integra Life Sciences. He began his career as an analyst at Accenture before moving on to roles at Bristol Myers Squibb. Mr. Wolfenson holds a Master of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, & Pre-Med from Franklin & Marshall College.
"Establishing a state of the art cGMP sterile facility that takes the pineapple stem and makes it a pharmaceutical drug is a life accomplishment"
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
Dr. Robert J. Snyder (DPM, MSc, MBA, CWSP, FFPM RCPS) is Dean, Professor, Director of Clinical Research and Fellowship Director in Wound Care and Research at Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine. He is certified in foot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and is also a board-certified wound specialist. Dr. Snyder is past-president of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care and past-president of the American Board of Wound Management. Dr. Snyder has completed an MBA in Health Management from The George Washington University and the Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Snyder is a key opinion leader and sought-after speaker, lecturing extensively throughout the United States and abroad. He has published several book chapters and over 165 papers in peer reviewed and trade journals on wound care, and was the recipient of the Dr. Robert Warriner Memorial Award for excellence in wound management. Dr. Snyder serves as the Associate Editor for JAPMA and on the editorial advisory boards of Ostomy Wound Management, Wounds and as a periodic reviewer for the Lancet and NEJM. He has been a Principal Investigator on more than 65 randomized controlled trials for innovative wound healing modalities and products.
Vickie R. Driver has served as a member of our Board since May 2017. She is board certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and is a Fellow at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, licensed in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Dr Driver serves as Chair, Board of Directors for the Wound Care Collaborative Community. She is System Wide Medical Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Centers at INOVA Healthcare in the DC Metropolitan area and is Professor, University of Virginia, School of Medicine. She is also Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons-Glasgow, PM and Inaugural Fellow, Assoc for the Advancement of Wound Care, FAAWC. She serves as a member of the Wound Healing Society (WHS) Board of Directors and as member Board of Directors for the Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) Global Society. She has completed her tenure as president for the Advancement of Wound Care Association (AAWC). She has also chaired the Wound Care Experts and FDA Clinical Endpoints Project. She has served as a senior investigator for more than 70 important multi-center randomized clinical trials. She has served and chaired multiple committees for large national and international pivotal clinical trials, has authored over 150 publications. Dr. Driver received a Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery from the California College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and a master's degree in medical education from Samuel Merritt University
Job Titles:
- VP R & D
- VP Research & Development
Eilon has served as our VP R&D since July 2007. Prior to joining Mediwound, Dr. Asculai was the Senior Director of the Pharmaceutical R&D at Perrigo Israel Pharmaceuticals. In this position, he managed all pharmaceutical development activities from initiation to submission. Dr. Asculai led a considerable senior scientific and technical staff in the process of development of generic and innovative products. During his service at Perrigo, the pharmaceutical R&D specialized mainly in topical and dermatological products and became one of the world's leading R&D groups in this field. Prior to his last position, Dr. Asculai served for nine years, in various management positions in Perrigo in Pharmaceutical R&D. Dr. Asculai holds B.Sc., M.Sc. (Summa cum Laude), Ph.D in Medical Sciences, and MBA (hons.) degrees, all from the Ben-Gurion University
Job Titles:
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
- Chief R & D Officer
- Chief Research and Development Officer
Ety has served as our Chief Research and Development Officer since May 2014. Prior to joining MediWound, Dr. Klinger was Vice President of Research and Development at Proteologics Ltd since July 2011, where she was responsible for discovery projects in the ubiquitin system, conducted in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc and Teva. Prior to this, Dr. Klinger served for 17 years in numerous leadership positions at Teva's global innovative R&D division and served as Teva's Board representative at various biotechnology companies. Dr. Klinger was a key member of the Copaxone® development team. As a project leader she led the chemistry, manufacture and control, preclinical, clinical and post‑marketing R&D activities of various innovative treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), autoimmune and neurological diseases. From 2006 to 2011, as a Senior Director at Teva, Dr. Klinger was a member of Teva's global innovative R&D management team. From 2006 to 2008, she served as the Head of MS and Autoimmune Diseases at Teva, and led the Life Cycle Management (LCM) of innovative R&D. Dr. Klinger holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a M.S. and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Tel‑Aviv University and an MBA degree from Tel Aviv University and Northwestern University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
With over 20 years of progressive leadership experience managing financial and accounting operations, Ms. Luxenburg joins MediWound with a proven track record delivering positive business growth and profitable financial results in the technology and life sciences sectors. Most recently, Ms. Luxenburg served as Chief Financial Officer at BIRD Aerosystems. Prior to that, she held senior finance roles at AstraZeneca, Alvarion Technologies Ltd., and Ernst & Young. Ms. Luxenburg holds a Bachelor of Law from the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzilya, Israel and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting from the University of Haifa, Israel. In addition, she is a certified public accountant and a member of the Israel Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Surgery
- Surgeon
- Member of Board Committee
He holds the academic title of Professor of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine. He is a world leader in limb salvage and lower extremity wound healing. To date, he has been the principal investigator on over 70 clinical trials. He directs a clinical research program in the field of lower extremity wound healing and tissue repair and published extensively. He currently sits on the editorial board of WOUNDS and is a reviewer for other journals. Dr. Lantis will provide MediWound with his medical expertise in all aspects of wound care.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
- VP Clinical Affairs
Keren has served as our VP Clinical Affairs since 2019 and as MediWound's Director of Clinical Affairs since March 2013. Ms. David-Zarbiv. Ms. David holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. with distinction from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Eengineering from the Technion -Israel Institute of Technology.
"Deep and robust foundations, are the key to every solid building. I am proud to lead the pre-clinical as well as the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) development at MediWound. By a team work, my group is establishing the foundations for turning vision to reality"
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
Lior is one of our co‑founders and has served as our Chief Medical Technology Officer since 2001 and served as a member of our board of directors from 2001 to 2013. Since 2001, Dr. Rosenberg has headed the unit for Cleft Lip Palate and Craniofacial Deformities at Soroka University Medical Center and Meir Medical Centers in Beer Sheva and Kfar Saba, Israel, respectively. Since 1987, he has served as a Full Professor of plastic surgery at the Ben‑Gurion University Medical School in Beer Sheva, Israel. He also serves as the Chairman of the Burn Disaster Committee for the International Society of Burn Injuries and the Israeli Ministry of Health. From 1987 to 2012, Dr. Rosenberg served as the chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burn Unit at Soroka University Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel. He is a founding member of the Israeli Burn Association and the Mediterranean Burn Council, a member of the American Burn Association and a national representative at the European Burn Association. Dr. Rosenberg holds a M.D. degree from Tel‑Aviv University, Israel and a Professor of Plastic Surgery degree from the Ben Gurion University, Israel.
Job Titles:
- Compensation
- Member of Our Board of Directors
Mr. David Fox has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2020. Mr. Fox was most recently a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and served as a member of its Global Executive Management Committee until 2019. Prior to joining Kirkland, Mr. Fox was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he was a member of its governing committee. Mr. Fox is a member of the executive committee and board of directors of the Park Avenue Armory. Mr. Fox is the principal of David Fox & Co. LLC, an advisory business and CEO of Bald Productions LLC, a movie and television development and production company. He is also an advisor to Longacre Square Partners, a communications and special situations advisory firm and to Nardello & Co, a global investigations firm. In addition, Mr. Fox serves on the executive committee and the board of governors, and is an honorary fellow, of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He holds an LL.B. degree from Jerusalem University, Israel
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Chairman of the Board of Directors / Board Committee
Board Committee membership: Compensation Committee (Chairperson), Nomination and Governance Committee Nachum (Homi) Shamir has served as Chairman of our board of directors since August 2022. Mr. Shamir most recently served as the Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Luminex Corporation from 2014 through its sale to DiaSorin S.p.A. in 2021. Mr. Shamir has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Given Imaging from 2006 through its sale to Covidien (now Medtronic) in 2014. Mr. Shamir currently serves on the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SSI Diagnostics. Previously, Mr. Shamir served on the Boards of Isoplexis (acquired), Invendo (acquired), Cactus (acquired) and Cogentix (acquired). Mr. Shamir holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
Ofer Gonen is the CEO of MediWound, a position he has held since July 2022. With a robust background featuring over 20 years in global life science management, his expertise is extensive and multifaceted. Prior to his current role, Gonen was the CEO of Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (TASE: CBI) and a managing partner at the Anatomy Medical Technology Fund. He is also the founder of Cactus Acquisition Corp. 1 (Nasdaq: CCTS). In addition to his executive roles, Gonen has a significant history of board memberships, including positions at Gamida Cell (Nasdaq: GMDA), Cactus (Nasdaq: CCTS), Anchiano (Nasdaq: ANCN), MediWound (Nasdaq: MDWD), Elicio (Nasdaq: ELTX), Colbar, which was acquired by J&J, and Cadent, which was acquired Novartis. Gonen holds a B.Sc. in Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry from the Hebrew University, and an M.A. in Economics and Finance from Tel Aviv University. He is a graduate of the prestigious "Talpiot" program of the Israeli Defense Forces.
Job Titles:
- Member of Board Committee
- Venture Partner at AMoon, Israel 's Largest HealthTech VC Fund
John C. Lantis
Chief of Surgery at Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York, practices as a senior vascular surgeon
Mr. Moed has recently retired from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy. He led the strategic direction of the company with close linkage to all its major businesses, functions, and geographies. His recent focus was on the $90 billion acquisition and integration of Celgene by BMS. He serves in Board and advisory roles supporting companies in the HealthTech sector. Mr. Moed with his experience as an executive in the life sciences industry will provide MediWound with his expertise in strategic development for life science innovations.
Shmuel "Milky" Rubinstein has served as a member of our board since August 2023. Mr. Rubinstein brings a distinguished record of leadership in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors to our board. Currently serving as Chairman of Trima Pharma, Milky's expertise extends across various prominent board roles, including Strata Skin Sciences (SSKN), Medison Biotech, and Keystone Dental. Notably, he held the esteemed position of CEO at Taro Pharmaceuticals (TARO), overseeing its successful acquisition by SUN Pharma. Milky's extensive board engagements also encompass Kamada (KMDA), Exalenz (Acquired by VIVO), and Clal Biotechnology Industries (CBI). With a proven track record, Milky Rubinstein's insights are poised to contribute significantly to our company's strategic direction and growth
Shmulik Hess - Chief Commercial Officer, COO
Job Titles:
- Chief Commercial Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
Dr. Hess brings over two decades of extensive expertise in drug development and commercial operations in healthcare. He possesses a wealth of leadership experience in operational strategies, sales, and commercial facets within the global biopharma industry. Prior to joining MediWound, he served as Chief Executive Officer at Tabby Therapeutics, Enlivex Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ENLV), and Valin Technologies. Formerly, Dr. Hess served as a global operations executive at SciGen Ltd (acquired by VBI Vaccines). Dr. Hess is the inventor of multiple patents and author of numerous publications in peer reviewed scientific journals. He received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Science from the Hebrew University, Israel and was a research fellow at Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST).
"It is a privilege to take on this role during such an exciting and transformative time for MediWound. I look forward to working with this outstanding management team as we focus our efforts on advancing our clinical pipeline. I am excited to be part of a company that will meaningfully improve the lives of millions of patients worldwide."
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Palatin Technologies, Inc
- Member of Our Board
Stephen T. Wills has served as a member of our Board since May 2017. Mr. Wills serves as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Palatin Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PTN), a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted, receptor-specific peptide therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with significant unmet medical need and commercial potential. Mr. Wills serves on the boards of Gamida Cell Ltd. (Nasdaq: GMDA), since March 2019 and of Amryt Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering treatments to help improve lives of patients with rare and orphan diseases since September 2019 until April 2023, when Amryt was acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici. Mr. Wills served as executive chairman and interim principal executive officer of Derma Sciences Inc. from December 2015 to February 2017, when Derma Sciences was acquired by Integra Lifesciences (Nasdaq: IART). Mr. Wills, a certified public accountant, earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from West Chester University, and a Master of Science in taxation from Temple University
Yaron Meyer - Chief Legal Officer, EVP
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- General Counsel
- Member of the Strategic Advisory Board
Yaron has served as our Executive Vice President since March 2019 and as our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since December 2013. From April 2008 to November 2013, he served as the Corporate Secretary of Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (CBI). From November 2010 to November 2013, he served as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of D‑Pharm Ltd. From April 2008 to May 2010, he served as a legal counsel of Clal Industries Ltd. From May 2005 to April 2008, he worked as an associate at Shibolet & Co. Advocates. Mr. Meyer is a member of the Israel Bar Association and holds an LL.B. degree from Haifa University, Israel.