HYALOFAST - Key Persons

Anne Nunes - COO, SVP

Job Titles:
  • Chief Operations Officer
  • Senior Vice President
Anne Nunes was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer in June 2023 after serving as Anika's Vice President of Operations since joining the company in September of 2021. Prior to Anika, Ms. Nunes served as Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Smith & Nephew with responsibility for strategy and transformation. She spent eighteen years at Smith & Nephew in increasing roles of responsibility including Senior Vice President of Process Optimization, Vice President of Supply Chain for the Advanced Surgical Devices division and Chief Information Officer of the Sports Medicine business unit. Prior to Smith & Nephew, Ms. Nunes held positions at Biogen Idec in Denmark, Switzerland and in the United States and she began her career at Eli Lilly & Co. in Research & Development. Ms. Nunes holds an M.B.A. from Boston University's Questrom School of Business, where she completed the International Management Program, and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana, IL.

Ben Joseph - VP

Job Titles:
  • Vice President
  • Vice President, Commercial and Corporate Development
Ben Joseph joined Anika in August 2020 as Vice President, US Commercial and Global Brand Management. Mr. Joseph joined Anika from Mend Medical, a healthcare investment and innovation portfolio company of Ambassador Enterprises where he was President and General Manager. He spent over 10 years at Zimmer Biomet in key positions in the Sports Medicine and the Extremities business segments. He has held roles including Director of US Commercialization and Director of Marketing. In his last role at Zimmer Biomet, Mr. Joseph was the General Manager of the Global Foot and Ankle Business, and key initiatives included portfolio rationalization, product development focus, re-branding, and the build-out of a specialized sales channel. Throughout his tenure at Zimmer Biomet, he had a track record of building excellent teams and delivering consistent top and bottom-line growth. Mr. Joseph holds a B.S. in Business Management and an M.B.A. from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Cheryl R. Blanchard - CEO, President

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • President
  • President and Chief Executive Officer / Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
Cheryl Blanchard, Ph.D. was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in April 2020 after serving as interim Chief Executive Officer since February 2020. Dr. Blanchard joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics, Inc. in August 2018, serving on the Company's Compensation Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. Prior to her work as an executive officer with Anika, she served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Microchips Biotech, Inc., a venture-backed biotechnology company developing regenerative medicine and drug delivery products, from 2014 until its sale to Daré Bioscience, Inc. in November 2019. From 2012 to 2020, Dr. Blanchard was also a Principal at Blanchard Consulting, LLC which provided scientific, regulatory, and business strategy consulting services to medical device companies and private equity clients. From 2000 to 2012, she served in various officer positions of Zimmer, Inc. (now Zimmer Biomet), a medical device company focused on musculoskeletal products, including as the Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, and general manager of Zimmer Biologics. She was also a member of Zimmer's executive committee and founded, built and led Zimmer's Joint Preservation/Regenerative Medicine business. Prior to joining Zimmer, Dr. Blanchard built and led the medical device practice at Southwest Research Institute. She currently serves as a director of Vigil Neuroscience (NASDAQ: VIGL), a publicly held clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to harnessing the power of microglia for the treatment of neurogenerative diseases, since November 2020 and has served as a director of Daré Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: DARE), a publicly held leader in women's health innovation, since November 2019. Dr. Blanchard received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and received her B.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University.

David Colleran - Chief Legal Officer, EVP, Secretary

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Secretary
  • Executive Vice President
  • General Counsel
David Colleran joined Anika in March 2020 as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Colleran leads Anika's global legal organization, including corporate governance and compliance. Most recently, Mr. Colleran served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer at Insulet Corporation, a publicly traded, global medical device and drug delivery company. Prior to Insulet, he held the role of Vice President and General Counsel at Covidien, a global manufacturer of medical devices and supplies acquired by Medtronic, and Corporate Counsel at Ocean Spray Cranberries. Mr. Colleran began his career as a corporate attorney at Choate, Hall & Stewart. Mr. Colleran holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School, and he is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.

Gary P. Fischetti

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Compensation Committee
  • Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee
  • Formerly Company Group Chairman
Gary P. Fischetti joined the Board of Directors of Anika in April 2023. Mr. Fischetti has extensive experience in the medical device industry, with a focus on strategic planning, organizational change and management responsibilities. Mr. Fischetti retired from active employment in January 2018. Prior to retirement, Mr. Fischetti previously worked for 35 years at Johnson & Johnson (including at its DePuy Synthes orthopedic subsidiaries), in positions of increasing responsibility in multiple businesses, with both domestic and worldwide responsibilities. Mr. Fishcetti served as the company Group Chairman - North American Medical Devices for Johnson & Johnson's medical device business from 2015 to 2017. He also previously served as the worldwide Company Group Chairman for the DePuy Synthes companies, which included the Joint Reconstruction, Spine, Trauma, CMF, and Power tools businesses. Prior to that, he served as the worldwide Company Group Chairman for all the DePuy Orthopaedic businesses and the Codman franchise, and as the Worldwide President of DePuy Spine from 2005 to 2009. Mr. Fischetti currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for Orchid Orthopedic Solutions and is a member of the Board at Conformis. Mr. Fischetti earned his BSBA degree in finance from Villanova University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University. Mr. Fischetti serves as a member of the Capital Allocation Committee and Compensation Committee.

Glenn R. Larsen

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Compensation Committee
  • Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee
  • President and Chief Executive Officer / Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dr. Larsen joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics in February 2015. He is currently Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of treatments for ALS, Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative diseases, which he co-founded in February 2014. He was also Chairman of the board of directors of 180 Therapeutics L.P., a clinical stage musculoskeletal drug development company focusing on treating fibrosis from 2013 until its acquisition and subsequent NASDAQ-listing of 180 Lifesciences in 2020. He previously served as Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at SpringLeaf Therapeutics, Inc., a producer of combination drug delivery devices, from 2010 through 2013 and as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development, and as a member of the board of directors, at Hydra Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing pain therapeutics, from 2003 through 2010. During his prior employment at Wyeth (now Pfizer)/Genetics Institute, Dr. Larsen served in various drug discovery and development leadership positions, including Vice President Musculoskeletal Sciences where he directed Wyeth's second-largest therapeutic area with responsibility for Enbrel, an anti-TNF therapeutic with multi-billion dollar annual sales used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. Dr. Larsen received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Stony Brook University and a PMD from Harvard University Business School. Dr. Larsen's qualifications for membership on the Board include his strong scientific background in pharmaceuticals, biotech, orthopedics and regenerative medicine, and his extensive experience in management, product development and business development at multiple companies in the life science industry, all of which provide the Board with innovative product and commercial development perspectives and insights. He serves as a member of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

James Chase

Job Titles:
  • Senior Vice President, International Sales and Marketing
In May 2020, James Chase was appointed as Senior Vice President, International Sales and Marketing. Mr. Chase first joined Anika as Vice President of International Sales in August 2018. Prior to Anika, Mr. Chase served as the Business Unit Director of the Sports Medicine Division of Smith & Nephew for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Prior to this role, Mr. Chase held several senior level leadership roles at Smith & Nephew, including General Manager UK/Ireland, Vice President Northern Europe, and Managing Director UK/Ireland. In these roles, he has successfully led large commercial teams generating revenue in excess of $300m. Mr. Chase holds a B.Eng. (Honors) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Polytechnic South-West in Plymouth, England, and an M.B.A. from The Open University in Milton Keynes, England.

Jeffery S. Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee
  • Operating Partner, Healthcare Products Group / HealthEdge Investment Partners, LLC
Mr. Thompson joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics in January 2011. He is a Partner with HealthEdge Investment Partners, LLC or HealthEdge, a Tampa, Florida based private equity firm that provides strategic capital exclusively to the healthcare industry. Mr. Thompson previously served as President, CEO, and Chairman of Advanced Bio-Technologies, Inc. and Enaltus, LLC, both HealthEdge portfolio companies specializing in unique skincare solutions. Mr. Thompson currently serves as a director or manager for various HealthEdge affiliated companies including, Legacy Xspire Holdings, Lifesync, Spectrum Medical Partners, and Westone. Prior to joining Anika, Mr. Thompson also served as the Chief Operating Officer and as a director for Stiefel Laboratories, Inc., an independent global pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology, and President of Glades Pharmaceuticals, both of which were sold to GlaxoSmithKline in 2008. Earlier in his career, Mr. Thompson held sales and business management positions at Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals and SmithKline Beecham. Mr. Thompson holds a B.S. in general science from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Thompson's qualifications for membership on the Board include his prior experience in running a pharmaceutical company and his knowledge of the medical device industry, both of which provide the Board with product and business development perspectives and insights. As a result, he is well suited for his role as Chair of the Board.

John B. Henneman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Compensation Committee
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee
  • Formerly Chief Administrative Officer / NewLink Genetics Corporation
John B. Henneman, III joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics in September 2020. Mr. Henneman has more than 25 years of combined financial and operational management experience in the life sciences industry. Mr. Henneman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NewLink Genetics Corporation from October 2014 to July 2018, and as its Chief Administrative Officer from July 2018 to November 2018. Prior to joining NewLink Genetics, he served lntegra LifeSciences in various capacities between 1998 and 2014. Before becoming lntegra's Chief Financial Officer in 2007, Mr. Henneman served lntegra as General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, responsible at various times for lntegra's business development, regulatory affairs, quality systems, clinical affairs, human resources, information systems and legal affairs and the management of lntegra's surgical instruments business. Mr. Henneman serves on the boards of directors of Orthofix Medical, Inc., a publicly-held medical technology company, R1 RCM, Inc., a public company providing technology-enabled revenue cycle management services to healthcare providers, Aprea Therapeutics Inc., a publicly held biotechnology company, and Alafair Biosciences, Inc., a privately-held medical device company. Mr. Henneman is also senior advisor to Prettybrook Partners, a private equity firm and a consultant to SparkMed Advisors LLC, which provides consulting and other services to start-up medical device and biotechnology companies. Mr. Henneman received an A.B. in politics from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Mr. Henneman serves as the Chair of Anika's Compensation Committee and a member Governance and Nominating Committee.

Kevin Stone

Job Titles:
  • Anika As Vice President and General Manager
  • Vice President, Sports Medicine R & D and Innovation
In February 2021, Kevin Stone joined Anika as Vice President and General Manager, Sports Medicine. Mr. Stone has over 30 years of experience in orthopedic device development and manufacturing with Zimmer Biomet, and previously Biomet, in roles such as Vice President of Emerging Technology and Innovation, Vice President and General Manager of Sports Medicine, and Vice President of Innovation for Sports Medicine, Extremities and Trauma. In addition to his extensive leadership experience, he is a named Inventor on numerous US and foreign patents covering orthopedic devices in Sports Medicine, Joint Replacement, Trauma, Biologics, and Spine. Mr. Stone received his B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Dayton and his M.S. in Bioengineering from Clemson University.

Lisa Funiciello

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Human Resources
Lisa Funiciello joined Anika in February 2022 as Vice President, Human Resources. Ms. Funiciello joins Anika with extensive senior leadership experience in Human Resources for several firms including Fresenius Medical Care, ThermoFisher Scientific, and Shire Pharmaceuticals. Most recently, she was a Vice President of Human Resources for Fresenius in Waltham, Mass., where she was responsible for providing HR leadership as part of the Global Manufacturing, Quality and Supply Chain business unit. Her collaborative approach in leading global organizations to align local and global strategy and her focus on organizational effectiveness, change management and best practices in employee relations, recruiting, evolving the HR operating model, HRIS systems implementation, and employee development. Ms. Funiciello has a BA in Sociology and a Masters in Human Resource Management.

Mark Namaroff

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Investor Relations, ESG and Corporate Communications / Anika Therapeutics, Inc.

Michael Levitz - CFO, EVP, Treasurer

Job Titles:
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Executive Vice President
  • Treasurer
In August 2020, Michael Levitz was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Prior to joining Anika, Mr. Levitz served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Insulet Corporation, a global innovative medical device and drug delivery company. From 2009 to 2015, he was the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Analogic Corporation, a global provider of medical guidance, diagnostic imaging and threat detection equipment. Previously, during his seven years with Hologic, Inc. and Cytyc Corporation (which merged with Hologic in October 2007), Mr. Levitz served in various capacities including Vice President and Corporate Controller. He began his career in the high technology audit practice at Arthur Andersen LLP. In 2011, he was a finalist for the Boston Business Journal's Chief Financial Officer of the Year award. Mr. Levitz earned his B.A. in Business Economics, with emphasis in Accounting, from the University of California Santa Barbara and is a certified public accountant.

Mira Leiwant

Job Titles:
  • Anika As Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Quality and Clinical Affairs
  • Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and Clinical Affairs
Mira Leiwant joined Anika as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Quality and Clinical Affairs in October 2019. Most recently, Ms. Leiwant was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at BTG International (acquired by Boston Scientific Incorporated) where she was responsible for the leadership of Interventional Oncology Regulatory business unit. Prior to her work at BTG, she was the Senior Director of Regulatory and Quality Engineering at Lifecell Corporation where she oversaw the development of and led all Regulatory and Quality Engineering teams for the organization. Ms. Leiwant has also held senior leadership roles at a number of other Medical Device, Life Sciences, and Pharmaceutical organizations including Quality Assurance at Svelte Medical Systems, Inc., Vascular Therapies, and Micell Technologies. She began her career at Cordis Corporation, formerly a Johnson and Johnson company.

Robert Delp

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, US Sales
Rob Delp joined Anika in April 2022 as Vice President, US Sales. Mr. Delp joins Anika with more than 26 years of extensive senior leadership experience in orthopedics and medical devices, most recently as Co-President of Balmoral Medical, and before that President, Americas, of Zimmer Biomet, leading sales teams responsible for product lines across our areas of focus, biologics/regenerative solutions, sports medicine, upper and lower extremities, as well as all areas of joint reconstruction. He has built out and managed independent, direct/specialized, and hybrid sales forces calling on both the hospital and ASC setting, developed strong surgeon relationships and deep distributor connections, and has a strong track record of success in building and leading great sales organizations and driving results. He also led the sales force integration following the Zimmer Biomet merger, which will be helpful experience as we continue to establish our transformed and focused One Anika culture. In addition to his extensive sales leadership experience, as Co-President of Balmoral Medical, he was responsible for the product development partnership program and expanding the R&D pipeline for leading healthcare companies. Mr. Delp's collaborative approach to leading people, developing and optimizing channel strategy, partnering cross-functionally, and driving revenue growth will be a great fit for Anika. Mr. Delp has a BS in Business Administration from Grace College and is a Board member of the Medical Sales College.

Sheryl L. Conley

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Audit Committee
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Compensation Committee
  • Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee
  • Formerly President and Chief Executive Officer, OrthoWorx, Inc
Sheryl L. Conley joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics in October 2021. Ms. Conley is a 35-year veteran of the orthopedic medical device industry with expertise and executive leadership experience in running full P&L business segments, global brand management, marketing, sales, product development, and operations. From September 2012 to May 2017, she was President and CEO of OrthoWorx, Inc., a community-based initiative that works strategically and collaboratively with the orthopedic industry. Prior to her role as the President and CEO of OrthoWorx, Ms. Conley spent 25 years with Zimmer, Inc. in a number of escalating management roles across a variety of product segments and geographies, during which she provided key leadership in the development and commercial release of more than 50 industry leading brands, including as Group President, Americas and Global Brand Management, and Chief Marketing Officer from December 2005 until May 2008. She currently serves as the President and Board Member of AcceLINX, Inc., a musculoskeletal health business accelerator (March 2017-present). She also serves as a Board Director for Neuronetics, Inc., a medical technology company focused on developing products that improve the quality of life for patients suffering from psychiatric disorders (2019-present). In May 2021, Ms. Conley became a Board Director of Surgalign Holdings, Inc., a global medical technology company focused on elevating the standard of care by driving the evolution of digital surgery. Ms. Conley received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry and a Master of Business Administration from Ball State University. Ms. Conley serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee.

Stephen O. Richard

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Audit Committee
  • Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Chief Risk Officer and Chief Audit Executive / Becton, Dickinson and Company
  • Chief Risk Officer and Chief Audit Executive at Becton
Stephen O. Richard joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics in September 2020. Mr. Richard currently serves as Chief Risk Officer and Chief Audit Executive at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). He joined BD in February 2016 and is responsible for the oversight of Enterprise Risk Management, Internal Audit, Information Security (enterprise), Product Security (connected devices), Corporate Security and Aviation, helping to align practices for each of these areas with best-in-class organizations and deliver value through continued focus on risk, governance and effective partnership with the business. Prior to joining BD, Mr. Richard held positions of increasing responsibility in Finance, Operations and Business Development with the National Basketball Association (NBA) over the course of an 18-year career. His NBA tenure also included three years based in Beijing, China, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and interim Chief Executive Officer. Prior to the NBA, he held leadership positions with Citibank, AT&T and Deloitte. Mr. Richard holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and a BS in Accounting from Northeastern University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of New Jersey and current Chairman of the Committee on Governance, Risk and Compliance of Financial Executives International. He also serves on the Advisory Board to the Center for Excellence in ERM at St. John's University. Mr. Richard is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council and has served two past three-year terms on the board of the New Jersey Society of CPAs. Finally, he is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Mr. Richard serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee.

Steven Ek

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Research and Development
In May 2020, Steven Ek was appointed as Vice President, Research and Development. Mr. Ek joined Anika in February 2020 following the acquisition of Arthrosurface, Inc. He brings over 30 years of product development experience to Anika. Most recently, Mr. Ek had served as President and CEO of Arthrosurface, Inc., which he Co-Founded in 2002. Prior to this role, he held several senior level research and development and engineering roles at Smith & Nephew, CONMED Corp., and Primo Medical Group. Mr. Ek holds a B.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida.

Susan N. Vogt

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of Governance and Nominating Committee
  • Member of the Audit Committee
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Formerly President and Chief Executive Officer / Aushon Biosystems, Inc.
Ms. Vogt joined the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics in October 2018. Ms. Vogt previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Aushon Biosystems, Inc., a developer of a multiplex immunoassay platform, from 2013 until the company was acquired by Quanterix Corporation in January 2018. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Vogt was President and Chief Executive Officer of Seracare Life Sciences, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed life sciences developer of products facilitating human diagnostics and therapeutics. From 1981 to 2005, she served in various officer positions at Millipore Corporation (now part of MillaporeSigma, the life science business of Merck KGaA), an NYSE-listed developer of biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug therapies, including as President of the Biopharmaceutical Division, Vice President and General Manager of the Laboratory Water Division, Vice President and General Manager of the Analytical Products Division, Vice President and General Manager of the Analytical Division, and Finance Manager, Division Controller. Ms. Vogt serves on the board of directors of Charlotte's Web Holdings, a publicly-held producer and distributor of hemp-based cannabidiol ("CBD") wellness products. Ms. Vogt received her M.B.A. from Boston University with a concentration in Finance and her B.A. from Brown University in Art History. Ms. Vogt's qualifications for membership on the Board include more than thirty-five years of experience in the global life science research, pharmaceutical, biotech and clinical diagnostics industries, during which Ms. Vogt established a reputation for driving operational efficiency and productivity, successfully scaling commercial operations, enhancing profitability by streamlining, restructuring and consolidating operations, and delivering sustained revenue and cash flow growth at multiple companies. Ms. Vogt also has a deep understanding of finance and accounting as a result of holding financial-based roles during her career and serving on the audit committees of several private and public companies. Ms. Vogt serves as Chair on the Governance and Nominating Committee and as a designated financial expert member of the Audit Committee.