Management | Directors

Laureen DeBuono, President and Chief Executive Officer
Laureen DeBuono is the President and CEO of the company, and also serves on its Board of Directors. She has more than 25 years of executive management experience with public and private medical device companies. Ms. DeBuono's focus at Coapt will be to grow core product revenue, build the technology platform, and expand into new markets, including non-invasive aesthetics. Prior to joining Coapt Systems, Ms. DeBuono was the CFO of Thermage, Inc. from 2003 through early 2008, where she was instrumental in building its growth platform and taking Thermage public in 2006. She also served as EVP and CFO of more.com, an Internet health products company that was acquired in 2000, and EVP, COO and CFO of ReSound Corporation, a public, hearing technology company that was acquired by GN Great Nordic in 1999. Prior to ReSound, Ms. DeBuono served from 1992-1998 as EVP, General Counsel to Nellcor Puritan Bennett, a $900M public, respiratory products company, and negotiated the sale of the company to Mallinkcrodt, Inc. in 1998. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of Invivo, Inc. a public, patient safety monitoring company, from 1998-2004, and of VISX, Inc., a public, vision correction company, from 2003-2005, both of which were acquired. Ms. DeBuono received her B.A. from Duke University, an M.A. from Stanford University, and her J.D. from New York University School of Law.

David Barella, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Sales
Mr. Barella, who joined the Coapt Systems team in July 2008, leads the worldwide marketing and sales organization, and is active in the new business development activities for the company. His most recent aesthetic experience was as the Executive Vice President, International Sales and Marketing for the Eurosilicone (France) and Nagor (UK) subsidiaries of MediCor Ltd. (acquired by Global Consolidated Aesthetics). He integrated these subsidiaries and led them to the #3 breast, facial and body aesthetic implant market share position outside the USA. Mr. Barella began his Plastic Surgery and Dermatology business experience as the Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing for the McGhan Medical Division of INAMED (acquired by Allergan). While at INAMED Mr. Barella played a key role in solidifying their position as the #1 company in the breast, facial and body aesthetic implant market, contributed to the acquisition of Collagen Corporation, and successfully initiated the first direct-to-consumer marketing programs for breast implants and dermal fillers. Mr. Barella earned a B.S. degree from Florida State University, Marketing and Business Administration.

Bader Bellahsene, PhD, Vice President, Research & Development and Manufacturing
Bader Bellahsene, Ph.D. joined Coapt Systems Inc. in August 2008 as Vice President of Research, Development and Manufacturing. Dr. Bellahsene brings over eighteen years of experience in biomedical device research, design and development and has a proven track record of delivering best-in-class products to the marketplace. Prior to Coapt Systems, Dr. Bellahsene spent seven years at Thermage, Inc., where he held increasingly responsible leadership positions, ultimately as their Vice President of Research and Development. Prior to Thermage, Dr. Bellahsene held various technical leadership positions at companies including Somnus Medical, Stryker Corporation, BCI International, and Polysens. He received a BS in Physics from the University of Algiers, an MSEE from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia. He holds several U.S. and international patents, and is the author of numerous scientific publications and book chapters. In addition, he is a member of Sigma Xi, IEEE, and the ASLMS societies.

Thomas Kanar, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration
Mr. Kanar, a CPA, joined Coapt Systems in March 2003, and leads the Accounting, Finance, Information Technology and Facilities efforts. He brings to Coapt Systems over twenty-five years of financial management experience in both public and private companies in a variety of industries including life science, semiconductor, hospitality and core manufacturing. Most recently, he served as Corporate Controller for Fusion Medical Technologies, steering the company through its acquisition by Baxter Healthcare Corp. Mr. Kanar earned a B.A. with highest honors from St. Vincent College, Latrobe PA and began his career with the accounting firm of PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

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Brent Ahrens, Board Member
Brent Ahrens is a Principal with Canaan Partners, a venture capital firm focused on investment in technology, infrastructure, communications and life sciences. Prior to Canaan, Brent worked for General Surgical Innovations, where he managed business development, marketing, and sales efforts. He has also worked for the Ethicon Endo-Surgery division of Johnson & Johnson. Brent earned his BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at CardioVention, Coapt Systems, DexCom, Novare Surgical, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals, Revivant, and UltraGuide.

Laureen DeBuono, President and Chief Executive Officer
For Ms. DeBuono's bio please see Management section.

Kevin Larkin, Board Member
Mr. Larkin has worked in the medical device industry for over 27 years. His prior experience includes senior management positions at several medical device companies, including Cordis, Medtronic and Ventritex. He was recently President and CEO of CardioVasc, a cardiovascular stent graft company, until taking on the role of CEO at TherOx, a clinical trial stage company with unique technology for delivering oxygen enriched fluids to ischemic tissues. Mr. Larkin's current Board memberships include Coapt Systems, TherOx and Rubicor.

Guy Nohra, Board Member
Guy Paul Nohra, a founder of Alta Partners, was also a partner at Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co., which he joined in 1989. Previously, Mr. Nohra was Product Manager of Medical Products with Security Pacific Trading Corporation. Mr. Nohra is or has served on the Board of Directors of Vesica, Pilot Cardiovascular, deCODE genetics, R2 Technology, Situs, Interpore and several other public and private medical device companies. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Seth J. Orlow, MD, PhD, Board Member
Seth J. Orlow is a Venture Partner with Easton Capital Partners, where he has focused on healthcare investing since 2001. Seth is Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at New York University School of Medicine where he is also a Professor of Cell Biology and Pediatrics. He was a co-founder of Anaderm, a cosmeceutical drug discovery company acquired by Pfizer in 2001, and of Ivrea Pharmaceuticals, a company developing high impact prescription dermatologic therapies. In addition to serving on the board of Ivrea, he represents Easton on the boards of Protez Pharmaceuticals and Transave Inc. Seth received his AB magna cum laude from Harvard, and his MD and PhD (Molecular Pharmacology) from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his residency and fellowship training in Dermatology at Yale.

Robert S. Sherman, Board Member
Rob has 19 years of experience building successful companies. He has implemented Core Company strategies in several portfolio companies, and is an experienced healthcare, life sciences, and telecommunications services investor. His previous private equity experience includes 5 years at Boston Capital Ventures and 8 years as a General Partner at Hambro International Venture Fund. He also has been Chief Financial Officer for two healthcare services companies, and has six years of banking experience with the Bank of Boston and Eliot Bank. Rob served on active duty in the United States Navy for three years and attained the rank of Lieutenant. He is a graduate of Amherst College and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Lowell Sears, Board Member
Lowell E. Sears has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sears Capital Management, Inc., a life sciences venture capital and portfolio management company, since 1994. Prior to founding Sears Capital Management, Mr. Sears was Chief Financial Officer of Amgen, Inc. from 1988 to 1994 as well as Senior Vice President responsible for the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Sears served as Amgen's Treasurer and Director of Planning from 1986 to 1988. From 1976 to 1986, Mr. Sears held senior financial and planning positions with Atlantic Richfield Company, an integrated oil company, including several years as Chief Financial Officer of its Ventures Division. Mr. Sears is currently a director of Neose Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTEC), Peninsula Pharmaceuticals, BAS Medical, ANPA Medical, Asilomar Pharmaceuticals, Integrated Biosystems, Inc. (Private), Saronyx, Inc. (Private), Novalar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Private), and Coapt Systems, Inc. (Private). Mr Sears is also an investor in and strategic advisor to a number of other private life science companies as well as several investment funds. Mr. Sears received his BA in Economics from Claremont McKenna College and his MBA from Stanford University.

Hanns-Peter Wiese, Dipl. Kfm., Board Member
Mr. Wiese has 18 years experience in private equity and venture capital, which he gained investing in Europe and the United States. His exposure to early stage investing in the life sciences reaches back to 1996 when he advised HypoVereinsbank as co-sponsor on the setting-up of GLS I. Since then he has been a Managing Director of the office in Munich, Germany, advising GLS I and managing GLSV II in all aspects of investments. From 1993, he was a Director of Corporate Finance with HypoVereinsbank in Munich and Director of their associated venture capital fund, managed by Euro Synergies S.A. in Paris. Before that, he was an Investment Controller with 3i Investors in Industry plc. Mr. Wiese, born in 1959, has a master’s degree in Business Administration (Dipl. Kfm.) from the University of Hamburg.

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