Press
Releases
SMALL BONE
INNOVATIONS, INC. STRENGTHENS SENIOR MANAGEMENT & ANNOUNCES
FORMATION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
- Additional Managerial Talent Positions SBi for Continued
Strong Growth
- Expands Management’s Small Bone & Joint Expertise
- SBi Well Positioned to Capitalize on the Emerging Lower
Limb Opportunity
NEW
YORK, NY: April 1, 2009 Small
Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi), a single-source provider of
innovation, products, technology and education for the small
bone & joint (SB&J) sector of the orthopedics industry,
announced that it has strengthened its Senior Management and
also formed its Executive Management Team.
SBi is announcing that Steve D. Ward, in addition to being
the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since March
of 2006, has been promoted to the Chief Operating Officer
(COO) role. This opening was created by the recent retirement
of Robert W. Churinetz, who was the company’s COO. After
successfully leading SBi’s effort to transition from
a manufacturing to a supply-chain focus by divesting U.S.
and French manufacturing operations and installing a multi-tiered
manufacturing vendor management system, Mr. Churinetz will
be joining Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC
(MCRA) to help build their manufacturing, quality assurance
and international regulatory practice serving orthopedic companies
throughout the world. Through this affiliation, he will continue
to help SBi and focus his energy on transferring manufacturing
of the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (S.T.A.R.) Ankle
from Waldemar Link GmbH in Hamburg, Germany to a new manufacturing
location.
Anthony G. Viscogliosi, Chairman & CEO of SBi, said: “SBi
has benefited greatly from Bob’s operational know-how
and extensive SB&J experience since he joined the company
in July of 2006. We wish Bob well on his new endeavors and
believe that his background is highly additive to the team
that is already in place at MCRA. We are also grateful to
have an executive of Steve’s caliber, whose background
includes operational experience having overseen logistics,
customer service and facilities operations at his prior firm,
to step in to ensure a seamless transition.”
SBi is also announcing that it has formed an Executive Management
Committee, which consists of Anthony G. Viscogliosi (Chairman
& CEO), Thomas Crowley (President), Florian Kemmerich
(President, SBi International) and Steve Ward (CFO/COO). Mr.
Kemmerich’s addition to SBi was described in a press
release issued on February 17th, 2009. Based upon the Board
of Director’s agreed upon corporate goals, as developed
by the CEO, this team of executive management determines the
company’s objectives, business strategies and oversees
the execution of these plans to achieve the goals.
Additionally, SBi has formed the Operating Committee which
manages the day-to-day operating activities of the company.
The Operating Committee is led by Steve Ward and also includes
Thomas B. Loring (Senior Vice President Worldwide Product
& Technology Development), James T. Hook (Senior Vice
President, North American Sales), Jean-Jacques Martin (Senior
Vice President, SBi International), Scott Ludecker (Vice President,
Worldwide Diabetes and Limb Preservation Systems) and James
L. O’Connor (Vice President, Worldwide Regulatory, Quality
and Clinical Affairs, Surgeons Ethics & Compliance).
SBi’s Senior Management has been expanded with the appointment
of Thomas A. Crowley, Jr. as President of the company as well
as the appointment of James T. Hook as Senior Vice President,
North American Sales last year.
Mr. Crowley joined SBi with senior-level orthopedic experience
following his position as President of Aircast, LLC. During
his tenure at Aircast, he managed nearly 400 employees and
led the company to generate annual revenues of approximately
$100 million. He was responsible for the expansion of Aircast’s
lower limb global franchise, establishing a leading position
with Foot and Ankle surgeons and their medical societies.
Tom oversees the company on a day-to-day basis and leads our
domestic sales organization in launching new products and
expanding our presence in the SB&J market.
Mr. Hook is responsible for managing and overseeing the company’s
sales network in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Hook has extensive
SB&J experience having worked at Tornier and at Wright
Medical Group (and its predecessor) for over 20 years. At
Tornier, he managed the company’s independent distribution
network, drove impressive gains in their U.S. shoulder business,
established its elbow franchise and built its ankle business.
Mr. Viscogliosi said: “With these additions to the executive
management team and the formation of the Executive and Operating
Committees, SBi has an extraordinarily deep pool of managerial
talent which positions us to capitalize on the vast opportunity
in the rapidly emerging SB&J market. Furthermore, our
team has particular expertise in the lower limb anatomy, which
is a perfect fit with our S.T.A.R. total ankle joint replacement
system.”
About Small Bone Innovations, Inc.
Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi) was founded in 2004 by Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC, (VB), a New York-based merchant banking firm that specializes in the musculoskeletal/orthopedics sector. VB created SBi as the first company to focus purely on small bones & joints. By integrating established companies and professionals in the field, SBi offers a broad, clinically proven portfolio of products and technologies to treat trauma and diseases in small bones & joints. Today, SBi has more than 130 employees at facilities in New York, NY, Morrisville, PA, Bourg-en-Bresse, France and Donaueschingen, Germany, among other locations worldwide.
For more information on SBi, please visit: www.totalsmallbone.com
About Viscogliosi Bros., LLC
Established by Marc R. Viscogliosi, John J. Viscogliosi and
Anthony G. Viscogliosi in New York City in 1999, Viscogliosi
Bros., LLC (VB) was the first venture capital/private equity
and merchant banking firm dedicated exclusively to the musculoskeletal/orthopedics
sector of the health care industry. As principals of VB, the
Viscogliosi brothers have a combined total of nearly half
a century of experience analyzing and investing in the musculoskeletal/orthopedics
sector.
VB’s mission is to create, build and finance companies
founded on innovations developed by surgeons and uniquely
focused on “life changing” musculoskeletal/orthopedic
technologies. VB has worldwide surgeon, industry and trade
relationships, and significant financial expertise in the
musculoskeletal/orthopedic sector. The Viscogliosi brothers
have pioneered more than 170 financial, strategic and management
initiatives for companies in the musculoskeletal/orthopedic
sector, from start-up, seed and development stage all the
way to exit. These initiatives have helped people live better
lives through the orthopedic and spinal products developed,
marketed and sold by the companies VB has assisted in developing
and financing.
For more information about VB, please visit: www.vbllc.com
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as
defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ
materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements
as a result of risks and uncertainties impacting SBi’s
business including increased competition; the ability of SBi
to expand its operations and to attract and retain qualified
professionals; technological obsolescence; general economic
conditions; and other risks. |