Key People: Board Members
Krzysztof Appelt, Ph.D. – President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Appelt is a seasoned bio-technology scientist and executive with over 25 years of management experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He has had extensive experience in the discovery and development of antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Dr. Appelt lead a multidisciplinary team at Agouron Pharmaceuticals which discovered and developed ViraceptTM – an innovative AIDS therapy, and several other compounds discovered using structure-based approached pioneered by Agouron. After Agouron’s acquisition by Warner-Lambert and subsequent merger with Pfizer, Dr. Appelt served as Global Head of Ophthalmology in both organizations.
From 2001 to 2005 Dr. Appelt served as Executive VicePresident and Chief Technology Officer at Quorex Therapeutics, a company focused on the discovery of antibacterial and antibiofim agents. Dr. Appelt founded Great Lakes Pharmaceuticals in 2006.
Dr. Appelt received his undergraduate degree in Physiology from Poznan University in Poland and his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Max Planck Institute in West Berlin. Before joining Agouron Pharmaceuticals in 1987 he was Assistant Professor in Chemistry Department in University of California in San Diego. Dr. Appelt is a co-author of 57 peer reviewed publications and co-inventor of several patents.
Mike Bunker – Director
Mr. Bunker joined Early Stage Partners (ESP) as Managing Director in 2008 to lead investments in the life science sector. With prior M&A roles for strategic acquirers, he provides young companies and entrepreneurs the framework for a successful exit through hands on investing.
Mr. Bunker currently serves on the board of several ESP portfolio companies, including Juventas Therapeutics (regenerative medicine), Cardiox (stroke diagnostic), Great Lakes Pharmaceuticals (Catheter Lock anti-infective), and HistoSonics (BPH treatment device).
Mr. Bunker also sits on the Commercialization Advisory Board for the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center helping make grant decisions to Ohio’s leading early-stage medical technologies.
Prior to joining ESP, Mr. Bunker held roles in sales management and corporate acquisitions for C.R. Bard (NYSE: BCR). As Director of Corporate Development, he developed the business development process leading to the company’s most acquisitive time in their history. Later, Mr. Bunker managed a field sales force and negotiated hospital contracts for a division of CR Bard.
Mr. Bunker joined Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) in 1998 where he first led a $750 global product launch in cardiac rhythm management and then served in Medtronic’s corporate development group responsible for all M&A activity. His experience there generated many successful minority investments, divestitures and acquisitions in support of multiple business units.
Mike is a graduate of Miami University in Ohio and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Gino DiSciullo, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board, Charter Life Sciences
Dr. DiSciullo’s specialty is investing in early stage companies to fund the development of novel medical products from initial proof of concept through clinical approval and sale. He is a partner with Charter Life Sciences (CLS), a venture capital firm headquartered in Santa Clara CA with offices in Cincinnati Ohio.
Dr. DiSciullo joined CLS as a partner in 2006 and has been involved with investments in APT Pharmaceuticals, Amaranth Medical, Mirabilis Medica and Great Lakes Pharmaceuticals. He earned his degree in pathology from Boston University School of Medicine in 1998.
Neil Wyant – Director
Mr. Wyant is the Managing Director of Everett Partners, Ltd., the venture investing arm of the Kanfer family and the Managing Director of Fir Hill, LLC, a venture services business. He also serves as a Director of Great Lakes Pharmaceuticals in Beachwood, Ohio; Omek Interactive in Bet Shemesh, Israel; and P-Cure, Ltd. in Or Yehuda, Israel.
Mr. Wyant is also the Chairman of the Targetech Innovation Center, a technology incubator in Netanya, Israel. In addition he also serves as a member of the Ohio Venture Capital Task Force.
Mr. Wyant is an experienced entrepreneur and commercialization expert. He has been involved with technology commercialization for over 25 years. His experience ranges from the protection of intellectual property, licensing, and new venture formation, to prototype demonstration and the sale of new products and services.
Mr. Wyant has been a manager or advisor for companies in a variety of industries including advanced imaging, health services, alternative energy, and food technology. His work experience also includes over six years as a manager of the licensing and venturing arm of the University of Chicago where he was responsible for building and managing a portfolio of intellectual property for the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. Prior to his technology commercialization work, Mr. Wyant held various sales and marketing positions at a multi-national industrial gas company.
Mr. Wyant holds BS degrees in chemical and biomedical engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago.