Board of Directors
Robin Bellas
| Robin joined Morgenthaler Ventures in 1983 and has directed the exits of over 20 Morgenthaler companies since 1990 with a combined value of $10 billion. He started Morgenthaler’s Life Science team in 2001. Robin currently focuses on medical device investments and is based in Menlo Park. Robin started the Firm’s incubation strategy with IVS and Ensure Medical, followed by medical device incubators The Foundry and ForSight Labs. He has invested in and served as a director of Ardian, Cabochon, ForSight Vision2, ForSight Vision4, Miramar, Nexis Vision and Transcend. In November 2010 Medtronic announced the acquisition of Ardian for $800 million plus uncapped annual revenue growth milestones through Medtronic’s fiscal 2015. Robin led Morgenthaler’s early financings in Ardian and served as a director of the company. As Morgenthaler’s Managing Partner from 2006-2009, Robin led the Firm’s transformation to a performance-based compensation and leadership meritocracy. Robin brought ten years of operating experience to Morgenthaler, in two Silicon Valley startups, Acurex and SHM Nuclear (acquired by EMI Medical), and as General Manager at Harshaw, a leader in high energy physics and personal radiation detectors. He is a past director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists (WAVC), and of the Stanford Business School Trust. Before Stanford, Robin served on nuclear fast attack and ballistic missile submarines. He received a BS in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, is a two-time National Champion in rowing, and has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. |
Charles Liamos
Charles Liamos is currently a partner at MedVenture Associates. Previously, he was the President and CEO of Fovioptics Inc., a medical device company that focused on glucose monitoring and also served as the COO and CFO at Therasence, Inc. Mr. Liamos currently serves as a board member at OptiScan.Mr. Liamos has more than 10 years of experience in finance and operation leadership as well as more than 11 years of experience in the diabetes market. Mr. Liamos has a B.S in Finance from the University of Vermont and he is a graduate of GE′s financial management program.
Geoffrey Love
Geoffrey Love is currently the head of Venture Capital & Equity Long and Short Investments at the Wellcome Trust. Previously Mr. Love was the Investment Manager at Clarke Villmott and the Investment Officer at NaWest Markets.
Paul Mieyal
Paul Mieyal is a Vice President and the Director of Life Sciences Investments of Wexford Capital LP. Prior to that, he was Vice President in charge of health care investments for Wechsler & Co., Inc. a private investment firm and registered broker dealer. Dr. Mieyal serves as director of Nephros, Inc., Nile Therapeutics, Inc., and several private companies. Dr. Mieyal received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from New York Medical College, a B.A. in chemistry and psychology from Case Western Reserve University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Peter Rule,Chairman and CEO
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Peter Rule has been the CEO of OptiScan, Inc. since 2006 and has served as its Chairman of the Board since 2001.
Previous to being the CEO of OptiScan, Mr. Rule was the Chairman and CEO of EKOS Corporation. During his tenure at Ekos, he raised over $60M in venture capital to re-direct product development efforts, resulting in the invention of the company’s peripheral vascular product line, which is today tens of millions of dollars in revenues. During this period of time, EKOS also conducted an ischemic stroke trial (IMS II) and pioneered a new therapy for the treatment of Hemorrhagic stroke, which has been published (“SLEUTH”). Mr. Rule remains on the EKOS board. Prior to Ekos, Mr. Rule was the Chairman, CEO, and President of PercuSurge, Inc. Peter raised approximately $50M for PercuSurge to develop the world’s first embolic protection system for use in interventional cardiology, documenting the product’s efficacy in numerous prospective trials, including a successful 1200 patient randomized trial (“SAFER”) that remains today the largest trial in interventional cardiology run by a venture backed company. During Mr. Rule’s leadership, PercuSurge obtained CE approval, and was recommended unanimously for US approval by a panel (which was subsequently granted). PercuSurge was sold to Medtronic for ~$250m in 2001. During his tenure at PercuSurge, Mr. Rule was also one of three co-founders of Therasense, Inc, holding the position of Chairman of the Board. Under his leadership, TheraSense raised its first round of funding, recruited the CEO and VP, R and D, and redirected the company’s efforts to focus on the development of the smallest and most accurate hand-held glucose meter for the treatment of outpatient diabetes. The company was later sold to Abbott Laboratories for $1.2 Billion. Prior to PercuSurge, Mr. Rule was the President of MiniMed, Inc. Peter raised partner and private monies to develop both the world’s smallest external insulin pump, growing revenues from zero to $75M by the year of his departure in 1995. Also under Peter’s leadership, MiniMed refined its strategy from being an external and implantable insulin pump company, to one of an external pump company with an interstitial fluid sensing continuous glucose meter (cgms), adding the world’s first cgms to its portfolio through internal development. As President, Mr. Rule also completed a successful Initial Public Offering. The company later sold to Medtronic for $3.7 Billion. During his time at MiniMed, Mr. Rule was an industry advisor to the now famous Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). He has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry and received his B.S in Economics from the University of Southern California, as well as an MBA from Harvard University. |
