Michael M. Toporek
Chairman & CEO
Michael M. Toporek, 56, has served as a director since July 14, 2017. Since 2003, Mr. Toporek has served as the Managing General Partner of Brookstone Partners, a lower/middle market private equity firm based in New York and an affiliate of BP Peptides, LLC. Prior to founding Brookstone Partners in 2003, Mr. Toporek was both an active principal investor and an investment banker. Mr. Toporek began his career in Chemical Bank’s Investment Banking Group, later joined Dillon, Read and Co., which became UBS Warburg Securities Ltd. during his tenure, and SG Cowen and Company. Mr. Toporek currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Harlem Academy. Mr. Toporek has a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A from the University of Chicago. Mr. Toporek brings strategic and financial expertise to the Board as a result of his experience with Brookstone Partners, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.
Fredric J. Feldman, Ph.D.
Director
Fredric J. Feldman, Ph.D., 78, has been the President of FJF Associates, a consultant to health care venture capital and emerging companies, since February 1992 and has served as a director of the Company since 1991. From September 1995 to June 1996, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Biex, Inc., a women’s healthcare company. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Oncogenetics, Inc., a cancer genetics reference laboratory, from 1992 to 1995. Between 1988 and 1992, Dr. Feldman was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Microgenics Corporation, a medical diagnostics company.
Dr. Feldman received his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Maryland. He has been a director of a number of public and private companies involved in the healthcare industry. The Board believes that Dr. Feldman’s over 40 years of operating, scientific and business experience in the medical/biotech industry qualifies him for service on our board.
John M. Holliman, III
Director
John M. Holliman III, 67, has served as a director of the Company since September 1987 and as former Chairman of the Board of Directors from August 1997 through July 2017. Since February 1993 he has been a general partner of entities which are the general partners of Valley Ventures, LP (formerly known as Arizona Growth Partners, LP), Valley Ventures II, LP, Valley Ventures III, LP, Valley Ventures III Annex, LP, all of which are venture capital funds.
John M. Holliman, III has over thirty-nine years of business experience, including service on the boards of over forty companies, commercial lending experience with major financial institutions, and has been active in venture capital financing for over thirty years serving a variety of industries. Mr. Holliman earned a BBA in Finance and a MBA from Southern Methodist University and a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. During his career Mr. Holliman has gained substantial executive and board level experience in business, finance and operations. The Board believes the experience and knowledge of Mr. Holliman qualifies him to serve on our board.
Elwood D. Howse, Jr.
Director
Elwood D. Howse, Jr., 81, has served as a director of the Company since September 1987. In 1982, Mr. Howse founded Cable, Howse and Ragen, investment banking and stock brokerage firm, subsequently known as Ragen MacKenzie. In 1977, Mr. Howse co-founded Cable & Howse Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm focused on technology. In 1976, he served as Vice President, Corporate Finance, for Foster & Marshall, a northwest stock brokerage firm. In 1974 he was the Chief Financial Officer of Seattle Stevedore Company and the Miller Produce Company. Mr. Howse has served as a corporate director and advisor to various public, private and non-profit enterprises. He served on the board of the National Venture Capital Association and is past President of the Stanford Business School Alumni Association. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Formotus, Inc. and a not-for-profit, the NOVIM Group. Mr. Howse holds a BS in Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The Board believes Mr. Howse’s education and experience, particularly Mr. Howse’s financial experience, which qualifies him to be designated as our financial expert on our Audit Committee, brings important financial and business experience to the board and qualifies him to serve on our board.
Matthew E. Lipman
Director
Matthew E. Lipman, 41, has served as a director since July 14, 2017. Since 2004, Mr. Lipman has served as Managing Director of Brookstone Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm based in New York and an affiliate of BP Peptides, LLC. Mr. Lipman’s responsibilities at Brookstone Partners include identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, managing the capital structure of portfolio companies and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies. In addition, Mr. Lipman is responsible for executing add-on acquisitions and other portfolio company-related strategic projects. From July 2001 through June 2004, Mr. Lipman was an analyst in the mergers and acquisitions group at UBS Financial Services Inc. responsible for formulating and executing on complex merger, acquisition and financing strategies for Fortune 500 companies in the industrial, consumer products and healthcare sectors.
Mr. Lipman has a B.S. in Business Administration from Babson College. Mr. Lipman brings over 15 years of experience working with companies to establish growth strategies and execute acquisitions, is proficient in reading and understanding financial statements, generally accepted accounting principles and internal controls as a direct result of his investment experience evaluating companies for potential investments, the management of financial reporting and capital structure for three portfolio companies, as well as relevant experience in board service, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.