People
Management
Steve Carkner, P.Eng. – Founder and CEO of Panacis
Mr. Carkner brings more than 20 years of entrepreneurial, technical and investment expertise to Panacis. He was a key member in the successful and dramatic growth of Research In Motion as it transformed itself from a technology incubator to a world leader in wireless communications. Steve is also an active angel investor with significant investments in several technology start-ups.
Brian Radburn, CA – Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Radburn is a chartered accountant and has 25 years of in-depth executive experience in the field of public accounting and financial reporting. Prior to joining Panacis, Mr. Radburn served as an audit partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he worked closely with emerging companies to align financial strategies with corporate goals. Mr. Radburn sits on the boards of a number of business organizations and charities, including roles as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. As a business and community leader, Mr. Radburn is a strong contributing member of the Panacis Executive Team.
Gregory Bridgett – Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Bridgett brings more than 10 years of technology development and business management experience to the Panacis executive team. Mr. Bridgett came to Panacis from Research In Motion where he was a founding member of BlackBerry product development, business development, and global strategic alliances teams.
Len Donais, P.Eng. – Vice President, Customer Engineering Services
Mr. Donais has over 30 years experience in product development and project management, from the development of sophisticated military electronics systems at General Dynamics to helping start-up companies build engineering teams and launch their first products. His international experience includes managing the transfer of product manufacturing for JDSU Canada to Thailand, working to develop NATO technical standards, and participating in the design of the NFR90 NATO frigate. Len is a certified instructor and facilitator for Six Sigma Design for Manufacturability.
Mike McDonnell – Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance
Mr. McDonnell brings a wealth of international quality, operations management, regulatory, and product safety experience to Panacis. He has particular experience with the medical device industry, having worked for and with recognized companies such as WorldHeart, Isotechnika, IatroQuest, AnnidiS Health Systems, and Flourosense. Mr. McDonnell will provide vital leadership for Panacis in the areas of quality, regulatory affairs, and product safety.
Board of Directors
David Booth
Mr. Booth is a former senior executive and director with Pfizer Inc. from which he retired in 1998 after 28 years. His most recent positions were as President and CEO of component companies of the Pfizer Medical Technology Group. Prior to joining the Medical Technology Division, he worked as Vice President Pharmaceuticals for Pfizer International and was a member of the Pfizer International Board. Since retiring from Pfizer, Mr. Booth has worked as a consultant in the healthcare arena and has served as a director on several boards. He currently serves on the Board of CryoCath Technologies Inc., as well as on the Boards of three privately held companies in the health care field.
Dr. André de Villers
Dr. André de Villers obtained his degree in medicine from Université de Montréal in 1973, and subsequently became closely involved in the emergence of the biotechnology sector in Québec. From 1988 to 1993, he created and successfully managed several R&D venture capital companies, generating an investment totaling $250 million. In 1993, Dr. de Villers founded Theratechnologies, now a leader in the biotechnology field in Canada. From 1993 to 2002, Dr. de Villers held successively the positions of President and Director of R&D, President and General Manager, and President and CEO of Theratechnologies. During that period, Dr. de Villers has played a key role in the creation of Andromed Inc., Ecopia BioSciences and Celmed BioSciences Inc. Since May 2002, he has held the position of Vice Chairman of the Board of Theratechnologies.
In 2002, Dr. de Villers’ entrepreneurship, vision, exceptional career and outstanding contribution to the biotech sector were recognized with significant awards. He received Ernst & Young’s 2002 Québec Entrepreneur of the Year award in the biotechnology category and was named emeritus member of BioQuébec’s Excelcia Club, a distinction conferred to the pioneers who have contributed to the advancement of the biotechnology industry. Since November 1999, Dr. de Villers is also Chairman of the Biopharmaceutical Companies Committee of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) and a member of its board of directors. He is also member of the boards of TSO3 Inc. and H3 Pharma Inc.
Don Nissanka
As the founder and President/CEO of Kokam America, Mr. Nissanka is one of the pioneers and driving forces of the company and is credited for the introduction of Superior Lithium Polymer Battery (SLPB) technology into the US market. He has 25 years of experience in the energy and power industry, specializing in defense and aerospace power systems. Mr. Nissanka has led the aerospace and defense battery division at Enersys, and has experience working with major defense OEMs. Currently Mr. Nissanka is a board advisor to a number of companies, and sits on advisory committees including the Missouri Automotive Jobs Task Force and the Defense Products Standardization Committee.
Mr. Nissanka earned a BSc and MSc, from the University of Central Missouri, where he was honored as the 2006 Distinguished Alumni of the Year. He was also a nominee for the 2009 Ernst and Young entrepreneur of the year award.
