Board of Directors

Craig A. Collard has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and the chairman of our board of directors since the consummation of our merger with Cornerstone BioPharma Holdings, Inc., or Cornerstone BioPharma, on October 31, 2008. We refer to this transaction as the “Merger.” In March 2004, Mr. Collard founded Cornerstone Biopharma Holdings, Ltd. (the assets and operations of which were restructured as Cornerstone BioPharma in May 2005), and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer and a director from March 2004 to October 2008. Before founding Cornerstone BioPharma, Mr. Collard’s principal occupation was serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Carolina Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company he founded in May 2003. From August 2002 to February 2003, Mr. Collard served as Vice President of Sales for Verum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Collard worked as Director of National Accounts at DJ Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company which was eventually purchased by Biovail Pharmaceuticals, Inc. His pharmaceutical career began in 1992 as a field sales representative at Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Dura. He was later promoted to several other sales and marketing positions within Dura. Mr. Collard is a member of the board of directors of Hilltop Home Foundation, a Raleigh, North Carolina, non-profit corporation, in addition to our board of directors. Mr. Collard holds a B.S. in Engineering from the Southern College of Technology (now Southern Polytechnic State University) in Marietta, Georgia. 

Christopher Codeanne has served on our board of directors since the consummation of the Merger. Since April 2008, Mr. Codeanne has served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Oncology Development Partners, LLC (d/b/a Oncopartners), a specialized international oncology contract research organization. From December 2006 through April 2008, Mr. Codeanne served as the Chief Financial Officer of Averion International Corp., or Averion, a publicly traded international contract research organization. Prior to Averion, from 2002 through July 2006, Mr. Codeanne was the Chief Financial Officer of SCIREX Corporation (which was acquired by Premier Research Group plc in 2006), or SCIREX, an international, full-service clinical research organization. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Codeanne served as Director of Finance of SCIREX. Mr. Codeanne is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and Financial Executives International. Mr. Codeanne holds a B.A. in Accounting from Fairfield University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He brings to our board of directors a depth of experience in financial analysis and reporting and knowledge regarding pharmaceutical development and working with contract research organizations.

Michael Enright has served on our board of directors since the consummation of the Merger. Mr. Enright has served as Chief Financial Officer for Ockham Development Group Inc., a global contract research organization, since its merger with Atlantic Search Group, Inc., a staff augmentation and functional outsourcing services organization serving pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations in the United States and India, where he held the same position since 1995. Prior to 1995, Mr. Enright held positions in employee benefits administration with Hauser Insurance Group and The Prudential Insurance Company, and in financial management with General Electric Company’s aerospace business group. Mr. Enright holds a B.A. in Finance from Villanova University and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He brings to our board of directors a depth of experience in strategic planning and organizational development and human resources.

Anton Giorgio Failla has served on our board of directors since the closing of the Chiesi Transaction. Since July 2008, Dr. Failla has served as Head of Corporate Development of Chiesi. Prior to his employment at Chiesi, from 2004 to 2008, Dr. Failla served as the CFO of Sorin Group, a medical device company, based in Milan, Italy and as its Senior Vice President of Operations based in Denver, Colorado. From 2000 to 2004, Dr. Failla served as Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning at Novartis Consumer Health at its Headquarters in Switzerland. Prior to Novartis, Dr. Failla held various positions in business development at Medtronic Inc., both in the U.S. and in Europe. Dr. Failla has served and serves on the boards of directors of several private companies in Europe and the United States: Bellco S.r.l. (April 2004-January 2007), Sorin Biomedica Cardio S.r.l. (April 2004-April 2005), Biofin Holding International N.V. (July 2004 -June 2006), Ela Medical S.a.s. (April 2004-June 2006), Sorin Biomedica CRM S.r.l. (April 2007-July 2008), Sorin Group International S.A. (December 2005-June 2006), Casino’Municipale Campione d’Italia (August 2007-June 2009), and Phenomix Corporation Inc. (from February 2010). Dr. Failla holds a Master in Business Administration from SDA Bocconi and a doctorate in Electronic Engineering from Polytechnic of Turin. He brings to our Board a depth of experience in the areas of strategic planning, finance, business development and operations management.

Jim Harper joined our Board in 2011. Jim has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. He has also served on multiple corporate and not-for-profit boards of directors. He is currently Chair of Phenomix Corporation (director July 2007-present; Chair December 2009-present), and an advisor to Nomura Phase4 Ventures (July 2007-present). Prior to his retirement, Mr. Harper held a number of management and senior executive positions at Eli Lilly (January 1974-April 2004), including Group Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales and Chief Marketing Officer (January 2001-April 2004), President of Diabetes and Growth Disorders Product Group (January 1994-January 2001), and President and CEO of Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, a Lilly subsidiary (December 1990-December 1992). In addition, Mr. Harper has served on the boards of directors of Anesiva, Inc. (May 2007-December 2008), Corcept Therapeutics (October 2004-May 2011), Inoveon Corporation (June 2002-April 2004) and Zymogenetics, Inc (July 2004-October 2010). On these boards, he served on various committees including compensation, governance, and audit committees. Mr. Harper was a member of the National Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association (July 1993-June 1997), where he was a member of the Research Policy Committee (July 2000-June 2001) and Vice Chair of the Research Foundation Board (2003-2006). He was also on the National Osteoporosis Foundation Corporate Advisory Board (July 1995-June 1997). Mr. Harper is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (March 2006-present). A veteran Navy flight officer, he holds a B.A. in Biology from Vanderbilt University and an MBA in Marketing/Finance from The Wharton School. He brings to our board of directors a depth of operational and P&L experience.

Michael Heffernan has served on our board of directors since the consummation of the Merger. Since 2002, Mr. Heffernan has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes products to treat central nervous system, respiratory and skin-related disorders. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Heffernan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of PhyMatrix Corp., an integrated health care services company. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Heffernan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Clinical Studies Ltd., a pharmaceutical clinical development company. From 1987 to 1994, Mr. Heffernan served in a variety of sales and marketing positions with Eli Lilly and Company, a pharmaceutical company. Mr. Heffernan has also served on the board of directors of TyRx Pharma, Inc. since 2002. Mr. Heffernan holds a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Connecticut and is a Registered Pharmacist. He brings to our board of directors a depth of experience in sales and marketing and knowledge regarding pharmaceutical development and working with contract research organizations.

Laura Shawver joined the Board of Directors in 2012. Dr. Shawver has more than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. In 2011, she participated in the founding of Cleave Biosciences, Inc., a development stage company, and currently serves as its Chief Executive Officer and Director. Previously, she was Entrepreneur in Residence for 5AM Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm focused on building next-generation life science companies, from October 2010 to August 2011. Prior to then, Dr. Shawver served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Phenomix, Corporation, a development stage company, from June 2002 to September 2010, and President of Sugen, Inc. ("Sugen") from October 2000 to May 2002, after holding various positions there since 1992. Sugen was a publically-traded company from 1994 to 1999 when it was acquired by Pharmacia and Upjohn Company, Inc. Dr. Shawver began her drug development career in 1989 at Triton Biosciences, Inc. (later Berlex Biosciences Inc.), which was acquired by Schering AG in 1990. She has extensive operational, drug development and regulatory expertise, and also has assisted a number of pharmaceutical companies with transition and integration activities following product licensing and acquisition transactions. Dr. Shawver has served on the boards of Antipodean Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Anaphore, Inc., and she is the founder and a current director of The Clearity Foundation, a non-profit corporation. Dr. Shawver holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and a B.S. in Microbiology, both from the University of Iowa.

Robert M. Stephan has served on our board of directors since the closing of the Chiesi Transaction. Mr. Stephan is an experienced business attorney currently in private practice in New Canaan, Connecticut. With over 40 years experience, Mr. Stephan concentrates his law practice on domestic and international business transactions and serves as chief counsel to small and mid-sized companies and local counsel to foreign companies with operations in the United States. Mr. Stephan has served as Vice President and Secretary since 1997 and as a director since April 2009, of Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Chiesi. Prior to opening his private practice in 1997 and after initial training with the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington D.C. and the law firm of Day, Berry & Howard in Hartford, Connecticut, Mr. Stephan embarked on a career as in-house counsel with publicly traded corporations. He served as Vice President and Group General Counsel for General Mills Inc; Vice President and Associate General Counsel for US Surgical Corporation ; Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Erbamont N.V. (Montedison Group); and Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for American Maize Products Corporation. Mr. Stephan has advised boards of directors on corporate governance matters and is a former member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. Stephan is a former Captain/Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps and an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin. Mr. Stephan holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Lawerence University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He brings to our Board a depth of experience in all areas of corporate governance, with particular emphasis on the governance of transnational joint ventures.

Marco Vecchia has served as Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Chiesi since 1987. Mr. Vecchia holds a degree in law from the University of Parma. Mr. Vecchia has also served on the boards of directors of the following companies: Chiesi Pharmaceuticals Shanghai Co. Ltd. (Wfoe), China, since June 2008; Cheshire Healthcare Limited, England, since January 2003; Chiesi Limited, England, since May 1999; Chiesi Healthcare Limited, England, since May 1999; Chiesi S.A., France, since April 2002; Chiesi Hellas Pharmaceuticals S.A., Greece, since April 1998; Chiesi Int. H. B.V., Holland, since April 2008; Chiesi Pharmaceuticals B.V., Holland, since February 2007; Opocrin S.P.A., Italy, since November 2008; Opocrin S.r.l., Italy, since November 2008; Novadynamics Healthcare S.r.l., Italy, since May 2007; Chiesi Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited, Pakistan, since November 2001; Chiesi España S.A., Spain, since April 2000; Chiesi Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, since April 1992. He brings to our Board a depth of experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and transnational joint ventures, pharmaceutical IP licensing, risk management and corporate governance.