Patrick Donnelly, MBA

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Pat Donnelly serves as chairman and chief executive officer, bringing more than 30 years of pharmaceutical and medical device services leadership experience to his role. Previously, he served as chairman and CEO of Advarra, Inc. until 2020, and led Aptiv Solutions as chairman and CEO from its formation through its successful sale in 2014. As a founding partner of PRA International (now ICON PLC), he held progressive leadership roles including CFO, COO, and CEO, successfully taking the company public in 2004. Prior to PRA International he held various positions in venture capital and investment banking. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University and two Bachelor of Science degrees in Business and Journalism from the University of Missouri.

David Dockhorn, MS, PhD

Chief Operating Officer

David W. Dockhorn serves as chief operating officer, leveraging over 32 years of life sciences leadership experience. As a co-founder of a successful CRO that was later acquired by Carlyle and integrated into PRA Health Sciences, Inc., he has demonstrated exceptional operational expertise throughout his career. At PRA, he served as executive vice president and chief compliance officer, overseeing global quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and multiple operational divisions. He previously led Phase I Operations and Clinical Pharmacology Laboratories, managing approximately 2,500 employees and a $750M budget. He holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science in Physiological Psychology from Pittsburgh State University.

Lisa Boyle, MS, PhD

Chief Innovation Officer

Lisa Boyle serves as chief innovation officer, leveraging over 15 years of medical technology and clinical experience. Prior to her current role, she held senior leadership positions including senior director of clinical operations at Medtronic, vice president of global clinical affairs and medical affairs strategy at BD, and vice president of clinical and medical affairs at JenaValve. Lisa brings comprehensive expertise across business unit, corporate, and small business operations, with particular focus on real-world evidence, data analytics, and operational excellence. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and Management from Northcentral University and a Master of Science in Computing from Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Ryan Roberts, MBA

Chief Commercial Officer

Ryan Roberts serves as chief commercial officer at Veranex, where he leads our global commercial strategy and market expansion initiatives. With three decades of experience in sales and marketing including tenure at both large cap and venture backed firms including GE Healthcare, Astute Medical, and Edwards Lifesciences, he brings exceptional depth to the medical technology sector, particularly in product commercialization across devices, consumables, software, and services. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial and Product Design from the University of Notre Dame, as well as an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Dave Mathews, MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Dave Mathews serves as chief financial officer, bringing over 30 years of operations and financial management experience to his role. His extensive background includes senior management positions at five publicly traded companies and six private equity portfolio companies, including his previous role as president of the National Security Division at Constellis. His expertise spans private equity portfolio management, strategy development, regulatory compliance, and international capital market transactions. He holds an MBA in Finance from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Virginia.

Doug Dockhorn

Chief Administrative Officer

Doug Dockhorn serves as chief administrative officer, bringing over 30 years of experience in building life science companies. A seasoned entrepreneur, he co-founded a successful CRO that was acquired by Carlyle and integrated into PRA Health Sciences, Inc., and later founded airPharma and co-founded Accelerated Vision Group. As vice president at PRA Health Sciences, Doug led data strategy initiatives and established the Global Process Automation Center of Excellence. His expertise includes successful management of multiple mergers, acquisitions, and integrations, with particular focus on process improvement and operational efficiency. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Personnel Administration from the University of Kansas.

Luc Behr, DVM, MsC, PhD

Senior Vice President

Preclinical Services

Luc Behr serves as co-president of preclinical services, bringing more than 20 years of experience as a recognized thought leader in preclinical science. His deep expertise in surgical and transcatheter medical device design, combined with advanced medical imaging competencies, has helped hundreds of companies innovate sophisticated medical technologies and implant procedures. Luc’s comprehensive understanding of the preclinical regulatory landscape complements his technical expertise. He completed his veterinary medicine degree and surgical residency at École nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort, followed by both his MSc and PhD in stem cell research from University Paris Cité, with additional training at The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

Nicolas Borenstein, DVM, MsC, PhD

Senior Vice President

Preclinical Services

Nicolas Borenstein serves as co-president of preclinical services, with extensive expertise in surgical and transcatheter preclinical science, particularly in cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular medical devices. A widely published author and peer-review journal reviewer, Nicolas combines academic excellence with hands-on surgical experience. He completed his veterinary medical and surgical training in Paris and Fort Collins, CO, earned his MSc in Surgical Science under Professor Alain Carpentier at Broussais Hospital, and received his PhD summa cum laude from University Paris Cité. His additional qualifications include specialized certifications in microsurgery, experimental surgery, and animal research from prestigious French institutions.

Lisa Carmel

Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

Business Development

Lisa Carmel serves as executive vice president of strategic partnerships, bringing 30 years of global healthcare product commercialization experience. A leader in the medtech community, she chairs the MedTechWOMEN advisory board and serves on the advisory boards for Cleveland Clinic (MedTech) and UCLA Biodesign. Lisa also chairs the external steering committees for Mayo Clinic’s Beahrs Surgical Innovation Summit and the Cardiology and Radiology Innovation Summit. She supports the ecosystem as a board member of MarinHealth system and an advisor to startups and accelerators, including MedTech Innovator. She shares her passion for disruptive innovation by hosting the Veranex podcast, Medtech Pioneers.

Sherry Farrugia

Senior Vice President

Preclinical Services

Sherry Farrugia serves as senior vice president of preclinical services at Veranex, bringing exceptional leadership experience in healthcare and life sciences innovation. Her distinguished career includes serving as CEO of T3 Labs and a decade at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she led both the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) and the Pediatric Technology Center (PTC). Under her leadership, she has driven the commercialization of numerous medical devices, secured 90 funded projects, and generated multiple patents. A five-time Georgia Bio Award winner, including the prestigious Industry Growth Award, Sherry was named Women of the Year in Technology in 2018 and received the President’s Award for Excellence in Multidisciplinary Team Research. She holds a BS in Chemistry and Physics from Auburn University and a certificate in global innovation from the University of Oxford.

Joe Ferrara

Chief Strategy Officer

CRO & Consulting Services

Joe Ferrara serves as chief strategy officer, bringing over 20 years of life sciences consulting expertise to his role. His extensive domain knowledge spans reimbursement and pricing, health economics, market analysis, and business development strategy, with particular focus on precision medicine, advanced diagnostics, and oncology informatics. He is a recognized thought leader who frequently writes and speaks on medical technology innovation and has led significant initiatives including a joint venture focused on global electronic medical records for clinical trials and health outcomes research. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Genice Gallegos

Vice President, US Clinical Affairs

CRO & Consulting Services

Genice Gallegos is our VP of clinical affairs. Genice joined Veranex in 2019 and possesses over 20 years of experience in clinical affairs. She provides clinical strategy development expertise, generates clinical study documentation for regulatory submissions, leads clinical study operations from enrollment planning to close-out in accordance with projected timelines, and provides clinical support to design teams throughout the product lifecycle. Genice oversees our clinical team by supporting clients with both setting strategic direction and evidence pipeline as well as detailed tactical planning and execution for converting a company’s goals into actionable clinical studies for medical devices and combination products. She has a BA in Kinesiology from Westmont College.

Joe Gordon

Vice President of Innovation

Product Design & Engineering

Joe Gordon serves as vice president of innovation at Veranex, where he leverages extensive research insights and industry experience to create cutting-edge healthcare product solutions. With over two decades of expertise, including 22 years at Ximedica, he leads expert teams of researchers, engineers, and designers in developing transformational medical devices across numerous specialized fields, including arthroscopic, audiology, endoscopy, gynecology, orthopedic, urology, ophthalmic, and robotics. His commitment to human-centered design and innovation has earned him multiple prestigious industry recognitions, including two BusinessWeek IDEA awards, an I.D. magazine award, and three Medical Design Excellence Awards. Joe holds a BS in Industrial Design from Wentworth Institute of Technology and continues to foster a culture of innovation through global client collaboration and measurable solution implementation.

Danita Harris

Senior Vice President of Clinical Data Services

CRO & Consulting Services

Danita Harris serves as senior vice president of clinical data services, bringing over 20 years of pharmaceutical and biotech industry expertise to her role. A senior biometrics leader, she has extensive experience managing global multi-site operations, including data management, programming, biostatistics, and medical writing departments across all phases of clinical development. Prior to joining the company, she served as executive director at Abond CRO Inc., where she demonstrated her results-oriented approach to delivering strategic, operational, and technical solutions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Brown University.

Robert Kieval, VMD, PhD

Executive Vice President

Business Development

Robert Kieval serves as executive vice president of business development, bringing over 20 years of C-level leadership experience in healthcare. His career spans roles including medical director of heart failure technologies at Medtronic and founder & CEO at CVRx, demonstrating success in innovating, financing, and commercializing sophisticated medical technologies. A recognized industry advocate, Rob has served on the Board of Directors of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association and as a board chairman at the Medical Alley Association of Minnesota. His contributions have earned him recognition as Innovator of the Year by Twin Cities Finance & Commerce and as one of Minnesota’s Top Inventors. He holds both a VMD and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tom Lutzow

Vice President of Design & Experience

Product Design & Engineering

Tom Lutzow serves as vice president of design and experience at Veranex, where he generates extensive iterative design methodologies and leads guided materials research for medical device development. With over 13 years of experience in human-centered design, he takes a solution-oriented approach to vendor collaboration, utilizing findings from bench testing, multi-sensory testing, and human factors research to guide the creation of new, highly specialized biocompatible materials for human subject use. Tom has established himself as a leader in creating functional design solutions that harmoniously integrate the needs and perspectives of design, user research, engineering, and manufacturing. As a key team member in developmentally focused research activities, he oversees pre-clinical research, clinical trials, focus groups, and ethnographic interviews. He holds a BFA in Industrial Design from Savannah College of Art and Design and leverages this foundation to drive innovative, patient-centered approaches to medical product development.

Jessica Richter

Executive Vice President of Regulatory, Clinical, & Quality Services

CRO & Consulting Services

Jessica Richter is our executive vice president of the regulatory, clinical and quality services arm of Veranex. Jess joined Veranex in 2017 to expand our business development activities and to direct strategic growth initiatives. She has extensive experience in leadership, sales and market development activities from her six years at Medtronic’s early technologies division and in the GI space. She has spearheaded successful, high-impact projects in the areas of strategic sales planning, physician education, collaboration with patient advocacy groups and corporate project management. Jess has spent over ten years driving commercial sales activities within the medical device, software and communications arena. At Veranex, Jess interfaces with U.S. and international executives, investors, legal representation and clinical and policy advisors to expand industry networks and to deliver meaningful support to the firm’s clientele and partners. She holds a BA in Mass Communication/Media Studies from UC Berkeley.

Timothy Sheflin

Vice President of Commercial Strategy & Market Access

CRO & Consulting Services

Tim Sheflin is our vice president of commercial strategy and market access. Tim has over 20 years of consulting experience assessing the reimbursement environment for medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, specialty drugs and biologics. His work addresses the private and public payer product evaluation processes, as well as coverage policies and formulary analyses. Tim is an expert at the design, conduct, and analysis of payer research that produces insightful and actionable strategies. He also designs tactical reimbursement launch plans and needs assessments for specialty drug companies whose products require physician reimbursement support services and payer accounts management. In addition, he has developed strategies for novel diagnostic imaging modalities used for detection, treatment planning, and surveillance. He holds a BA in Political Science from Connecticut College.

Sofia Spjuth

Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Europe

CRO & Consulting Services

Sofia Spjuth is a medical device engineer with 10+ years of experience within the medtech industry. She is a member of SIS/TC 340 and SIS/TC 331, Technical Committees established to defend Swedish interests and influence the European and global standardization work in the field of medical devices; implants, biological safety, biocompatibility, clinical investigations, laboratory medicine and biotechnology. Sofia is also nominated as a Swedish expert in ISO/TC 194 WG 4 clinical investigations of medical devices and participated in the establishment of ISO 14155:2020.

Corie Vazquez, MS

Vice President of Quality and Compliance

Product Design & Engineering

Corie Vazquez serves as vice president of quality and compliance at Veranex, bringing extensive expertise in medical device quality systems and regulatory compliance. Her experience includes five years leading quality initiatives at Ximedica and four years managing post-market surveillance at Fresenius Medical Care North America. She combines her comprehensive understanding of quality systems with strong regulatory knowledge, holding an MS in Regulatory Affairs, Device, Pharmaceutical & Biologics from Northeastern University and a BS in Business Management from Johnson & Wales University.

Chris Vigneau, MBA

Vice President of Manufacturing

Product Design & Engineering

Chris Vigneau serves as vice president of manufacturing, leading a team of experts who provide end-to-end solutions for medical device development and commercialization. With 20 years of experience in operations leadership roles across aerospace and medical device industries, he brings proven expertise in operations management, purchasing, Six Sigma, and strategic negotiation. Known for fostering a culture of intensity, authenticity, and integrity, Chris focuses on delivering high-quality, cost-effective, and compliant manufacturing solutions while driving innovation and team development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, an MBA from Bryant University, and completed the Program on Negotiation and Leadership at Harvard University.

Jeff White, DVM

Senior Vice President & Scientific Director

Preclinical Services

Jeff White serves as senior vice president and scientific director of preclinical services at Veranex, bringing extensive executive leadership experience in medical technology innovation and product development. Throughout his career, he has successfully led organizations through startups, mergers, acquisitions, and turnarounds, driving cumulative revenues exceeding $250M and contributing to over 70 FDA regulatory clearances and approvals. His expertise spans U.S. and international (GxP) regulations, strategic planning, and business development, with particular emphasis on building and managing high-performing teams across matrix-based academic, industry, and private equity-backed organizations. He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from The University of Kansas.