Mela Sciences Announces Realignment of Board
MELA Sciences, Inc., announced a realignment of its Board's composition and size to better support the its refocused go-to-market strategy for MelaFind. Three of nine directors have resigned from the Board effective year-end 2013. The departing directors are pharmaceutical marketing executive Anne Egger, crisis communications consultant Mark Fabiani and Mindy Meads, recently named CEO of specialty retailer Calypso St. Barth.
The company also announced the resignation of Richard I. Steinhart, SVP Finance and Chief Financial Officer, effective December 31. Mr. Steinhart served as Mela's CFO since 2006. A search process has been initiated with an executive recruiter to secure a replacement. Rose Crane, Mela's CEO, will handle the CFO responsibilities on an interim basis with the assistance of the company's controller.
To bolster its commitment to dermatologists and to secure added medical device management expertise, Mela has appointed healthcare executive and venture capitalist, Jeffrey F. O'Donnell to the Board effective January 1, 2014, bringing the number of MELA directors to seven. Mr. O'Donnell is Managing Director of BioStar Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in early stage medical devices. His healthcare and medical device background merges traditional corporate and early-stage experience. He has led four successful startups, two of which went public and three were sold, and he has raised over $400 million in equity and debt capital, according to Mela. Of particular relevance are his prior experience and relationships in medical dermatology gained as President and CEO of PhotoMedex, Inc., a medical device company, from 1999 through 2009.
Mr. O'Donnell, commented, "I am honored to join MELA Sciences' Board as they begin to leverage their technology and clinical insights to position the company as a leader in the fight against melanoma. They have done great work over the past six months to position the company to enter 2014 with a clear focus and compelling message. I am excited to leverage my dermatology and medical device experience to help guide the team to success."
Robert Coradini, Chairman of MELA Sciences said, "We are delighted to have someone of Jeff's talent, insight and experience join our Board as we build stronger dermatologist and medical community engagement for MelaFind. Jeff's first-hand knowledge of medical devices as well as selling capital equipment into the dermatology field will be of great value to MELA Sciences. He also brings global expertise that will broaden our strategic thinking on ways to leverage our technology and grow the company.
"I also want to thank Mindy, Anne, Mark and Richard for their tremendous contributions to MELA and support of management, especially during my tenure as interim CEO. I wish them great success in their other endeavors."