R. Stephen Beatty, Chairman of the Board
R. Stephen Beatty was appointed Chairman of the Board in July 2017. Prior to this role he served as our chief executive officer and a member of our board of directors since May 1999, and also served as our president during that time until he was appointed as chairman of the board in February 2015. Prior to joining us, Mr. Beatty established and operated Beatty Finance, Inc., a private financial services company. Mr. Beatty holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of South Alabama and an M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans.
Having previously served as our chief executive officer for over ten years, Mr. Beatty brings to the board of directors critical knowledge and understanding of the products offered by our company, proven management experience, and a thorough understanding of the biotechnology industry in which we operate. In addition, his years of experience owning and operating a financial services company give him valuable insight in the fields of finance and investment.
Robin L. Carmichael, President and Chief Executive Officer
Robin L Carmichael was appointed our President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2017. Prior to this role, she served as president from February 2015 and had served as our chief operating officer since January 2011. She has served as a member of our board of directors since February 2013 and also serves on the board of Solomomo, a company focused on building high-tech products for the skincare, beauty and wellness markets since 2016. Ms. Carmichael joined Helix BioMedix in October 2007 as our vice president of marketing and business development. Prior to joining us, Ms. Carmichael served as chief operating officer of DERMAdoctor, Inc., a prestige cosmeceutical company. She was Vice President of Marketing with ProCyte Corporation from 1998 to 2005 and later of PhotoMedex, Inc. following its acquisition of ProCyte in 2005. During her tenure at ProCyte, she developed and launched seven major product lines, created several new brands, established the international distribution business and was actively involved with the various licensing partners. Ms. Carmichael has over 25 years of sales and marketing experience having held a number of regional and national sales positions in the life science and medical device companies, including Baxter Healthcare. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seattle University and attended the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Executive Management. She is a recognized speaker and author on numerous topics, including peptides, cosmetic surgery and skin care and is a member of Cosmetic Executive Women.
Ms. Carmichael has significant senior-level management experience in the biotechnology and consumer products industries and brings to our board valuable knowledge of the strategic, marketing and operational aspects of the biotechnology and consumer products industries. Her experience makes her a strong contributor to our board.
John F. Clifford
John F. (Jack) Clifford has served as a member of our board of directors since August 2007. Mr. Clifford has served as a consultant in the aesthetic and dermatology markets since June 2006. He was executive vice president of dermatology for PhotoMedex, Inc. from March 2005 until June 2006 following its acquisition of ProCyte Corporation. He was president, chief executive officer and chairman of ProCyte Corporation from 1996 until March 2005. Before joining ProCyte Corporation, Mr. Clifford was the president of Orthofix, Inc. U.S., which acquired American Medical Electronics, Inc., where he was chief executive officer. From 1989 to 1994, he was employed by Davis and Geck, Inc. as division vice president. From 1964 to 1989, Mr. Clifford held various sales and marketing positions at Ethicon Inc. and Iolab Corporation, both Johnson & Johnson companies. Mr. Clifford holds a B.S. in Economics from Villanova University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Drexel University.
Mr. Clifford has extensive senior-level management experience in the biotechnology industry and brings to our board valuable knowledge of the strategic, marketing and operational aspects of running a successful biotechnology business. His experience makes him a strong contributor to our board and to our compensation committee.
Richard M. Cohen
Richard M. Cohen has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2005. Since 1996, Mr. Cohen has been the president of Richard M. Cohen Consultants, Inc., a financial services consulting company that assists public and private companies with their corporate finance and corporate governance needs. From 2003 through January 2012, Mr. Cohen served as a director of Dune Energy, Inc. (AMEX:DNE), an oil and gas exploration and production company for which he served as chief financial officer from November 2003 to April 2005. From 2007 through 2012, Mr. Cohen was a director and a member of the audit committee of Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:RODM). From December 2009 through 2013, he was a director of CorMedix, Inc. (AMEX:CRMD-U), a pharmaceutical company that develops and seeks to commercialize therapeutic products for the treatment of cardiorenal disease, for which he has also served as the interim chairman starting in October 2011. Mr. Cohen is a Certified Public Accountant (New York State). He received a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
Mr. Cohen has extensive finance and corporate governance experience, including dealing with financial and accounting matters affecting companies in the biotechnology industry. Based on his financial and accounting experience, he serves as our audit committee chairman and financial expert.
William A. Goolsbee
William A. Goolsbee joined our board in October of 2019. Mr. Goolsbee is an experienced life sciences professional with decades of leadership in both the Medical Device and Pharmaceutical sectors. Mr. Goolsbee was founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Medical Inc. from 1987 until its acquisition by a unit of UBS Private Equity in 2002. He was a founding Director of ImmunoTherapy Corporation in 1993, and became Chairman in 1995, a position he held until overseeing the successful acquisition of ImmunoTherapy by AVI Biopharma, Inc. (now Sarepta Therapeutics) in 1998. Mr. Goolsbee served as Chairman of privately held BMG Pharma LLC, a pharmaceutical company, from 2006 through 2011 and of Metrodora Therapeutics until 2015. Mr Goolsbee is currently a member of the board of directors of Antisense Therapeutics and was until the end of 2016 a Director of Sarepta Therapeutics Inc.; both companies focus on rare disease drug development. Mr. Goolsbee received his B.A. in English from the University of California in 1977.
With his background in rare disease drug development and his years of experience serving on the boards of other companies, Mr. Goolsbee brings to our board demonstrated leadership ability and a solid understanding of corporate governance, which also makes him a valuable contributor to our board committees.
Lawrence Blake Jones
Lawrence Blake Jones has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2010. Beginning in 1974, Mr. Jones became a partner with Scheuermann & Jones, a Louisiana-based law firm that practices throughout much of the United States. In 2015, upon the death f his partner, he opened Blake Jones Law Firm, LLC, a firm that specializes in maritime law and state municipal taxes. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of First NBC Bank Holding Company where he is the Chief Restructuring Officer; and, is engaged in building and repurposing historical structures using federal and state tax credits. Mr. Jones holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School and a B.A. in history from the Louisiana State University and is a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Jones is also active in national and local charitable organizations including Family Services of Greater New Orleans.
With his legal background, his years of experience serving as a partner at a law firm, and his service on the boards of other companies, and NGOs, Mr. Jones brings to our board demonstrated managerial ability and an understanding of the principles of good corporate governance, which also makes him a valuable contributor to the audit and governance committees.