The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New York for 2022. The awardees on this year’s list direct some of the most influential and innovative companies in the state, from life sciences to medical devices to home services and beyond. Through their deep operational and scientific expertise, they have driven significant growth and development at their companies while providing invaluable products and services to their customers.
Among this year’s honorees is VP and COO Steve Bjornson of Pfizer, which is leading the way in developing treatments for some of the most devastating diseases of our time, from Alzheimer’s to cancer; SVP Jeff Ventimiglia of Medidata Solutions, which is creating hope for millions of patients by leading the digital transformation of the life sciences; and Qi Pan of Sema4, which is revolutionizing healthcare by applying AI and machine learning to multidimensional, longitudinal clinical and genomic data.
The leaders on this year’s list and their companies are transforming the healthcare technology industry in myriad ways, from vaccine development to cancer treatment, diagnostics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and biometrics, among many others. But regardless of their focus or specialty, they are all drastically altering the way we approach healthcare, and they are providing patients with life-changing treatments. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New York for 2022.
1. Steve Bjornson
Company: Pfizer
Title: Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Vaccine Research and Development
Steve Bjornson is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer. He first joined the company in 2018. Pfizer provides access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines and health care services. They have a portfolio of products and medicines that support wellness and prevention, as well as treatment and cures for diseases across a broad range of therapeutic areas. They also have an industry-leading pipeline of promising new products that have the potential to combat some of the most feared diseases of our time, such as Alzheimer's and cancer.
Previously, Bjornson was vice president of global business planning and operations at MedImmune, and before that director of discovery research strategy & communications at Wyeth. Earlier in his career, he worked for Baxter as a senior analyst. He earned an MBA in general management and finance from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and an undergraduate degree in microbiology from Oregon State University.
2. Puja Sapra
Company: AstraZeneca
Title: Senior Vice President, Head of R&D Biologics Engineering and Oncology Targeted Delivery
Puja Sapra is the Senior Vice President, Head of R&D Biologics Engineering, and Head of Oncology Targeted Delivery for AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Their purpose is to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. They believe the best way they can achieve their purpose is to put science at the center of everything they do.
Before joining AstraZeneca, Sapra was vice president and chief scientific officer of the targeted therapeutics unit and oncology research at Pfizer, and before that a scientist III at Enzon Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career, she worked as a scientist at Immunomedics. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a PhD in pharmacology and from the University of Strathclyde with an MS in pharmacology.
3. Greg Raskin
Company: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Title: Senior Vice President, Technology Development
Greg Raskin began his professional career more than 24 years ago. Today, he is the Senior Vice President of Technology Development at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). As one of the world's premier cancer centers, MSK is committed to exceptional patient care, leading-edge research, and superb educational programs. The close collaboration between their physicians and scientists is one of their unique strengths, enabling them to provide patients with the best care available today as they work to discover more effective strategies to prevent, control, and ultimately cure cancer in the future. Their education programs train future physicians and scientists, and the knowledge and experience they gain at MSK have an impact on cancer treatment and the biomedical research agenda around the world.
Raskin first got his start in 1998 as a resident physician in the internal medicine department at NYU Langone Medical Center. From there, he went on to McKinsey & Company, before eventually becoming vice president of early-stage growth at AllianceBernstein LP, his most recent position prior to joining MSK. Raskin graduated from the Yale University School of Medicine with an MD and an undergraduate degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.
4. Seth Segel
Company: ConvaTec
Title: President and Chief Operating Officer, Continence Care & Home Services Group
Seth Segel is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Continence Care & Home Services Group for ConvaTec. He first joined the company in 2017. Convatec is committed to helping people with chronic health conditions lead the life they want—giving them more mobility, confidence, and freedom. Their customers depend on their advanced technologies to help reduce the potential complications of skin breakdown and/or infection, and they rely on their products and services to help manage their conditions every day.
Previously, Segel was president and chief executive officer of Woodbury Health Products/Wilmington Medical Supply, and before that executive vice president at Cantel Medical Corporation. Earlier in his career, he worked for Jupiter Media Metrix as senior vice president. Segel earned an MBA in general management from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.
5. Dale Henry
Company: Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Title: Chief Science Operations Officer
Dale Henry is the Chief Science Operations Officer of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, America's first cancer center, was founded in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park. Roswell Park is the only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Institute designation of "comprehensive cancer center," and the only to serve as a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Over its long history, Roswell Park has made fundamental contributions to reducing the cancer burden, and has exhibited exemplary leadership in setting the national standards for cancer care, research, and education.
Henry has more than 19 years of experience in the hospitals and healthcare industry. He graduated from the State University of New York College at Buffalo with an MBA and from Florida Southern College with an undergraduate degree in biology.
6. Jeff Ventimiglia
Company: Medidata Solutions
Title: Senior Vice President, Product Enablement & Customer Success
Jeff Ventimiglia began his professional career more than 17 years ago. Today, he is the Senior Vice President of Product Enablement & Customer Success for Medidata Solutions. Medidata is leading the digital transformation of the life sciences, creating hope for millions of patients. Medidata helps generate the evidence and insights to help pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics companies, as well as academic researchers, accelerate value, minimize risk, and optimize outcomes. More than one million registered users across 1,900+ customers and partners access the world's most trusted platform for clinical development, commercial, and real-world data.
Ventimiglia first got his start in 2005 as project manager of healthcare practice at Guideline. From there he went on to Quintiles, before eventually becoming vice president of product & commercial strategy at Median Technologies, his most recent position prior to joining Medidata Solutions. Ventimiglia graduated from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University with a master of management in clinical informatics and from Tulane University with an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering.
7. Christopher Conway
Company: Curia
Title: President
Christopher Conway is the President of Curia. He first joined the company in 2008 as manager of business development. Curia is a global contract research, development, and manufacturing organization (CDMO), offering products and services across the drug development spectrum to help its partners turn their ideas into real-world impact. It partners closely with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to boost business performance and improve patients’ lives.
Previously, Conway was a specialty district manager at Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, and before that a senior account manager at DynaBil Industries. He served in roles across Johnson & Johnson’s portfolio of companies and completed its leadership development program. He earned a doctor of humane letters from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and an undergraduate degree in marketing and management from Siena College.
8. Qi Pan
Company: Sema4
Title: Senior Vice President of Research and Development
Qi Pan is the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Sema4. Sema4 is a patient-centered health intelligence company dedicated to advancing healthcare through data-driven insights. Sema4 is transforming healthcare by applying AI and machine learning to multidimensional, longitudinal clinical and genomic data to build dynamic models of human health and defining optimal, individualized health trajectories. Sema4 believes that patients should be treated as partners, and that data should be shared for the benefit of all.
Pan has more than 15 years of experience in the biotechnology research industry. Before joining Sema4, she was a senior associate director at Boehringer Ingelheim, and prior to that a group leader at the Belfer Institute of Applied Cancer Science at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Earlier in her career, she worked as a scientist for ZymoGenetics in the Department of Hematology and Oncology. She graduated from Harvard University with a PhD in cell, cellular, and molecular biology and from Tsinghua University with an undergraduate degree in biotechnology.
9. Marc Huzansky
Company: Cerner Enviza
Title: Vice President and Senior Client Partner
Marc Huzansky began his professional career more than 25 years ago. Today, he is Vice President and Senior Client Partner for Cerner Enviza. Cerner Enviza aims to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of extraordinary insights and therapies to improve everyday health for all people globally. By combining decades of innovation, life sciences knowledge, and collaborative research, Cerner Enviza provides data-driven solutions and expertise that help bring remarkable clarity to healthcare’s most important decisions.
Huzansky first got his start in 1997 as a senior research director at Total Research. From there, he went on to Landis Strategy & Innovation, before eventually rising to director of client service at G&S Research, Inc., his most recent position prior to joining Cerner Enviza. Huzansky graduated from Florida Atlantic University with an undergraduate degree in marketing.
10. Pascal Besman
Company: PharmaMar
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Pascal Besman is the Chief Operating Officer for PharmaMar. He first joined the company in 2016. Headquartered in Madrid, PharmaMar is a biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology. It is committed to research and development that takes its inspiration from the sea in order to discover molecules with antitumor activity. PharmaMar seeks to create innovative products that provide healthcare professionals with new tools to treat cancer. Its commitment to patients and to research has made it one of the world leaders in the discovery of antitumor drugs of marine origin. PharmaMar has a pipeline of drug candidates and a robust R&D oncology program.
Previously, Besman was a director and head of healthcare equity sales at Maxim Group, and before that a managing director at JMP Securities LLC. Earlier in his career, he worked with Merrill Lynch as a senior vice president. He earned an undergraduate degree in international trade and psychology from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
11. Eric Venker
Company: Roivant Sciences
Title: President and Chief Operating Officer
Eric Venker is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Roivant Sciences. Roivant aims to improve health by rapidly delivering innovative medicines and technologies to patients. They do this by building “Vants”—nimble, entrepreneurial biotech and healthcare technology companies with a unique approach to sourcing talent, aligning incentives, and deploying technology.
Venker has more than 11 years of experience in the biotechnology research industry. Before joining Roivant Sciences, Venker was a resident physician of internal medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, and before that he founded and was chief executive officer of Talking Meds. Earlier in his career, he worked for Yale New Haven Hospital as a clinical pharmacist. He graduated from the Yale University School of Medicine with an MD and from the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis with a PharmD.
12. Christopher Schoonmaker
Company: PHASTAR
Title: Chief Operations Officer
Christopher Schoonmaker began his professional career more than 25 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Operations Officer of PHASTAR. PHASTAR is a specialist biometrics contract research organization offering statistical consulting, clinical trial reporting, data management, and data science services by providing expert consultants and managing and delivering in-house projects, FSP-style arrangements, and preferred partnerships. Their number one priority is ensuring on-time, quality work. Every project undertaken is supervised on methodology and utilizes internal processes designed to guarantee optimal quality, inspired by 4,000 years of accumulated technical experience across the company.
Schoonmaker first got his start in 1997 as a data analyst at Philliber Research Associates. From there, he went on to Biostatistics Consulting Group, before eventually rising to vice president and strategic account management at Cytel, his most recent position prior to joining PHASTAR. Schoonmaker graduated from Boston University with an MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics and from Marist College with an undergraduate degree in chemistry.
13. Esteban Reinhardt
Company: Air Techniques
Title: General Manager and Chief Operating Officer
Esteban Reinhardt is the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Air Techniques. He first joined the company in 2019. Air Techniques is a leading innovator and manufacturer of dental equipment and has provided reliable products and innovation since 1962. When a customer puts their trust in Air Techniques, they get a great deal in return. Reliability is one of their highest priorities, as are exceptional performance and efficiency, with many of their products requiring little or no maintenance. Air Techniques offers the very best value in the dental industry. Its products are manufactured in a vertically integrated factory where compliance with the Federal Drug Administration Good Manufacturing Practices is paired with stringent quality standards.
Previously, Reinhardt was a director of operations at Festo. He earned an MBA in international industrial management from the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and administration from Tecnológico de Monterrey.
14. Badreddin Edris
Company: SpringWorks Therapeutics
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Badreddin Edris is the Chief Operating Officer of SpringWorks Therapeutics. SpringWorks is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company applying a precision medicine approach to acquiring, developing, and commercializing life-changing medicines for underserved patient populations suffering from devastating rare diseases and cancer. SpringWorks has a differentiated portfolio of small molecule targeted oncology product candidates. It is currently advancing two potentially registrational trials in rare tumor types, as well as several other programs addressing highly prevalent, genetically defined cancers.
Edris has more than six years of experience in the biotechnology research industry. Before joining SpringWorks Therapeutics, he co-founded and was COO at Edgewise Therapeutics, and prior to that he was operating vice president at OrbiMed. Earlier in his career, he co-founded and was chief business officer at Silverback Therapeutics. He graduated from Stanford University with a PhD in genetics and an MS in biology and from Weber State University with an undergraduate degree in microbiology.
15. Kinnari Patel
Company: Rocket Pharmaceuticals
Title: President and Chief Operating Officer
Kinnari Patel began her professional career more than 17 years ago. Today, she is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Rocket Pharmaceuticals. Rocket Pharma is a fully-integrated, clinical-stage company advancing numerous gene therapies that could cure rare childhood diseases. Rocket places enormous value on people and takes team member progress and well-being just as seriously as the progress and well-being of its pipeline.
Patel was a program manager for pharma regulatory affairs at Roche beginning in 2007. From there she went on to Novartis, before eventually rising to global regulatory lead and oncology at AstraZeneca, her most recent position prior to joining Rocket Pharmaceuticals. She graduated from the NYU Stern School of Business with an EMBA in corporate finance, strategy, and leadership and from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia with a doctorate in pharmacy and an undergraduate degree in biology.
16. Zoe Heineman
Company: Diabeloop
Title: Senior Vice President, North America
Zoe Heineman is the Senior Vice President, North America of Diabeloop. She first joined the company in 2020. Diabeloop is a medical device company dedicating to treating diabetes. The company’s DBLG1 artificial intelligence analyzes glucose measurement data in real time—while considering the patient’s physiology, history, and data entries (meals or exercise)—to determine the correct dose of insulin to administer, making it a hybrid closed-loop system. Diabeloop’s mission is to make accessible disruptive technological innovations that will allow people with type 1 diabetes to live the life they want.
Previously, Heineman was head of U.S. commercial operations at Oxurion NV, and before that president at Heineman Global Advisors. Earlier in her career, she worked for Concentra as an account manager. She earned an MBA in pharmaceutical marketing and management from Rutgers Business School, an MS in life sciences from The Johns Hopkins University, and an undergraduate degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
17. Paul Angelico
Company: Chembio Diagnostics
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer
Paul Angelico is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc. Chembio is a leading point-of-care diagnostics company that is focused on detecting and diagnosing infectious diseases, including COVID-19, sexually transmitted disease, and fever and tropical disease.
Angelico has more than 30 years of experience in the medical equipment manufacturing industry. Before joining Chembio, he was principal and owner of The Dover Group, and prior to that he was president, chief executive officer, and director at Cyclica Inc. Earlier in his career, he worked with Procter & Gamble as an operations and M&A manager. He graduated from Babson College with an MBA and from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
18. Melanie Goldey
Company: TMRW Life Sciences
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Melanie Goldey began her professional career more than 14 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Operating Officer of TMRW Life Sciences. TMRW safeguards the world’s most precious cells for life. The TMRW platform revolutionizes the management, identification, and storage of fertility cells, replacing the manual and analog methods that have remained largely unchanged since IVF was first used in animal husbandry more than 50 years ago.
Goldey first got her start in 2008 as a senior vice president at Everyday Health Group. From there she served as chief financial officer for Refinery29, Inc., her most recent position prior to joining TMRW Life Sciences. She graduated from Wellesley College with an undergraduate degree in economics.
19. Evelyn Harrison
Company: Iveric Bio
Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Operations Officer
Evelyn Harrison is the Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Operations Officer of Iveric Bio. She first joined the company in 2007. Iveric Bio is a science-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel treatment options for retinal diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The company is currently developing both therapeutic product candidates for age-related retinal diseases and gene therapy product candidates for orphan inherited retinal diseases.
Previously, Harrison was senior vice president of clinical development at OSI Eyetech, and before that she was vice president of clinical development at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career, she worked for Hoffmann-La Roche as a director of clinical operations. She earned an MBA in health, health care administration, and management from Manhattan College and an undergraduate degree in biology from Hofstra University.
20. Mark Jacobson
Company: Axsome Therapeutics
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Mark Jacobson is the Chief Operating Officer of Axsome Therapeutics. Axsome Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for the treatment of pain and other neurological diseases. By focusing on this therapeutic area, Axsome is addressing growing markets in which current treatment options are limited or inadequate. The company has a balanced portfolio of clinical development as well as research stage products. It aims to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes differentiated products which increase the armamentarium of caregivers and improve the lives of patients.
Jacobson has more than 15 years of experience in the biotechnology research industry. Before joining Axsome, Jacobson was director of corporate development at Stemline Therapeutics, Inc., and before that systems and operations integrator at Publicis Healthcare Communications Group. He graduated from Columbia University with an MA in biotechnology and from Iowa State University with an undergraduate degree in biology.
21. Luis Voloch
Company: Immunai
Title: Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
Luis Voloch co-founded and is the Chief Technology Officer of Immunai. Immunai is a biotech company that combines single-cell genomics with machine learning (ML) algorithms to enable high-resolution profiling of the immune system. The company’s mission is to map the entire immune system and its functions using single-cell genomics and ML. It leverages single-cell technologies to profile cells from a blood sample, and uses machine-learning algorithms (powered by its proprietary database) to map the hundreds of cell types and their states to create an immune profile.
Voloch first got his start in 2015 as a machine learning developer at Palantir Technologies. From there he went on to MyHeritage, where he was a senior machine learning specialist. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master’s in electrical engineering and computer science, and an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science.
22. Greg Morselli
Company: VitalConnect
Title: Senior Vice President, Remote Patient Monitoring
Greg Morselli is the Senior Vice President of Remote Patient Monitoring for VitalConnect. He first joined the company in 2019 as a regional sales director. VitalConnect is a leader in wearable biosensor
technology. Its technology is routinely used for cardiac monitoring as well as patient monitoring in the hospital and at home. The company leverages extensive expertise in biomedical engineering, data analytics, chip design, and mobile and cloud software to create technology that supports decision-making paradigms that achieve better health and economic outcomes.
Previously, Morselli was a regional director at Abbott, and before that a key account manager for St. Jude Medical. Earlier in his career, he worked with Carter Wallace/Wallace Labs as a district sales manager. He earned an undergraduate degree in business, management, marketing, and related support services from St. John's University.
23. Catherine Roggero-Lovisi
Company: Modern Meadow
Title: President and Chief Operating Officer
Catherine Roggero-Lovisi is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Modern Meadow. Modern Meadow is a purpose-driven company positioned at the intersection of material science and biology with a mission to be a catalyst for real-world impact on people and the planet. Modern Meadow’s proprietary Bio-Alloy™ application platform harnesses the unique properties of tuned proteins to sustainably move the world away from petrochemical and animal-derived inputs without compromising on performance.
Roggero-Lovisi has more than 27 years of experience in the biotechnology research industry. Before joining Modern Meadow, she was president at Revlon Inc. She is also currently an Executive Board Member for Positive Planet US. Earlier in her career, she worked for L'Oréal as a senior vice president and general manager. She graduated from Thunderbird School of Global Management with an MBA in international business, trade, and commerce.
24. Hilary Armstrong
Company: AREA 23 on Hudson
Title: Senior Vice President, Medical Strategy
Hilary Armstrong began her professional career more than 12 years ago. Today, she is the Senior Vice President of Medical Strategy for AREA 23 on Hudson, an IPG Health Company. AREA 23 on Hudson is a team of creative problem-solvers who don’t believe in a cookie-cutter approach to medical communications. Driven by a shared vision with their client partners, they innovate solutions to create lasting impact with healthcare providers. They don’t just make great work; they specialize in building work that meaningfully changes behavior.
Armstrong first got her start in 2010 as a research scientist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. From there she went on to IQVIA, before eventually working in medical strategy at Fingerpaint, her most recent position prior to joining AREA 23 on Hudson. She graduated from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with a PhD in epidemiology; from Teachers College, Columbia University with an MA in applied exercise physiology; and from Saint Joseph's University with an undergraduate degree in marketing.
25. Steven L. Colletti
Company: Zymergen
Title: Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery R&D
Steve Colletti, PhD is currently Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery R&D at Zymergen, a leading synthetic biology company. Prior to the acquisition by Zymergen in 2021, as Chief Scientific Officer he led the portfolio at Lodo Therapeutics in metagenomics drug discovery. Before joining Lodo in 2018, Colletti was Executive Director and Head of Therapeutic Modalities at Merck & Co., with over 24 years of leadership in nine therapeutic areas across five modalities. At Merck, he contributed to the discovery of over a dozen preclinical candidate molecules, and was a core member of multiple development teams that advanced half of these through clinical proof of concept. His responsibilities also included working closely with licensing and business development, evaluating external opportunities, and helping to manage acquisitions.
Beginning his career as a medicinal chemist, Colletti is an inventor and author of over 130 patents and publications. He received his PhD in Chemistry from Boston University, completed his bachelor of science at Loyola University Chicago, and was an NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute.
