Management
STEFAN LEMPERLE, MD PhD MBA
FOUNDER & CEO
Dr. Stefan Lemperle founded AscentX Medical, Inc. in April 2008 and has since served as the Company's President and CEO. From January 2007 to April 2009, Dr. Lemperle was the President and CEO of Clinicon Corporation, a privately held medical technology company that develops, manufactures and markets fractional CO2 lasers and diamond laser scalpels.
In April 1999, Dr. Lemperle co-founded Artes Medical Inc., a NASDAQ-listed medical technology company, which developed and secured FDA approval for the first and only permanent injectable wrinkle filler (ArteFill®) (acquired by Suneva Medical, Inc. in 2009). He served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and President & Chief Executive Officer of Artes Medical Inc. from April 1999 to December 2006.
In 1996, Dr. Lemperle co-founded MacroPore Inc. (now Cytori Therapeutics Inc., NASDAQ: CYTX), a medical technology company focused on the design, manufacture and distribution of bio-degradable bone fixation and regeneration devices for craniofacial and spine surgery. He served as Vice-Chairman of MacroPore, Inc.'s Board of Directors, Executive Vice President R&D, and Chief Scientific Officer between 1996 - 2000.
In August 2014, Dr. Lemperle graduated at the top of his class from Pepperdine University's President & Key Executive (PKE) MBA Program at the Graziadio School of Business and Management.
From July 1994 to October 1996, Dr. Lemperle was a post-doctorate research fellow at the University of California, San Diego, Division of Plastic Surgery, fully sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (German Research Society).
In 1992, Dr. Lemperle earned his M.D. degree and completed his 'Dr. med.' degree with Magna Cum Laude (or High Honors), equivalent to a 'PhD degree in Medicine', as certified by U.S. Center for Educational Documentation (CED), from the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Germany, where he was also trained in general surgery between 1992-1994.
Between 1985-1997, Dr. Lemperle was a regular team member of INTERPLAST Germany, where he participated in yearly reconstructive surgery missions to third world countries throughout the world.
Dr. Lemperle is author/co-author of various scientific publications in the fields of Liver Transplantation, Bone Regeneration, Aesthetic Surgery, GERD and SUI. Dr. Lemperle holds various patents in medical technology. In 2005, Dr. Lemperle was a San Diego finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Awards.
Fred Schippa, BS (Acctg) MBA
CFO
Fred brings more than thirty years of progressive leadership in the financial services industry to AscentX Medical. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to work both as an employee and as a management consultant for companies of vastly different sizes and levels of complexity; from small start-ups to multi-national firms with more than 50,000 employees. He has functioned as the head of Finance and Operations for a number of firms, but has, on occasion, also had responsibility for Human Resources, IT and Customer Service.
As the founder of The Gordian Group, which provided management consulting for a number of Fortune 100 companies, such as Liberty Mutual, New York Life and TIAA-CREF, he worked to introduce new products, develop new markets, and improve efficiencies. He has also held senior management positions with McGraw-Hill Education, EF Hutton Life, EquityKey and Retirement Capital Group, where he was also the firm’s Financial and Operations Principal.
Over the years, Fred has managed various projects and multi-year / division programs, often with teams spread across many states and time-zones. These projects and positions have given Fred a wealth of experiences and ability to quickly discern opportunities for improvement and viable solutions.
Fred holds an MBA from San Diego State University and a BS in Accounting from California State University Northridge.
RUSSELL ANDERSON, MS PharmE MBA
EXEC VP ENGINEERING & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, CTO
Since October 2010, Mr. Russell Anderson has served as President and Board member of Biostratus Corporation, a biomedical development and consulting firm. From January 2009 to October 2010, Mr. Anderson served as Program Director and Vice President of Product Development and Engineering at Lithera, Inc., a San Diego based Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Technology Company. From January 2004 to November 2008, Mr. Anderson served as the Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering and Vice President of Product Development & Engineering at Artes Medical Inc., a publicly held medical technology company that developed ArteFill®, the first and only permanent injectable wrinkle filler to gain FDA approval. From 2002 until recently, Mr. Anderson was the President and a Principal Engineer of Anderson Biomedical Consulting. Prior to founding Anderson Biomedical Consulting, he held management positions at Mentor Corporation, Medtronic, Keravision, Cohesion Technologies, and Novare Surgical. Mr. Anderson has also consulted for several other companies including Vascular Innovations, NuVasive, Collagen Corporation, Target Therapeutics and Boston Scientific.
In 2009, Russell finished at the top of his class while earning a Master’s of Science degree in PharmME from the Stevens Institute of Technology. He also holds additional graduate certifications in Biologics and Biopharmaceutical Processing, as well as Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Management. In 2000, Mr. Anderson received a Master’s Degree with honors in Business Administration from California State University, Hayward, with concentrations in Production & Operations Management, Technology and Innovation Management, and International Business Management. Mr. Anderson also received a BSEnvE/BSME from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Russell has authored or co-authored dozens of domestic and international issued and pending biomedical patents, and he has also co-authored multiple papers on tissue treatment technologies that have been published in peer reviewed journals.
LARRY BRAGA, Senior Vice President
Manufacturing & Operations
Mr. Larry Braga served as the Principal of BioWerks Consulting, a Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device consulting firm from December 2008 to December 2010. From June 2004 to November 2008, Mr. Braga served as the Vice President of Global Manufacturing Operations for Artes Medical Inc., a publicly held medical technology company that developed ArteFill®, the first and only FDA approved permanent injectable wrinkle filler. From 2000 to 2004, he served as the Senior Director of Global Manufacturing Operations for Anosys, Inc. (Rhone-Poulenc Rorer spin-off), a French founded vaccine company focused on the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma and Melanoma, autologous cell therapies and targeted tumor peptides. Prior to Anosys, Mr. Braga served in various clinical and commercial manufacturing management roles at Cohesion Technologies and Collagen Corporation. Mr. Braga began his Biotechnology career at Genentech in 1986, supporting one of the first commercial recombinant products, Human Growth Hormone (Protopin). In 1985, Mr. Braga earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from California State University, Hayward, with a Medical Technology Focus.
PROF. GOTTFRIED LEMPERLE, MD PhD
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Prof. Lemperle has been a Voluntary Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery since 1998. In April, 1999, Professor Lemperle co-founded Artes Medical Inc., a publicly held medical technology company based on his invention of the PMMA microsphere platform technology leading to the first and only FDA-approved permanent injectable wrinkle filler (ArteFill®) in 2006. He served as Chief Scientific Officer of Artes Medical Inc. from August 1999 to May 2006. Prior to Artes Medical, Professor Lemperle spent over 30 years as Professor & Head of the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Professor Lemperle was awarded MD and PhD degrees in Immunology and General and Plastic Surgery from Frankfurt University. He has authored more than 270 original publications in the fields of Plastic Surgery, GERD and SUI.
In 1997 Prof. Lemperle received the Cross of Merit 1st Class (Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse) from the President of the Republic of Germany for his achievements as founder of INTERPLAST Germany, a non-profit organization providing reconstructive surgery services in third world countries around the world. In 2010, Prof. Lemperle received the Dieffenbach-Medal as a German Lifetime Award for his contributions to the field of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
