Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> September 13, 2002
JOHN HARRIS has been a director, Chief Executive Officer and President
of the Company since February 2001. From May until December 2000, Mr.
Harris served as Chief Executive Officer of Diversified Technologies
Group, Inc., a company that provides enhanced fax services. From October
1999 until May 2000, he was Chief Executive Officer of CBQ, Inc., an e-
business solutions provider. From March 1999 until joining CBQ, Inc.,
Mr. Harris served as President of Paragon Innovations, Inc., an embedded
device design firm. From 1986 until 1998, he was President and CEO of
CompuNet Support Systems, Inc. CompuNet provided networking, systems
integration and business building applications. Profile
ALAN LEVY is President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertis
Neuroscience, Inc. Mr. Levy has more than 30 years of experience in the
medical device industry. Prior to co-founding Vertis Neuroscience, Mr.
Levy served as president and CEO of Heartstream, a company that
developed, manufactured and marketed an innovative automatic external
defibrillator that revolutionized the treatment of sudden cardiac
arrest. He successfully guided the company through product development,
venture financing, U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing
clearance, product launch, manufacturing scale-up, an initial public
offering, worldwide sales and distribution and the sale of the company
to Hewlett-Packard. Prior to joining Heartstream, he was president of
Heart Technology, which developed, manufactured and marketed devices for
removing plaque from coronary arteries. Levy effectively led Heart
Technology through key business and product development milestones. The
company was sold to Boston Scientific in 1995. Before joining Heart
Technology, Levy was vice president of research and new business
development and a member of the board of the Ethicon division of Johnson
& Johnson. Recently, Levy served on the board of Gynecare, a medical
device company acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Currently, he serves on
the boards of Intuitive Surgical, a public company, and Heartstent. Levy
received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from City University of New
York and his doctorate in organic chemistry from Purdue University. Profile
TWST: Can we start out with a history and an overview of VertisNeuroscience?
Mr. Levy: The company was formed in 1999, and John Harris was one of the
co-founders along with myself. It was