Joseph Baron, a Founder and Partner at Extera Partners, LLC, is an experienced business development executive and has closed deals for numerous life science companies.

As SVP of Corporate Development for BioAssets Development, an Extera Client, Joseph closed a $30 million split indication collaboration and license transaction with Eidetica, a subsidiary of Biogen Idec. Also, Joseph executed a $7.5 million equity round for BioAssets and closed an option to a merger transaction between Cephalon and BioAssets for $30 million upfront plus additional milestones. For other Extera clients, Joseph has supported transactions in CNS, ophthalmology, and inflammation therapeutic areas and drug delivery and discovery technologies.

Prior to joining Extera, Joseph co-founded Adesso Systems, a remote data capture software platform. He raised over $18 million for Adesso, which had $3 million in revenues in its first year of operation. He served as VP of Business Development, acquired key customers like Novartis, GE Medical, and Abbott Laboratories, and closed transactions with HP, Lycos, and Intuit.

Previously, he was on Millennium Pharmaceuticals' M&A team, where he evaluated multiple acquisition opportunities for Millennium. These activities led to the $450 million acquisition of LeukoSite among other smaller transactions. Joseph also supported two final discovery partnerships with Abbott Laboratories ($250 million) and Sanofi Aventis ($450 million). Joseph started his career at Booz Allen and Hamilton, developing market entry strategies for new life science companies and evaluating the effects of novel and disruptive technologies in the energy and chemicals markets.

Joseph received a BS in Chemistry & Biochemistry with highest honors from WPI, an MS in Engineering with high honors from Stanford University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. As part of his MBA, he worked at the Novartis Functional Genomics Center, evaluating market opportunities for plant-based vaccines.

Steven Bernitz is a prominent dealmaker and strategist with a proven track record of success in business development and executive management. Steve led the initiation, negotiation and management of two of biotech’s largest licensing transactions (Concert-GSK in 2009 for $1B and Coley-Pfizer in 2005 for $600MM) -- both of which were nominated for several “Deal of the Year” awards. Steve has also closed numerous transactions across a wide array of deal structures, development stages, indications, and modalities.

Prior to joining Extera, Steve was the Chief Business Officer at Concert Pharmaceuticals. Steve led Concert’s partnering efforts which resulted in a $1 billion alliance with GlaxoSmithKline for three preclinical programs, as well as strategic efforts to prioritize Concerts’ extensive pipeline of small molecule drugs across a wide range of therapeutic indications. Prior to Concert, Mr. Bernitz served as Chief Executive Officer of Histogenics Corporation, a clinical stage cell therapy company focused on orthopedics. Before Histogenics, Steve held the position of Senior Vice President, Business and Commercial Development at Coley Pharmaceutical Group, where he led the $600 million licensing deal with Pfizer-- at the time one of the largest single program Phase II deals in the industry. Steve also closed several deals totaling over $100 million for Coley’s vaccine adjuvant and other programs, and managed Coley’s alliances with Pfizer (oncology), GSK (vaccines) and Aventis (respiratory). Prior to Coley, Mr. Bernitz was CEO of Organogenesis where he raised significant capital and led the restructuring of the company and its relationship with Novartis. Before his appointment as CEO, Steve founded and led the Company’s Biosurgery business unit and established the company’s first marketing and sales organization. In the 1990s, Mr. Bernitz held senior positions in business development, alliance management and product development with Dyax Corp. and Merck Vaccines.

Prior to his life sciences career, Steve worked in private equity and was a consultant at McKinsey & Co., Inc. and Monitor Company. He received his B.S. summa cum laude from Tufts University where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was an Austin Scholar.

Lothar has a proven track record of successfully managing global life science businesses, developing and bringing innovative products to market. He has more than 25 years experience in the medical device, imaging, and instrumentation industries, and has held executive positions managing R&D, operations, sales, marketing, service, quality, and regulatory functions.

Lothar has been involved in multiple cross-border acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, and global R&D projects. He has also held several Board positions with leading international companies in Europe and the US. Over his career, Lothar has served as General Manager (GM) of the worldwide Ultrasound and MRI businesses for Siemens Medical Systems, President of the worldwide Ophthalmic Systems business for Zeiss/Humphrey, and Executive Vice President of Analogic Corporation.

He is also an experienced engineer and earned his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Darmstadt in Germany.

Jonathan is an experienced life science entrepreneur with a strong executive management and business development track record. Jonathan founded Extera Partners, where he focuses on investment activities as well as partnering, financing, M&A, and corporate strategy efforts for private and public life science companies.

Prior to Extera, Jonathan also founded Cardio Response, Protein Forest, and Gelesis. He was Vice President with Coordinated Care Solutions; and earlier in his career led IBM's healthcare business in Israel.

Jonathan practiced emergency medicine and has published in leading medical journals. He earned his MD from the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel and his MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Robert has held several senior executive positions within global diagnostic companies focusing on business development and product commercialization.

Most recently, he was VP Global Licensing & New Business Development at Bayer HealthCare’s Diabetes Care Division, following ten years in the same role at Bayer’s Diagnostics Division, which was one of the world’s leading diagnostics companies before it was acquired by Siemens Medical Solutions for $6.5 Billion.

Earlier in his career, Robert held leadership positions with Kodak Diagnostics (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, J&J), Amersham International (GE Healthcare) and at Roche. Throughout his career, Robert has developed a deep understanding of the IVD, biomarker and laboratory research markets, managed complex international transactions and championed the commercialization of novel diagnostic products.

Dr. Kate Torchilin has many years of management and entrepreneurial experience in life sciences and healthcare industries. Most recently, Kate was Director of Global Clinical and Toxicology Markets at Thermo Fisher Scientific, the leading company in life sciences analytical technologies and clinical diagnostics. In that position, Kate oversaw the creation and growth of the global clinical diagnostics program for several Thermo Fisher products.

Previously, Kate held various management positions at Thermo Electron prior to its merger with Fisher Scientific, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning and marketing roles. Prior to joining Thermo, Kate was a business development manager at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, major teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School, where she worked with physicians and research faculty to commercialize new healthcare technologies. In addition, she has been an active participant in the life sciences and biotechnology industry for more than a decade, consulted with many biopharmaceutical and venture capital firms, and is a co-founder of Enspire-Medica LLC.

Kate holds PhD degree in Biochemistry from Tufts University and MBA from Harvard Business School.

Robert is a proven expert in marketing and sales of medical devices. He served in executive marketing and sales roles with early to global companies running large direct and indirect sales organizations and overseeing product pre-launch planning, new product launch and sales optimization. Robert also advised on marketing and sales with Boston Scientific, US Endoscopy, Neurometrix, Organogenesis and LightLab Imaging.

Earlier in his career, Robert served as the Director of Global Marketing for CR Bard, leading key divisions to double digit growth and numerous successful acquisitions and product launches. Through his experience, Robert has developed a deep knowledge and understanding of product commercialization, reimbursement, distribution to hospital and outpatient clinics and sales into multiple medical specialties including but not limited to cardiology, gastroenterology and aesthetics. He started his career as an award winning sales representative with CR Bard and 3M Pharma.

Reed is an experienced medical device sales professional. At Extera, he executes direct and indirect U.S. sales activities and expansion for Extera’s clients. Throughout his career, Reed has held several critical sales, training and management positions with early to mid-stage medical device companies specializing in Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, General Surgery, and Cardio / Vascular / Thoracic Surgery.

Most recently, Reed served as a Sales Manager at Orthovita, growing sales 6x in his territory. Through his experience, he has developed the skills needed to manage large direct and indirect sales organizations and oversee new product launch and sales optimization.

Reed is also an entrepreneur, and founded and operated a successful family business for several years. Reed is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Minor in Psychology.

Ramesh is an experienced life science consultant. Since joining Extera Partners, he has led and supported the business development, M&A, and corporate strategy efforts of numerous private and public life science companies.

Previously, he was a consultant with Easton Associates in New York and London, where he worked on over 30 engagements with top-tier pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies around the world. Over his career, Ramesh has supported the business planning, diligence, and post-transaction strategies for many healthcare companies.

Ramesh is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in bioengineering and chemistry, in addition to completing coursework in business. At the University of Pennsylvania, Ramesh evaluated novel life science technologies at the university’s Center for Technology Transfer as an intern and completed basic research studies in biomaterials.

Abbas Kazimi is an experienced strategic transaction associate. Since joining Extera in its Boston offices, he has been responsible for managing client relationships, supporting business development activities, and contributing to corporate strategic analyses for the firm’s clients.

Prior to joining Extera, Abbas was as an associate at JSB-Partners where he was responsible for conducting financial analysis, completing due diligence, and facilitating negotiations for licensing, partnering, and M&A transactions cumulatively valued at over $800 million.

Abbas was also a molecular biology research associate at Cambria Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company focused on central nervous system disorders including neurodegenerative diseases. He earned his MS degree from Harvard University and his BA degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nicole is a solid project manager with a strong range of business analytics and marketing experience in the biotechnology and healthcare space. At Extera, she undertakes integrated marketing efforts and provides analytical support for biopharmaceutical and medtech related projects.

Nicole has worked on both the agency and corporate sides of the biopharmaceutical business. Previously, Nicole was an Account Executive at Cambridge BioMarketing, a full service agency, where she worked on accounts in the multiple sclerosis, oncology and orphan drug space. There, she drove project management and provided strategic support for integrated digital and print campaigns across professional, consumer and corporate audiences from concept through implementation. Additionally, Nicole worked in Business Intelligence at EMD Serono, where she supported marketing activities and commercial planning for inline and pipeline products in the Neurology, Reproductive Health and Metabolic Endocrinology therapeutic areas.

Nicole is a graduate of Loyola University Maryland where she majored in Business Administration, with a concentration in International Business.

Carol joined Extera Partners in 2007 and manages the entire office management and accounting functions for Extera. She is also involved in coordinating market outreach, event planning, and investor roadshow activities for Extera Management.

Carol previously held positions in office management within the healthcare industry and for a private physician practice group.

Carol received a degree in Graphic Design from Boston University including studies in accounting and marketing.