Slone Partners Recruits Chief Medical Officer for Epic Sciences
May 21, 2019 – Executive search firm Slone Partners has placed Richard Wenstrup as the chief medical officer of Epic Sciences. “Dr. Wenstrup’s decades-long experience in oncology leadership and clinical work will add substantial value to Epic Sciences in developing exciting new diagnostic tests that advance the mission of precision medicine,” said Tara Kochis-Stach, president of Slone Partners.
In his new role, Dr. Wenstrup leads clinical development, regulatory and medical affairs strategies, and is responsible for advancing the company’s clinical research and product development pipeline. “I am looking forward to advancing our menu of diagnostic tests to provide actionable, patient-specific data to improve patient outcomes in breast cancer and immuno-oncology,” he said.
“Rick brings a wealth of clinical and oncology leadership experience to Epic Sciences, as an executive in the global diagnostic industry, a physician and tenured professor, and is an important addition to our leadership team,” said Lloyd Sanders, president and CEO at Epic Sciences. “His extensive clinical background in oncology, genetics and pharmacogenomics in both the U.S. and international markets strengthens our organization’s capabilities as we advance our leading functional cell profiling technology and programs into the clinic, leveraging our clinical expertise in biomarker strategies and patient selection.”
Dr. Wenstrup has 25 years of clinical leadership experience in oncology, genetics and pharmacogenomics. Previously, he served as chief medical officer for Oxford Immunotec, where he oversaw research and development, product development, regulatory, and medical and clinical affairs. Before that, Dr. Wenstrup served as CMO for Myriad Genetics, where he built and led the clinical and medical affairs team to support a multi-fold increase in revenue during his tenure.
As an entrepreneur, Dr. Wenstrup was founding director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and co-founder of Assurex Health, now a subsidiary of Myriad Genetics. Before joining industry, he served as a tenured professor of pediatrics in human genetics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and as a tenured professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned his medical degree.
Epic Sciences develops novel diagnostics to improve and personalize the treatment and management of cancer. The company’s goal is to offer greater clarity for doctors to make correct decisions for patients at pivotal points in treatment, and to rapidly pivot away from therapies that are no longer clinically effective. Currently working with 65 top pharmaceutical partners and 45 academic cancer hospitals, including the National Cancer Institute, Epic Sciences’ technology is being used in over 200 clinical trials and has tested over 80,000 patient samples.
Slone Partners is a nationally recognized senior-level recruitment provider that specializes in delivering executive, management and leadership talent for the diagnostic, biopharmaceutical, healthcare information technology and laboratory testing industries. The firm has offices in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Recently, Slone Partners was included among Hunt Scanlon Media’s “Top 50 Healthcare & Life Sciences Search Firms.”
Chief Medical Officers
According to recruiters, the role of the chief medical officer has evolved in recent years, and organizations are looking for leaders with broader skill-sets. “Today’s CMO needs to have professional experience gathered from different players in the drug development industry, ” said Marc Salzberg, CEO of Airway Therapeutics. “He or she needs to understand the objectives of the key players in the field—academia / clinical practice, the pharma industry, regulatory authorities and third-party vendors, such as contract research organizations—in order to successfully cooperate with those partners.”
Over the past year, numerous healthcare organizations have turned to executive search firms to find new CMOs. Here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Quick Leonard Kieffer has been selected by Norwegian American Hospital in Chicago to lead its search for a new chief medical officer. Founder and vice chairman Roger Quick is leading the assignment along with principal Lindsey Hochman. Reporting to the president and chief executive officer of the hospital…
Chicago-based executive recruitment firm Carrington & Carrington has been selected by Planned Parenthood Federation of America to find its next chief medical officer. “The CMO serves as a visionary, strategic thinker, and national thought leader on clinical issues, both in the Planned Parenthood setting and the field of women’s health broadly,” said Carrington & Carrington.
Coulter Partners placed David Michelson as the chief medical officer of Proclara Biosciences in Cambridge, MA. “David is a seasoned leader, with deep research, clinical and regulatory expertise, including significant experience in neurology and I thank the Coulter Partners team for their outstanding work in achieving this high-caliber appointment.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
