Pharma POOL

Warwick S. Bedwell
Roche Appoints VP and Global Head of Business Development, Pharma Partnering
Warwick S. Bedwell has been appointed VP and global head of Roche Pharmaceutical’s Business Development — Pharma Partnering business. Roche, Nutley, N.J., is part of the Roche Group, a research-oriented healthcare group with core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Previously, Mr. Bedwell was Roche general manager for the Philippines. Mr. Bedwell received a bachelor of pharmacy degree from the University of Sydney, Australia, and an MBA and a postgraduate diploma in marketing from the University of Technology, Sydney. Geno Germano Joseph Mahady Wyeth Announces Promotions and Organizational Change Geno Germano has been appointed president, U.S., and general manager of Wyeth Pharmaceteuticals, and Joseph Mahady has been promoted to president, global business, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and senior VP of Wyeth. Wyeth, Madison, N.J., is a research-driven pharmaceutical and healthcare products company. Mr. Germano, 46, joined Wyeth in 1984. Most recently, he was executive VP of the pharmaceutical business unit. In his new role, Mr. Mahady, 53, has operational responsibility for Wyeth’s global pharmaceutical business, including Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Wyeth Nutrition, in addition to his current responsibilities for the Americas and the four strategic global business units — pharmaceuticals, biopharma, vaccines, and women’s healthcare. Mr. Mahady joined Wyeth in 1979 and has progressed through several key commercial positions. Suzanne Grogan Dr. Ann Hida John Jackimiec Tony Siddiqui Gail Smith Eisai Announce New Hires and Promotions Eisai, Woodcliffe Lake, N.J., a research-based human healthcare company, has promoted Suzanne Grogan to manager, corporate planning and communications. Ms. Grogan was previously associate manager. She earned a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ann Hida, Pharm.D., has been promoted to director, medical communications. In this role, Dr. Hida works closely with the medical services and medical affairs product support teams. She was previously associate director. Dr. Hida earned a bachelor of science in biology/chemistry from Valparaiso University, and a doctorate of pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois. John Jackimiec has been promoted to strategic account manager at Eisai. In this role, he oversees key managed-care accounts in the southwest region. Mr. Jackimiec holds bachelor of science degrees in pharmacy and microbiology from Oregon State University and an MBA from the University of Houston. Tony Siddiqui has been hired as associate director, IT infrastructure and operations. Before joining Eisai, Mr. Siddiqui worked at Berlex Laboratories. He earned a bachelor of science degree in computer science from Karachi University. Gail Smith has been promoted to senior manager, corporate planning and communications. Ms. Smith was previously a representative in the medical salesforce. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Illinois. Dr. Ismail Kola Dr. Catherine Strader Changes at Schering-Plough Research Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, N.J., has appointed Ismail Kola, Ph.D., as senior VP, discovery research, in Schering-Plough Research Institute (SPRI), and as the company’s chief scientific officer. Schering-Plough is a global science-based healthcare company. Dr. Kola is responsible for a team of 1,000 people at the company’s discovery research sites in New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, and Milan, Italy. He joins Schering-Plough from Merck, where he most recently served as senior VP and site head, basic research. Dr. Kola holds a Ph.D. in medicine from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Catherine Strader, Ph.D., has been named senior VP, science and technology. In this position, she participates in the company’s external science and technology-centered actions, including business development and licensing. Dr. Strader has been with the company since 1995. She holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Henrik Rasmussen Novo Nordisk Appoints Internationally Renowned Researcher Dr. Henrik Rasmussen has been named VP of clinical, medical, and regulatory affairs, at Novo Nordisk, Princeton, N.J., which is among the leaders in diabetes care and breakthrough homeostasis research and treatment. Dr. Rasmussen has more than 20 years of clinical medicine and research experience, with 18 years dedicated in the pharmaceutical industry. He comes to Novo Nordisk from Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, where he served as senior VP, clinical research, regulatory, medical affairs, and project management. Dr. Rasmussen received his medical degree from the University of Copenhagen and a business degree from Milton Keynes Open University Business School. Dr. Darryle D. Schoepp MRL Appoints VP and Franchise Head, Neuroscience Darryle D. Schoepp, Ph.D., has been named senior VP and franchise head, neuroscience, at Merck Research Laboratories (MRL). Merck, Whitehouse Station, N.J., is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company. Dr. Schoepp has overall responsibility for scientific direction across the drug discovery and development process for neuroscience, including Merck’s priority research areas of Alzheimer’s disease, pain, and sleep disorders. Dr. Schoepp, 51, comes to MRL after 20 years in neuroscience discovery research at Eli Lilly. He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University and his doctoral degree in pharmacology and toxicology from West Virginia University. Biotech POOL Stephen T. Isaacs Oncologic Appoints President and CEO Oncologic, Berkeley, Calif., has appointed Stephen T. Isaacs, 58, president and CEO. Oncologic is a privately held biotechnology company. Mr. Isaacs is responsible for daily management, strategic planning, fundraising, and investor relations. Before joining Oncologic, Mr. Isaacs founded Cerus and then served for 14 years as its president and CEO. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from U.C. Berkeley. Dr. Gerard McGarrity VIRxSYS Appoints VP, Scientific and Clinical Affairs VIRxSYS, Gaithersburg, Md., has appointed Gerard McGarrity, Ph.D., executive VP, scientific and clinical affairs. VIRxSYS is a private biotechnology company that focuses on the development of a novel lentiviral vector platform technology for the treatment of serious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. Before joining VIRxSYS, he served as president and CEO of Intronn. Dr. McGarrity received his B.S. from Saint Joseph’s University and his Ph.D. from Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Santosh Vetticaden Maxygen Appoints Chief Medical Officer Maxygen, a biotechnology company focused on the development of improved protein drugs, has appointed Santosh Vetticaden, M.D., Ph.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Vetticaden has more than 20 years of clinical-development experience and experience with patient care. He comes to Maxygen, Redwood City, Calif., from Scios, where he served as VP, clinical research. Dr. Vetticaden earned his M.D. from the University of Maryland and his Ph.D. in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Warren W. Wasiewski NTI Appoints Clinical Programs VP Neurobiological Technologies (NTI), Emeryville, Calif., has appointed Warren W. Wasiewski, M.D., F.A.A.P., to VP, clinical programs. NTI is a biotechnology company engaged in the business of acquiring and developing central nervous system-related drug candidates. Dr. Wasiewski, 54, joins NTI from AstraZeneca, where he was the senior medical director of clinical research, CNS/emerging products. He holds a bachelor of arts in biology, cum laude, from Rutgers College, a master of science in biochemistry from State University of New York, and a doctorate of medicine from State University of New York. Biopharmaceutical POOL Dr. Steven E. Benner New Appointment at OncoMed OncoMed, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in cancer stem-cell research and the identification of novel cancer stem-cell targets, has appointed Steven E. Benner, M.D., to the position of senior VP and chief medical officer. Dr. Benner joins OncoMed, Redwood City, Calif., from PDL BioPharma (formerly known as Protein Design Labs). He received his M.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned an MHS in clinical epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. David Gelmont Dr. Nita U. Patel Robin Wallace Artisan Pharma Hires Senior Clinical and Regulatory Managers Artisan Pharma, Framingham, Mass, has filled out its senior management team of clinical, regulatory, and quality compliance officers with the addition of David Gelmont, M.D., as chief medical officer, Nita U. Patel, Ph.D., as senior VP, regulatory affairs and quality compliance, and Robin Wallace, R.N., B.S.N., as director of clinical operations. Artisan Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing best-in-class critical care and hospital-based therapeutics to patients. Dr. Gelmont headed the critical care and pulmonary therapeutic area in the clinical R&D organization at Baxter Healthcare before joining Artisan. Dr. Gelmont received his medical degree from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Dr. Patel has more than 15 years of industry experience; before joining the team at Artisan as senior VP, she served as VP, regulatory affairs and clinical quality assurance at GenVec. Dr. Patel received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Queen Elizabeth College and her Ph.D. at University College. Before her appointment as director of clinical operations regulatory affairs and quality compliance at Artisan, Ms. Wallace was the director of clinical operations at Clinical Assistance Programs. Dr. Matthew W. Kalnik VistaGen Names Executive VP VistaGen Therapeutics has named Matthew W. Kalnik, Ph.D., as executive VP, head of business development. VistaGen, Burlingame, Calif., is a platform-enabled biopharmaceutical company using embryonic stem-cell technologies for drug discovery and development. Dr. Kalnik leads the corporate outreach program focused on commercializing the stem-cell platform in collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Before joining VistaGen, he served as senior VP, business development and licensing, at Genaissance. Dr. Mark A. McCamish Dr. Richard Murray PDL BioPharma Appoints and Promotes PDL BioPharma, Fremont, Calif., has appointed Mark A. McCamish, M.D., Ph.D., as senior VP and chief medical officer, and promoted Richard Murray, Ph.D., to executive VP and chief scientific officer. Dr. McCamish oversees all clinical development functions and programs at the company, including regulatory affairs, safety, clinical development, clinical operations, and biometry/data management. He was previously chief medical officer and VP, clinical development, at Perlegen Sciences. Dr. Murray’s promotion to executive VP and chief scientific officer follows his role at PDL as senior VP and chief scientific and technical officer. Kremena Simitchieva Robert J. Terifay Dr. Alain Thibault Regeneron Expands Commercial and Clinical Capabilities with New Hires and Promotions Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, N.Y., has made changes to its senior management group in commercial and clinical operations. Regeneron is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and intends to commercialize therapeutic medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Kremena Simitchieva was promoted to VP, marketing. She joined Regeneron in 2004 from Merck. Robert J. Terifay was named senior VP, commercial. In this role Mr. Terifay implements Regeneron’s commercialization strategy and leads sales, marketing, and customer-services activities. Most recently, Mr. Terifay served as president and CEO of Arginox Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Terifay received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master of management degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University. Alain Thibault, M.D., has been named VP, clinical sciences-oncology. Dr. Thibault oversees clinical development of the VEGF Trap in oncology and is responsible for future oncology product candidates. Dr. Thibault joins the company from GeminX, where he served as a senior director for clinical development. He received his M.D. from the McGill University Faculty of Medicine. Specialty POOL Dr. Howard Bernstein Dr. Donald Chickering Dr. Julie Straub Acusphere Announces Key Promotions in R&D Specialty pharmaceutical company Acusphere, Watertown, Mass., has made three promotions within its R&D organization. Howard Bernstein, M.D., Ph.D., has been promoted to executive VP of research and development, Donald Chickering, Ph.D., has been promoted to VP of technical operations, and Julie Straub, Ph.D., has been promoted to executive director of research. Dr. Bernstein has been head of the company’s R&D efforts, serving most recently as Acusphere’s senior VP of research and development. He continues to oversee the process development and formulations, intellectual property, and research groups, and he is responsible for quality systems, program management, validation, and manufacturing and materials management. Dr. Bernstein holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As VP, technical operations, Dr. Chickering oversees activities related to engineering, process development and formulations, manufacturing, and validation. He holds a Ph.D. in medical science from Brown University and received a B.S. degree in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In her new role, Dr. Straub oversees formulation support, pharmaceutics, analytical research, preclinical, and intellectual property activities. Dr. Straub holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received bachelor of science and master of science degrees in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. Emerging POOL Dr. Alice Bexon Idera Appoints VP, Clinical Development Idera Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Mass., has appointed Alice Bexon, MB.Ch.B., as VP, clinical development. Idera Pharmaceuticals is a drug discovery and development company that is developing drug candidates to treat cancer and infectious, respiratory, and autoimmune diseases, and for use as vaccine adjuvants. Before joining Idera, Dr. Bexon served as clinical science leader for Roche Oncology. Dr. Bexon received her MB.Ch.B (M.D. equivalent) from Bristol University Medical School in the United Kingdom. Dr. Elkan Gamzu Pharmos Appoints CEO Pharmos has appointed Elkan Gamzu, Ph.D., as CEO. Dr. Gamzu, a director of the company since the beginning of 2000, most recently was a consultant to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Pharmos discovers and develops novel therapeutics to treat a range of indications with a focus on specific diseases of the nervous system. Dr. Gamzu is based in the company’s corporate headquarters in Iselin, N.J., but also spends a significant amount of his time at the Rehovot, Israel, offices, where the research and drug development activities are centered. He is a graduate of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and has M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in experimental and physiological psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Anthony Tebbutt Alexza Appoints Senior VP, Corporate Strategy and Business Development Anthony Tebbutt has joined Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, Calif., as senior VP, corporate strategy and business development. Alexza is an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, proprietary products for the treatment of acute and intermittent conditions. Mr. Tebbutt is responsible for the development and execution of commercialization strategies for Alexza’s product candidates. Mr. Tebbutt was most recently senior VP of UCB (Belgium) and president of UCB Pharma (USA). He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.Sc. from Santa Clara University. Association POOL Jeffrey McMullen David Spaight ACRO Elects New Officers The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO), Washington, D.C., which represents the clini al outsourcing industry to regulators, biopharmaceutical clients, policymakers, and the public, has elected new officers for 2007. Jeffrey McMullen, president and CEO of PharmaNet Development Group, was elected chair of ACRO, and David Spaight, president of MDS Pharma Services, serves as chair-elect of the association. Agency POOL Sheila Ambrose Lynnette Hunter Kate Worobey-Mulliez AbelsonTaylor Expands Account Service Teams Independent healthcare agency AbelsonTaylor, Chicago, has hired Sheila Ambrose, 31, as an account executive. Ms. Ambrose previously worked as an associate program manager for Publicis Medical Education Group. She earned a bachelor of arts in communication from Arizona State University. Lynnette Hunter, 28, rejoins the agency as a senior account executive to work on Website development projects for a major diabetes drug. Ms. Hunter holds a bachelor of science in biological sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Kate Worobey-Mulliez, 27, joins AbelsonTaylor as a senior account executive. Ms. Worobey-Mulliez previously worked as an account manager at August Jackson. She holds a double bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from the University of Colorado at Denver. Kelly Arledge Jamie Cobb Geoff Morrow Gustavo Padilla Pratt GSW Worldwide Hires and Establishes Global Integration Team Healthcare advertising agency GSW Worldwide, an inVentiv Health company, has named Kelly Arledge as VP, public relations, in its Columbus, Ohio, office. Ms. Arledge is responsible for developing, implementing, and leading public-relations strategies for assigned clients. Most recently, Ms. Arledge was president of KWA Public Relations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University. To support the increased flow of global marketing, an integration team has been formed led by Jamie Cobb, who has been named senior VP, director of global integration. Mr. Cobb has been with the agency since 1998 and is responsible for organizing and implementing all global business within the agency network. Geoff Morrow and Gustavo Padilla Pratt comprise the rest of the team. Mr. Morrow joins GSW Worldwide as VP, director of global operations. He is responsible for working with global network partners, brand teams, and business development strategy. Before joining GSW Worldwide, he worked for more than 15 years in international marketing for Eli Lilly. Mr. Pratt, who joined GSW Worldwide in 2006 from CMV Advertising in Mexico City, serves as VP, international creative director. He is responsible for coordinating communication between network agencies and supporting creative ideation, execution, and production on assigned global brands across the international network. Michael J. Beckerich Dorland Expands Senior Management Team, Opens New York Office Michael J. Beckerich has joined Dorland Global Public Relations as executive VP. In this role, Mr. Beckerich is establishing a New York office. In addition, he manages in-line public relations business for the agency’s San Francisco office. Mr. Beckerich most recently was director of communications at Johnson & Johnson. John Chatas VP, Speaker Services, at MedPoint Communications Named MedPoint Communications, Evanston, Ill., a provider of communications and e-media services to the biopharmaceutical industry, has named John Chatas, VP of speaker services. Mr. Chatas is responsible for coordinating the firm’s communication and medical-education services to develop high-volume, educational speaker programs for the company’s pharmaceutical clients. Before joining MedPoint, Mr. Chatas served as senior VP and general manager of Optima Educational Solutions/HealthSTAR. Jeff Chesebro Princeton Partners Appoints President Princeton Partners, Princeton, N.J., has named Jeff Chesebro president. Mr. Chesebro joined Princeton Partners, which integrates advertising, public relations, direct and interactive marketing, event planning, and promotions into a single brand strategy and voice, 18 months ago as VP and group account director. Kate Cronin Ogilvy PR Names Veteran to Lead New York Office Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (Ogilvy PR), New York, has promoted Kate Cronin to managing director of its New York office. Ms. Cronin continues to play a leadership role in the global healthcare practice, developing and guiding brand strategies for healthcare clients across the Ogilvy PR network. She has a degree in biology from Smith College in Northampton, Mass. Christina Gush Marty Hardin Laura Romeu Heather Stone Jason Verbick Palio Communications Adds Staff Palio Communications, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a full-spectrum advertising and communications agency, and an inVentiv Health company, has named Christina Gush as account executive. Before joining Palio, Ms. Gush was product manager at Ortho-McNeil Women’s Health and Urology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences from Boston College. Marty Hardin has been named senior VP, creative director. With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Hardin was an associate creative director at LHWH Advertising & Public Relations before joining Palio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from East Carolina University. Laura Romeu has been named senior VP, director of brand planning. Ms. Romeu comes to Palio from Cline Davis & Mann, where she served as senior VP, marketing strategist. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. Heather Stone has been named project manager. Before joining Palio, Ms. Stone was a media account supervisor at Vertis Communications. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Siena College. Jason Verbick has been named senior copywriter. Mr. Verbick was senior copywriter at MarcUSA before joining Palio. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Ron Kellow Patricia Vogt The Navicor Group Welcomes New Hires The Navicor Group, Columbus, Ohio, an inVentiv Health company, and a full-service advertising agency that focuses exclusively on oncology and immunology, has named Ron Kellow as associate creative director and Patricia Vogt as editor. Mr. Kellow leads creative teams in strategic planning and initiatives for assigned accounts. Before joining The Navicor Group, he served as VP, creative director, at FSC. Ms. Vogt most recently worked as assistant editor at McGraw Hill. Dr. Lori Kornberg Cadent Medical Communications Names Medical Writer Cadent Medical Communications, Irving, Texas, an inVentiv Health company and medical communications specialist, has named Lori Kornberg, Ph.D., medical writer. Dr. Kornberg is responsible for combining the creative vision, the medical data, and the brand strategy into a variety of medical educational materials. Dr. Kornberg has more than 15 years of experience in scientific research. Most recently, she served as assistant professor and assistant research scientist at the University of Florida, where she focused her studies on cancer research. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Sheila McCormick Burson-Marsteller Appoints Managing Director Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations and communications consultancy, has named Sheila McCormick as managing director in its U.S. Healthcare Practice, based in Chicago. Ms. McCormick, 41, is responsible for client service, new business development, and the management and growth of the Chicago healthcare practice. Before joining Burson-Marsteller, Ms. McCormick was VP, communications and marketing, for WellPoint. She has a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Ferris State University. Wayne Traub Sudler & Hennessey Promotes Global healthcare marketing and communications organization Sudler & Hennessey (S&H), New York, has promoted Wayne Traub to the position of managing director of its N.J.-based Sentrix office. Mr. Traub most recently served as executive VP and client service director at S&H in New York. S&H is a Young & Rubicam Brands company. CRO POOL Dr. Ubavka M. DeNoble Dr. Martha R. Feller Dr. Thomas B. Smith Kendle Strengthens Global Clinical Development Operation Kendle, Cincinnati, a global, full-service CRO, has expanded its leadership team. The company has appointed Ubavka M. DeNoble, M.D., as VP, global clinical development, North America. In this role Dr. DeNoble provides strategic leadership for the global safety function. She has served as VP, global safety and pharmacovigilance, since joining Kendle in 2006 as part of the Charles River Clinical Services acquisition. She earned her medical degree from the University of Sarajevo Medical School. The promotion of Martha R. Feller, Ph.D., to senior VP, global clinical development, provides leadership for Kendle’s Phase II-III operations across five regions, including North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. Dr. Feller was most recently senior VP, global clinical development, North America, a position she has held since joining Kendle, Cincinnati, from Procter & Gamble. She holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Thomas B. Smith, M.D., has joined the company as global medical director. He provides medical and therapeutic expertise to Phase I-IV clinical development projects and proposals for the company’s biopharmaceutical customers, with an emphasis on projects in the CNS therapeutic area. Dr. Smith most recently was senior director, clinical R&D, Akros Pharma. He earned a doctor of medicine from Indiana University School of Medicine and a bachelor of science from Purdue University. Dr. Randy Marchbanks Dr. Mark Roseman Dr. Sue Stansfield Dr. Andy Strayer PPD Announces Management Changes PPD, Wilmington, N.C., a global CRO, has made several promotions. Randy Marchbanks, Pharm.D., has been promoted to VP, business development, for the Americas, giving him responsibility for Phase II-IV business in the Americas. Previously, Dr. Marchbanks was VP, commercial development. Mark Roseman, D.Sc., was promoted to VP, clinical operations. He assumes additional leadership responsibilities for the antivirals/anti-infectives, general medicine, and hematology/oncology therapeutic areas in the company’s Wilmington, N.C., office. Sue Stansfield, Ph.D., was promoted to senior VP, clinical operations and project management, for Europe. In this role, she serves as the primary executive contact for clients for Phase II-IV studies conducted in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Dr. Stansfield joined PPD as VP, clinical operations and project management. Andy Strayer, Pharm.D., was promoted to senior VP, clinical operations, for the Americas and Asia. In this role, Dr. Strayer leads Phase II-IV clinical operations in North America, Latin America, and Asia, as well as other operational groups within PPD. He has served in a variety of leadership roles since joining PPD in 1996. Dr. Troy W. McCall Premier Research Appoints New CEO Premier Research Group, Philadelphia, an international pharmaceutical services group, has appointed Troy W. McCall, Ph.D., as CEO. Dr. McCall is responsible for all aspects of the group’s worldwide clinical research operations. Previously, he was president and CEO of Advanced Clinical Research Services. Medical-Education POOL Keith Hofbeck Michael Paulik Dr. Otto Ratz Peter J. Rizzuto Robert Schneider Ascend Media Announces Management Promotions Ascend Media, Califon, N.J., a business media organization, has made changes to its medical-education senior-management team. Keith Hofbeck has been appointed managing director of professional medical education and communication services division, IMED Communications. Michael Paulik, MBA, and Peter J. Rizzuto, R.Ph., share responsibility as group presidents of the corporate medical communications group. Otto Ratz, M.D., has been promoted to managing director of SynerMed Communications, which focuses on developing a variety of educational programs. Robert Schneider, MSW, has been appointed to corporate VP, professional relations and healthcare compliance. Dr. David St. Peter The Selva Group Names President The Selva Group, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has appointed David St. Peter, M.D., president. He joined Palio Communications in 2001 as VP, medical director. He launched the first of several medical advisory boards consisting of practicing healthcare providers and also grew the medical strategies group, event marketing, and educational services. Under his direction, this practice group emerged as The Selva Group, which was spun off from Palio as a separate company under inVentiv Health. Dr. St. Peter holds an M.D. from Kansas University Medical Center and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas. Service POOL Jack Barrette MovingHealth Announces CEO Jack Barrette, formerly pharma category development officer for Yahoo!, has left the search engine company to head up his own company. He is now CEO of MovingHealth, an online consumer health start-up. Backed by the venture capital firm General Catalyst, MovingHealth is provisionally based at the VC’s Cambridge, Mass., offices. Mr. Barrette, who joined Yahoo! in 2004, had been in charge of representing the company to the health and pharmaceutical industries. Send your personnel announcements to [email protected]. Talent Pool May 2007 Executive Appointments and Promotions in the Healthcare Industry Featured Talent