Staff |
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Randy McDonald—Founder and President of The Magnum Group, Inc. Mr. McDonald is the managing director and president of The Magnum Group, Inc. (Magnum)—the largest business development firm in the ophthalmic industry. Since 1995, Magnum has specialized in mergers, acquisitions, licensing, financing, strategic partnerships and distribution. Mr. McDonald has over 35 years of experience in ophthalmic sales, marketing, business development, operations and financing with both Fortune 500 and start-up organizations. He has specific product knowledge and senior-level industry contacts and experience with intraocular lenses, refractive surgery, glaucoma, retina, capital/diagnostic equipment, bio-pharmaceuticals, spectacles, contact lenses and e-commerce services. Prior to Magnum, Mr. McDonald served as Executive Vice President of DAC Technologies (formerly DAC Vision), a $50 million company, and the largest US manufacturer of consumable products and supplies for ophthalmic lens fabrication. Previously, he was the first Chief Operating Officer of InnoTech, Inc., an ophthalmic lens manufacturer, which was sold to Johnson & Johnson and is currently owned by Essilor. Mr. McDonald has also held various sales and marketing positions with Bausch & Lomb, Dow Corning, Quantum Labs and Hydrocurve (now part of Alcon). Mr. McDonald is a co-founder of multiple startups, including, InnoTech (see above), Quest Vision Technologies, Inc., (an Accommodating Intraocular Lens "IOL" company, which was sold to AMO/J&J in 2005); and PowerVision, Inc. (a micro-fluidics adjustable Accommodating IOL company which was sold to Alcon in 2019). Mr. McDonald holds B.S. degrees in Political Science and History from Kansas State University, has written numerous published articles and spoken at a variety of ophthalmic meetings. He is also a founding member of the American European College of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS) and the Vision Council of America. |
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Trevor Hughes—Director of Accounting Trevor Hughes has spent his career founding and growing companies, as an entrepreneur, technologist, businessman, executive and consultant. He has extensive experience in finance, operations and general management and is particularly skilled at herding cats. He manages the finance, accounting and daily business functions at Magnum. Prior to that, Trevor has been a consultant and executive at a variety of companies, including SageSpring Partners, The Stepping Stones Project, Glassdoor, Overstat and Virtual Vehicle (now Streetlight Data). He was previously also a founding executive at Star Analytics (now part of IBM) which he grew into a multi-million-dollar business, and a founder at Arbor Software/Hyperion Solutions (now part of Oracle). He has also been a mentor for the Clean Tech Open, and has authored several technology patents. He holds a BS (with honors) in Computer Science and Software Engineering from the University of Birmingham, UK. Trevor lives in Marin County, California, and in his spare time enjoys writing and playing music, writing and reading, and traveling whenever possible. |
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Denise Belli—Administrative Services Manager Denise Belli has over 20 years of ophthalmic administrative and executive assistant level experience. As the Administrative Services Manager for The Magnum Group, Inc., she oversees all office, administrative and travel-related support to the Managing Director and President. She also provides customer service support to Magnum’s Clients and Affiliates. Before joining Magnum in January 2015, she held manager, coordinator and administrative level positions at the SF Association Management Services, which is a subsidiary of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Prior to the AAO, she spent six years with the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, in both San Francisco and Washington, DC. In her spare time, Denise loves vegetable gardening, watching professional athletics and spending time with her husband and family, particularly watching her son’s play sports. |
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Eric Bernabei, Oxford Occidental Eric is the Founder and Managing Partner of Oxford Occidental. From 2019-2023, Eric served in several C-suite roles within Avellino, a Menlo Park genetics research and diagnostics company, and as CEO of Avellino’s subsidiary, Palmona Pathogenomics. Palmona is focused on utilizing the pan genome of pathogens to accurately diagnose and recommend treatments for diseases caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria. The company has also developed novel means of predicting mutations within the genetic code of pathogens. Eric has 30 years of global experience in the biotech, device, pharma and diagnostics industries, 28 of these years dedicated to eye care, working with small and large multinational companies. Prior to joining Avellino, Eric spent 16 years with Alcon, managing country, regional and global organizations and brands. He has lived in Switzerland and Japan, leading regional portfolio and country commercial operations. Prior to joining Alcon, Eric held marketing and medical affairs roles with BD Ophthalmic Systems, focusing on refractive surgery and early clinical trials of novel glaucoma devices and silicon blade technologies. This division of BD later became the core of what is today, BVI Medical. Eric started his career in industry with Summit Technology as a clinical specialist, and serving on a transitional team during the acquisition of Summit by Alcon. His journey into ophthalmology started with several years in patient care in practices in the New England area, performing diagnostic tests, assisting in surgery and fitting contact lenses. He received his BS in Business Management from University of Phoenix and his MBA from Suffolk University – Sawyer School of Management. Eric regularly works with companies as a consultant, mentor, company director and board member, specializing in technology and market assessment, commercial growth and exit strategies, and corporate development. In addition to the his professional activities, he is dedicated to the advancement of eyecare access and vision sciences. He is currently a Liveryman and on the Membership Committee of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, a 390 year old, London-based company dedicated to the scientific advancement and charitable work related to vision restoration and optical sciences. |
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Philip M. Buscemi, OD,
Buscemi Group - www.buscemigroup.com Dr. Buscemi has over 30 years experience in the ophthalmic industry as an owner/clinician; creating and managing the research and development of diagnostic instruments and software; as a GM or a Director of ophthalmic companies; managing US business development for a multi-national company; and organizing and running International Distributors meetings. Dr. Buscemi's unique blend of business and clinical experience brings tremendous value to his clients. Dr. Buscemi is an expert business and technical consultant to the ophthalmic industry. He has management capability in R&D, corporate management, marketing, sales, and is able to present complex information to experienced and non-experienced audiences. He is a highly imaginative thinker & able to solve complex technical and business challenges, along with being a very successful optometric practitioner. Dr. Buscemi earned his BS, OD (with High Honors) from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry; earned his BS Pre Med (with Honors) from the North Carolina State University. Dr. Buscemi's other interests include creating a working flight/racing simulator using a projection dome; he has created a private cooking group taught by a classically trained chefs; and is a current member of the Charleston Offshore Racing Association, CORA, Crew a J-130. |
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Janet L. Conway, Ph. D., Wyoming Ophthalmic Consulting Head of Wyoming Ophthalmic Consulting, which provides R&D guidance to ophthalmic early-development organizations and due-diligence, risk assessment, and strategic planning for more developed companies. Dr. Conway brings over 30 years of experience in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical, drug delivery and device sector, serving in a variety of roles from R&D, to product development to licensing. Dr. Conway provides scientific, pre-clinical and clinical assistance and analysis to The Magnum Group. Previously, Dr. Conway was interim Director of Business Development for Bausch + Lomb pharmaceutical division, Director of Licensing and Development at Pfizer, Executive Director of Ophthalmology Licensing at Pharmacia, Director of Global Business Development for Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care Franchise, Vice President of Product Development and one of four founders of M6 Pharmaceuticals. She held similar positions at VimRx Pharmaceuticals, Olympus Corporation (Medical Device Division), and at Johnson & Johnson’s ophthalmic pharmaceutical and medical device company, IOLAB. Prior to J & J, Dr. Conway was a Senior Scientist in Allergan’s Discovery Research organization. Dr. Conway received BA and MA degrees from Northeastern University, earned a Ph. D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in visual neurophysiology and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in neurochemistry at The University of California, Irvine. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Aerie Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Conway and her husband, ophthalmologist K. Buol Heslin, MD, live on a ranch in Alta, Wyoming raising organic grass-fed cattle. |
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Paul Karpecki, OD, Karpecki Resource Group Founder, President, and leads a consulting company that provides product awareness and clinical education to optometry for a select group of ophthalmic partners, through various educational media. For over 14 years, Dr. Karpecki has partnered with ophthalmic companies to create key strategic marketing messages and science-based educational initiatives that have allowed numerous companies to achieve great success in the vast optometric market for their products. He also currently works at the Koffler Vision Group in Cornea services and heads the department of Ocular Surface Disease Research. Dr. Karpecki is currently the Chair of the Refractive Surgery Advisory Board to the American Optometric Association, Chair of the Topical Interest Group in Refractive Surgery, co-chair of the ASCRS Task Force on the Integrated Eyecare Delivery System and serves on the AOA Congress Education Committee. A noted educator and author, Dr. Karpecki presently serves on seven professional journal editorial boards. He was previously the president of the Optometric Council on Refractive Technology, Dr. Karpecki has lectured in over 400 symposia, covering four continents, and is the first optometrist to be invited to both the Delphi International Society at Wilmer- John’s Hopkins that includes the top 25 dry eye experts in the world, and the National Eye Institute’s dry eye committee. This was a task force established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to better understand and treat dry eye disease in women. Doctor Karpecki’s interest also include education in the area of new advances in ophthalmic technology ranging from optometric education around cataract surgery options for patients to innovative diagnostics, therapeutics and disease management technologies. Dr. Karpecki is a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and his wine knowledge in the area of nutrition and understanding wine has allowed a number of his client companies to add another educational dimension via wine tasting. Dr. Karpecki graduated from Indiana University School of Optometry and completed a fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Hunkeler Eye Centers in Kansas City in affiliation with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1994. |
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Lee Kramm, MD, MSE
Dr. Kramm is a Board-certified ophthalmologist and regulatory professional. He is the President, Chief Strategist and Medical Officer of Regulatory Pathways Group https://regulatorypathways.com/, a leading ophthalmic device, drug, and biologic consulting company. His services include acting as a senior clinical and regulatory consultant and standing as the official correspondent for communications to/from the US FDA. Prior to founding Regulatory Pathways Group with his partners, Dr. Kramm served as senior consultant and President of ClinReg Consulting Services from 2012-2021. Before joining ClinReg Consulting, Dr. Kramm was a medical officer and senior reviewer at the Division of Ophthalmic, Neurological and ENT Devices (DONED) at FDA. Dr. Kramm has reviewed and prepared clinical trial plans, classification opinion memos, de novo applications, pre-submissions, IDEs, INDs, PMAs, 510(k)s, HUD’s, NDAs, Breakthrough Designations, and OCP requests for designation. Dr. Kramm earned his Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering and his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine before completing his ophthalmology residency at the Rocky Mountain Eye Institute in Denver, Colorado. |
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Michael Lachman, Lachman Consulting, LLC—www.lachmanconsulting.com Founder, President and brings 25 years of experience to investment research and analysis, new business development, marketing, and engineering for corporate clients. Previously Mr. Lachman was a Partner, Managing Director, and equity research analyst with Think Equity Partners, a growth-focused investment bank based in San Francisco. At Think Equity, Mr. Lachman’s research was focused primarily on ophthalmology, orthopedics, and specialty cardiology. Before that, Mr. Lachman was a healthcare analyst on the buy-side with SAC Capital Advisors and Jurika & Voyles. His first experience in equity research was as a medical device analyst with Hambrecht & Quist, where he received a #1 ranking in medical industry stock picking in the Wall Street Journal All-Star Analyst Survey. Mr. Lachman also brings 12 years of medical device industry experience. He worked for five years in business development for the Ethicon Endo-Surgery division of Johnson & Johnson. Previously, Mr. Lachman spent seven years with Baxter Healthcare Corporation, working in both research & development and product management, with a focus on implantable surgical products. Mr. Lachman holds an M.B.A. (with concentrations in marketing and finance) from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He also holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering with highest honors from the University of Illinois. |
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Bob Main, ABOM, Web Vision Technologies, LLC Bob Main is the CEO and Founder of Web Vision Technologies, LLC (WVT), a consulting services firm specializing in helping companies develop new vision care technology, and bringing new products/technologies to market. WVT is also developing vision care technology for NASA and the International Space Station and has received numerous NASA grants for the Vision for Mars™ Committee. Mr. Main has been in the eye care industry for over 35 years and is experienced in optics, vision care technology development. laser vision correction, strategic planning, operations, , multi-unit vision care practice management, and business development. Previously, Mr. Main has been involved in growing both domestic and international eyecare businesses, including Senior VP for 1800CONTACTS, where he built a national network of eyecare professionals, and as Senior VP for GlassesDirect.com, a U.K. company providing eyecare products online, one of the world's largest. In addition, Mr. Main has been CEO for a chain of vision care stores in the southeast region of the U.S. While there he developed two refractive laser centers and his organization was the first retail company in the U.S to purchase a dedicated refractive laser. Additionally, he developed a managed care division that included Eye Care Professionals over the Southeast Region of the country. Prior to that he was a Regional Director for 20/20 Laser Services and a Director of Operations for Lenscrafters where he developed a “second brand” of vision care stores that grew internationally. Mr. Main has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University. He studied optics at Indiana University and has a Masters in Ophthalmic Optics. He has taught business development courses at the University of Utah and has lectured internationally for many ophthalmic conferences, such as Vision Expo, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Opticians Association of Canada. |
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Mike Papac, Ph.D., Medtech Strategy & Innovation Group, LLC Mike is based in Orange County, CA and is the founder and President of Medtech Strategy & Innovation Group, LLC, a consulting services company specializing in the eye care industry. He has 25+ years of engineering, product development, operations and business development experience in the ophthalmic and aerospace industries working with companies ranging from start up to Fortune 500. Mike currently serves as head of ophthalmic Business Development for the Office of Technology Management and Advancement at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Previously he was Vice President of Strategic Planning and Innovation for Optovue, an OCT diagnostic company, which was sold in 2021. Prior to Optovue, Mike held various positions with Alcon Laboratories for 15 years, including the Global Director of R&D for Glaucoma, the lead on the development of a white space strategy to expand Alcon’s portfolio in new therapeutic areas, head of surgical glaucoma R&D, and the research head for vitreoretinal instrumentation. Mike has BS, MS and Ph.D. degrees from UC Irvine in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and is an inventor with over 42 issued patents. |
