David Strand, Chairman – David Strand started July of 2007 as The Clinic’s Chief Emerging Businesses Officer.  He brings more than 22 years of healthcare experience to this position.

In this newly created division, he will oversee Cleveland Clinic’s strategic ventures and emerging businesses worldwide, including the evaluation, selection, growth, and operation of new services, products and business opportunities contributing to Cleveland Clinic’s expanded presence throughout the United States and abroad.

Prior to joining the Clinic, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeMasters.  As CEO he was responsible for developing overall company strategy, managing the company’s day-to-day operations, strengthening the company’s infrastructure, developing products and services to meet the needs of new and emerging markets and preparing the company for future growth.

Prior to joining LifeMasters, Mr. Strand was Chief Operating Officer of Allina Health Systems in Minneapolis MN where he was responsible for all Allina operations including Allina hospitals, Allina medical clinics, Medica and all ancillary Allina businesses.  He also served as President of Medica Health Plans, one of the nation’s largest independent health plans. During his tenure as President, Medica doubled its members in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin to over 1 million members, achieved the highest quality accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and was rated by Weiss as one the nation’s top 5 health plans for financial strength.

David is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for both Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media Group.  Mr. Strand graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College and cum laude with a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. 

Andrew Firlik, M.D. Secretary and Treasurer – Dr. Firlik's career spans neurosurgery, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. He joined Foundation Medical Partners to concentrate on medical device and biopharmaceutical investments. Prior to Foundation, he was a venture partner at Sprout Group and Managing Director of its healthcare technology spinout, New Leaf Venture Partners. Previously, he was a principal at Canaan Partners. Dr. Firlik has led numerous venture capital investments and has served as a founder, founding investor, or director of many companies, including NeuroVista, Sopherion Therapeutics, Transoma, Omnisonics, Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Viacor, and Spine Wave.

Dr. Firlik is a founder and an inventor of the core technology platform of Northstar Neuroscience (NASDAQ: NSTR), a medical device company that is pioneering a novel approach to neuromodulation for the treatment of stroke and other disorders. He is currently the Chairman of NovaVision, a medical therapeutics firm focusing on neuroplasticity for visual disorders. He also currently serves on the board of directors of several companies, including NeuroVista, Spine Wave, BridgePoint Medical, Innovative Metabolics, and Visiogen.  Dr. Firlik is a member of the Industrial Advisory Board of Cleveland Clinic Innovations Center and the Administrative Board of the Cornell University Council and Chairman of its Technology Transfer Committee.

Dr. Firlik spent 12 years in the healthcare profession during his medical training and practice as a neurological surgeon. He has published more than 50 articles in medical literature, written chapters for several medical textbooks, and is the co-editor of a book about cerebrovascular surgery. His scientific work has been presented at many international conferences. He has been an inventor of numerous patents.

He studied biology at Cornell University and Oxford University, received his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and his MD from Cornell University Medical College. As a board certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Firlik most recently served as Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the New York University School of Medicine.

Thomas Hook – Tom Hook is the CEO of Greatbatch Inc. and has served in that position since August 2006, as director since May 2006 and President since June 2005. Prior to August 2006, Mr. Hook served as Chief Operating Officer, a position he held since September 2004. Beginning in 2002, Mr. Hook was employed by CTI Molecular Imaging where he had served most recently as President, CTI Solutions Group. From March 2000 to July 2002, Mr. Hook was General Manager, Functional and Molecular Imaging for General Electric Medical Systems. From 1997 to 2000, He worked for the Van Owen Group Acquisition Company and earlier, Duracell, Inc. Mr. Hook serves as a director of Central Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., where he also serves on the audit committee of that board, and the Buffalo-Niagara Partnership. He is a member of the board of trustees of St Bonaventure University.

Ali Rezai, M.D. Chairman, Center for Neurological Restoration, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation – (full bio) Dr. Rezai earned his medical degree with honors from the University of Southern California and underwent neurosurgical training at New York University. Subsequently he completed his subspecialty training in functional neurosurgery at the University of Toronto and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He then joined the neurosurgical faculty at New York University Medical Center, becoming the director of the Center for Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery until January 2000, when he joined the faculty at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Rezai is a board certified neurosurgeon. His clinical area of expertise is the neurosurgical management of patients with severe movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia, psychiatric conditions such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury conditions. Dr. Rezai has been named as one of the best doctors in America in Castle and Connolly's guide to America's Top Doctors for 2001-2006.

Wendelin Maners – Ms. Maners is the Vice President, Strategy and Business Development at Boston Scientific, Inc.  She is currently acting as the Corporate Liaison to Advanced Bionics and, as such, she acts as the principal day-to-day interface between Boston Scientific and Advanced Bionics to assure effective communication and to determine where synergies may be achieved between the two organizations.  Wendelin has been with Boston Scientific for 12 years and in addition to her liaison role, is also responsible for developing and executing acquisition strategies for their neurological, electrophysiology, and undeveloped markets.   She is also a delegate Board member for other Boston Scientific investments, including Cyberonics and Northstar Neuroscience.  Prior to joing Boston Scientific, Ms. Maners was an investment banker with Barrington Associates in Los Angeles, CA.

Vincent P. Owens, President and CEO – Mr. Owens joined Intelect as its first employee in April of 2005, having 20 years of experience in the medical device industry. Prior to joining Intelect in 2005, Mr. Owens was President and CEO of Texcel, a privately held contract manufacturer of implantable devices, including neurostimulators and implantable defibrillators (ICDs). From 2000 to 2004, Mr. Owens was President and CEO of BIOMEC Cardiovascular, Inc. (BCI), following the acquisition of InnoMedica, a Minneapolis-based developer of proprietary implantable stimulation leads and delivery systems for the neuromodulation and CRM markets. He led the company through a 300% increase in revenue over a four year period, ending in acquisition by publicly traded Enpath Medical, Inc. (NPTH). Previously, Mr. Owens held operations management and engineering roles at medical device companies including Ciba Corning Diagnostics (now Siemens) and Circon (now Gyrus Medical). Mr. Owens holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.B.A from Ashland University.