Omnitura Therapeutics Announces New Directors and New Management Team Appointments
Omnitura Therapeutics Announces New Directors and New Management Team Appointments
Omnitura Therapeutics, Inc. (Omnitura) announced today that Mr. Tom Kalinske, Dr. Dave Alberts and Dr. Simon Sutcliffe have become members of its Board of Directors. Furthermore, Dr. Alberts has accepted the role of Chief Clinical Science Officer and Dr. Sutcliffe has accepted the role of Chief Medical Advisor.
“We are truly honored that a captain of industry and thought leaders in oncology have accepted our invitation to join the Omnitura Board,” said James Dao, Chairman and CEO of Omnitura. "Tom brings to the Board significant perspective and expertise in terms of new business development, strategic planning and financial discipline. By having acclaimed oncologists and health policy thought leaders on our Board, we are also demonstrating our commitment to serve the community. In keeping with our philosophy to maintain an active Board, we are pleased to also announce that Dr. Alberts and Dr. Sutcliffe have accepted the positions of CSO and CMA respectively. We anticipate that these gentlemen will make significant contributions to support the Company’s efforts to introduce a new paradigm in the management of cancer.”
Thomas Kalinske has extensive experience serving as the top executive of numerous dynamic multi-billion dollar international businesses. Mr. Kalinske currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Leapfrog Enterprises Inc. He has served as Leapfrog’s CEO and on its Board of Directors since September 1997 and Chairman of the Board of Directors from September 1997 to February 2004. From 1996 to February 2004, Mr. Kalinske served as the President of Knowledge Universe LLC (now renamed Krest LLC), a private company focused on building leading companies in areas relating to education, technology and career management and the improvement of individual and corporate performance. From 1990 to 1996, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sega of America. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Matchbox Group from 1987 to 1990. Prior to that, Mr. Kalinske served as President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Mattel, Inc.
Mr. Kalinske also served for 20 years on the Board of the Milken Family Foundation, which is dedicated to improving health, finding cures for prostate and breast cancers, and improving education. He also served on the RAND Advisory Board for Education and Health issues.
David Alberts, MD, is a recognized leader in research in the prevention of cancer and currently serves as director of the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona. He is a Regents Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health, and the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona. He has been funded by the National Cancer Institute yearly since 1971 for laboratory and clinical research related to the clinical pharmacology of cancer chemotherapy and chemopreventive agents, as well as the development of research strategies for the prevention of breast, cervix, colon, prostate, and skin cancers. Dr. Alberts has authored or co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, has served as editor and co-editor of four books and has served on several editorial boards.
Simon Sutcliffe, MD, is a leader in medical oncology and currently serves as president of the BC Cancer Agency in Canada. His broad medical career includes research in microbiology and immunology, and clinical research in oncology. He was a Professor of Radiology at the University of Toronto, and the President and CEO of the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada. From 2000 to present Dr. Sutcliffe has served as President of the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. BCCA’s patient care is deployed through four hospitals and over 60 outreach centers. BCCA Cancer Research and Genomic Science Centers won over $75 million of competitive R&D grants from Canadian and U.S. National Cancer Institutes. In November 2006, Dr. Sutcliffe was appointed Vice Chairman - Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, with responsibility for implementing objectives of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control with a five-year budget of $250 million. Dr. Sutcliffe has published extensively in the area of radiation and medical oncology as applied to the treatment of lymphoma, leukemia and endocrine malignancies, fertility and gonadal functions in cancer patients, and cellular immuno-deficiency and immuno-modulation in cancer.