Lindsay A. Rosenwald, M.D., Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors

Dr. Rosenwald has served as our Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors since inception. Dr. Rosenwald has been a member of the Board of Directors of Fortress since October 2009 and has served as its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer since December 2013. Dr. Rosenwald also is Co-Portfolio Manager and Partner of Opus Point Partners LLC, an asset management firm in the life sciences industry, which he co-founded in 2009. Prior to that, from 1991 to 2008, he served as the Chairman of Paramount BioCapital, Inc. Over the last 23 years, Dr. Rosenwald has acted as a biotechnology entrepreneur and has been involved in the founding and recapitalization of numerous public and private biotechnology and life sciences companies. Dr. Rosenwald received his B.S. in finance from Pennsylvania State University and his M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine.

 

Michael S. Weiss, J.D., Director

Mr. Weiss has served as Executive Vice Chairman, Strategic Development of Fortress Biotech since January 2014. Mr. Weiss is also currently Co-Portfolio Manager and Partner of Opus Point Partners, LLC, which he joined in 2009. He has also served as Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of TG Therapeutics, Inc. since 2011. From 2002 to 2009, Mr. Weiss was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., where he helped the company acquire and develop its lead drug Zerenex as well as executed a $100MM+ strategic alliance for Zerenex with Japan Tobacco, Inc. and Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Mr. Weiss began his professional career as a lawyer with Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. He earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.S. in Finance from The University at Albany.

 

Kenneth W. Cappell, M.B.A., Director

Kenneth W. Cappell is currently a Director of Arotech Corporation and an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Baruch College . In the prior academic year he served as an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Yeshiva University. From 1987 until 2014, Mr. Cappell was a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) and its predecessor firms, first as an audit partner (through 2000), then as a regional leader of Internal Audit Services (through 2010), and finally as Managing Partner of Strategic Development for PwC’s Risk Assurance practice (through his retirement in 2014). Mr. Cappell has worked with public companies in a variety of industries, including consumer and industrial products, financial services and entertainment. He has advised public company audit committees on diverse topics and has served as the de facto internal audit director at several companies. Mr. Cappell is a member of AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs. Mr. Cappell has a B.A. in Economics from Yeshiva University and an M.B.A. in Finance from NYU Stern.

 

Frank Taffy, J.D., Co-Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Mr. Taffy has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since June of 2015 (and since December of 2015, as a Director of the Board of Helocyte). Mr. Taffy has over fifteen years of experience in life sciences corporate development and business operations. He identified the Helocyte programs and co-founded the company during his role as Entrepreneur in Residence at Fortress Biotech. Mr. Taffy previously held the positions of Head (Senior Director) of Business Affairs at Forest Labs (now Allergan Plc) and Director of Corporate Development at Life Technologies (now Thermo Fisher Scientific), where he also held Board positions on behalf of the company. He also previously served as Vice President and General Counsel of Paramount Biosciences, a global healthcare investment firm, where he led the formation and interim operation of a number of portfolio companies. Mr. Taffy started his career as Counsel for Intellectual Property at The Procter and Gamble Company. He holds a B.A. in biochemistry from the University of North Texas and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.