Management
Jay Lichter, Ph.D. - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Jay Lichter, Ph.D. is a seasoned biotechnology and pharmaceutical business executive with over 15 years of experience in management, scientific research and business development. Prior to joining Akesis, Dr. Lichter served as vice president of operations and business development of Sytera, Inc., an ophthalmology pharmaceutical company that merged in 2006 with Sirion Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to Sytera, he was executive vice president of business development for Sequenom Inc., a public biotechnology company. Previously, Dr. Lichter served as president and CEO of XenoPharm, Inc., a start-up company established with technology licensed to commercialize xenobiotic sensors. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lichter worked at both Pfizer, Inc. and Genset Corporation in various management capacities.
Dr. Lichter holds a Bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Illinois. He completed Post-Doctoral Fellowships at Yale University and Du Pont Merck Pharmaceutical Company.
Carl LeBel, Ph.D. - President and Chief Operating Officer
Carl LeBel, Ph.D. has more than 18 years of experience as a biopharmaceutical industry executive, including 14 years at Amgen Inc. where he was an executive director for program management and strategic operations. Most recently his responsibilities at Amgen included overseeing global cross-functional program activities for a late-stage development candidate in osteoporosis. He has an extensive background in the area of metabolic diseases, including direct experience in the conduct of clinical trials in diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Prior to joining Amgen, Dr. LeBel held preclinical development positions at Arthur D. Little Inc. and Alkermes Inc. from 1990 to 1993.
Dr. LeBel holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Detroit, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences/Toxicology from Northeastern University, and was a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences postdoctoral fellow in Community and Environmental Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. He is also a director at Ash Stevens Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical contract manufacturer.
John T. Hendrick - Chief Financial Officer
Prior to joining Akesis Pharmaceuticals in December 2004, Mr. Hendrick was primarily engaged in monitoring his private equity investments since July 2001. From July 1996 to December 1999 he was vice chairman and chief financial officer of The Cassidy Companies, Inc., one of the largest government and public affairs firms in Washington, DC. He was also a managing director of Galway Partners, LLC, a Washington, DC-based merchant bank, from July 1996 to June 2001. Prior to joining Cassidy and Galway in 1996, Mr. Hendrick was a general partner with Avalon Ventures, a San Diego-based venture capital firm, from 1987 to 1996. In addition, Mr. Hendrick serves on the investment committees of Innova Capital (formerly Poland Partners), a Warsaw-based venture capital fund, and Taiwan-based venture capital funds Taiwan Mezzanine Fund and Greater China Private Equity Fund. Mr. Hendrick is a certified public accountant and earned a B.B.A. degree in Accounting from McMurry University in 1973.