SAN DIEGO and STOCKHOLM, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen executive Alan Raffensperger has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of BeneChill, a privately held medical device company launching its first product, a novel cooling device for use by emergency response teams in the field, later this year in Europe. With more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic industries, Mr. Raffensperger joins BeneChill from his post as Executive Director and Franchise Head of Nephrology for Amgen, a global biopharmaceutical company. He joined Amgen in 2005 as General Manager of the Nordic and Baltic Region, overseeing operations in eight countries from his Sweden base.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100604/LA15970)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100604/LA15970)
"As we prepare to launch our lead RhinoChill™ product in Europe, it was critical that we recruit a seasoned, well-rounded CEO with big pharma experience and the sensitivity to a smaller company," said Denise Barbut, M.D., Executive Chair and founder of BeneChill. "Alan's stellar track record and experience in product development, sales and marketing will enable us to achieve our business goals."
Prior to Amgen, Mr. Raffensperger was with Hoffman La Roche for ten years with his most recent position as Head of Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales for Roche in Sweden. Previously, he was the CEO for Swedemed, a privately-held developer of an advanced ultrasonic surgery system. He began his career with Pharmacia, first in sales in the U.S. and then product management in Sweden.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Raffensperger was a paramedic for National Hospital in Arlington, VA and notes that his experience in cardiovascular and trauma emergency care provides a solid foundation for understanding the need for BeneChill's cooling devices in the field. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Health Sciences Management from the University of Maryland and was an MBA candidate at George Washington University. He is a nationally registered EMT-paramedic.
BeneChill® is a privately held medical device company that develops novel, rapid cooling systems to improve survival after cardiac arrest. RhinoChill™ can be administered quickly and directly to the brain by a proprietary portable system that uses a nasal catheter to deliver a rapid evaporative coolant and will be marketed in Europe later this year. With corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA, BeneChill will be opening offices in Switzerland.
SOURCE BeneChill
Advertisement
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100604/LA15970)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100604/LA15970)
"As we prepare to launch our lead RhinoChill™ product in Europe, it was critical that we recruit a seasoned, well-rounded CEO with big pharma experience and the sensitivity to a smaller company," said Denise Barbut, M.D., Executive Chair and founder of BeneChill. "Alan's stellar track record and experience in product development, sales and marketing will enable us to achieve our business goals."
Advertisement
Prior to Amgen, Mr. Raffensperger was with Hoffman La Roche for ten years with his most recent position as Head of Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales for Roche in Sweden. Previously, he was the CEO for Swedemed, a privately-held developer of an advanced ultrasonic surgery system. He began his career with Pharmacia, first in sales in the U.S. and then product management in Sweden.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Raffensperger was a paramedic for National Hospital in Arlington, VA and notes that his experience in cardiovascular and trauma emergency care provides a solid foundation for understanding the need for BeneChill's cooling devices in the field. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Health Sciences Management from the University of Maryland and was an MBA candidate at George Washington University. He is a nationally registered EMT-paramedic.
BeneChill® is a privately held medical device company that develops novel, rapid cooling systems to improve survival after cardiac arrest. RhinoChill™ can be administered quickly and directly to the brain by a proprietary portable system that uses a nasal catheter to deliver a rapid evaporative coolant and will be marketed in Europe later this year. With corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA, BeneChill will be opening offices in Switzerland.
SOURCE BeneChill
