Management
John Lai
CEO, President & Director
Mr. Lai has been a director and senior executive officer since March 2014, serving in various capacities that include Principal Financial Officer, President and CEO; and serving as our Chief Executive Officer from March 2014 to May 2017 and June 2019 to present. From March 2012 to April 2016, Mr. Lai also was Chief Executive Officer and a director of Blue Earth Resources, Inc., a small public company which acquired and managed working interests in producing oil and gas leases in Louisiana. Mr. Lai has over thirty years of senior executive and operational management and financial experience while holding key executive positions with several public companies in various industries.
In 1992 Mr. Lai founded and until December 2012 was the principal owner and President of Genesis Capital Group, Inc., which provided significant consulting services to many public and private companies in the powersports, technology and other industries, while advising its clients in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and private and public capital-raising through equity offerings. Mr. Lai’s role as a co-founder of the company and his many years of experience as a chief executive officer of many public or private companies are material factors regarding his qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors.
Garry Lowenthal
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Lowenthal has over 25 years of extensive experience in senior operations and key finance management positions, both with private and public companies. He has developed a substantial background with equity capital raising transactions while managing both private placements and public offerings for various corporations. Mr. Lowenthal has vast financial and corporate management experience, including performing the functions as the Managing Partner of Security First International, Inc., a CFO advisory and management consulting firm, assuming the role of an advisor, acting chief financial officer and director of Elate Group, Inc. (Elate Moving LLC), a global moving and storage company based in New York City, through his CFO consulting company Security First International, Inc., and taking on the responsibilities of a director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Fision Corporation (OTCQB: FSSN). Furthermore, Mr. Lowenthal has served on the national board of Financial Executives International (FEI), a premier professional association for CFOs and other senior financial executives. He has also served as President of the Twin Cities Chapter of FEI and, in the past, as chairman of FEI's national technology committee. Mr. Lowenthal has been on the Alumni Advisory Board of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota where he graduated with a master's degree in Taxation and Finance and a Bachelor's of Science in Business degree in Accounting and an Associates in Liberal Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. He has also served as a District Chairman for the Boy Scouts of America and serves on the President’s Cabinet for the local Council. Mr. Lowenthal is also a past President and Director for Kiwanis International in his local community club. As an operational CFO, along with his financial reporting and regulatory expertise, Mr. Lowenthal further understands the world of corporate governance, through his experiences as serving as a fiduciary director. Finally, Mr. Lowenthal’s experiences working for two of the largest CPA/Consulting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Deloitte, with various client engagements in diverse industries, allows him to bring a unique perspective as an advisor to Boards of Directors of public companies.
Randall Meyer
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Meyer has over 25 years of leadership experience in medical device development and commercialization, including expertise in successfully growing medical device companies from concept to profitability. He has served as CEO at Tactile Medical (TCMD) and as COO at Gel-Del Technologies.
John Dolan
Chief Business Development Officer & General Counsel
Mr. Dolan has been working with the Company as a director and/or an officer since March 2014. He has served as our Chief Financial Officer from March 2014 to November 2017, General Counsel since October 2019 and Chief Business Development Officer since August 2021. Mr. Dolan also has served as a director for a number of early stage companies, such as TERRACOH, Inc. and Traust Structured, LLC. Mr. Dolan was also a shareholder in the intellectual property group of the Minneapolis law firm of Fredrikson & Byron, where he specialized in securing and protecting domestic and foreign patent and other IP rights, as well as providing counsel to various clients involving mergers and acquisitions, private equity and other related corporate matters.
During the past five years, Mr. Dolan has also provided consulting services to several early stage companies on all aspects of IP asset protection as well as new technology and corporate development. His extensive career in intellectual property development and corporate counsel includes serving as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Paula Wittler
National Sales Director
Ms. Wittler has more than 25 years of experience related to management, marketing and distribution of veterinary products in the United States. She has served in various roles in product promotion, product distribution, technical sales and marketing with veterinary companies such as Zoetis Animal Health (f/k/a Pfizer Animal Health). Paula is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara. When not working, Paula tries to spend as much time in the saddle as possible. She competes/shows her Non-Pro Bridle horse in the National Reined Cow Horse Association, as well as owns an Open Derby Horse being trained and shown by a professional trainer.
Russ Siakel
Director of Marketing
Mr. Siakel has been involved in many aspects of the animal health industry for over thirty years. He has served in various roles in both marketing and sales management with Pfizer Animal Health (now called Zoetis) and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. He held roles involving brand management both domestically and internationally. Mr. Siakel has managed some of the leading brands for large veterinary products companies. His expertise has been predominately in the areas of veterinary vaccines and devices in both companion animals and livestock. Mr. Siakel has an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Ann Zieser, DVM
Senior Technical Veterinarian
Dr. Zieser began her career as a companion animal practitioner at Middleton Veterinary Hospital (“MVH”) located outside Madison, Wisconsin. Thirty-one years later she continues to work at MVH treating companion dogs and cats performing diagnostics, internal medicine, radiology, surgery and dentistry to name just a few disciplines.
Dr. Zieser has further contributed to the veterinary community as the secretary of the local Dane County Veterinary Medical Association. Following several different volunteer positions within the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Zieser elevated her participation by accepting the role as President-Elect of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Zieser has further climbed from local and state-organized veterinary medicine into the national arena as the American Veterinary Medical Association alternate delegate and then delegate for the state of Wisconsin. Dr. Zieser has a degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from UW-Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.
Joseph Manning, DVM
Senior Technical Veterinarian
Dr. Manning has more than 30 years of veterinary experience in the Animal Health Industry holding various roles as a practicing veterinarian, as well as a key contributor in product development and commercialization of therapeutic veterinary products. He has served in various roles in product development, regulatory guidance, technical sales, marketing and supply chain management with companies such as Merck Animal Health, Animal Health International, Vetoquinol-USA and Dechra Veterinary Products. He has held roles involving product development and commercialization both domestically and internationally. Dr. Manning has a degree in veterinary science from Michigan State University, a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Texas Christian University, The Neeley School of Business.
Thomas Yarbrough, DVM
Senior Research Veterinarian
Dr. Yarbrough is a board-certified Equine surgeon with 30 years of experience working on high level performance horses within all disciplines. He began his career developing a referral base while working in research under the esteemed Dr. Hari Reddi at the Center for Tissue Regeneration and repair at the UC Medical center. His research with Hari centered around an understanding of the changing genetic expression in chondrocytes as they reformed their new nanostructure when suspended in materials for later use in joint resurfacing. Throughout his career he has stayed peripherally involved in research both from the bench-top to the clinic. This research has involved projects from the use and development of robotics in surgical applications and advanced imaging to testing and optimization of novel medications and devices for the management of osteoarthritis. Although varied in scope his primary research interests and passion has always involved the arena of management of osteoarthritis. Colleagues that know him know he is an open skeptic very slow to follow the new trends that frequent the veterinary space. He comes on board with PetVivo with excitement to take his knowledge of joint physiology and biology and put it to use as the Company continues to understand the mechanisms of action of Spryng in patients with joint pain.
Josh Wilhelm
Director of Manufacturing
Mr. Wilhelm has over 20 years of product development, manufacturing and quality control experience in the medical device and therapeutics industries. He was the Director of Islet Manufacturing and R&D at the Schulze Diabetes Institute (“SDI”), coordinating the isolation and research activities of the cell and tissue therapy manufacturing teams. As the Director of Manufacturing at SDI, Mr. Wilhelm supervised all cGMP manufacturing for both clinical and pre-clinical activities of the team and pursued research related to understanding and improving islet isolation yields and islet graft function. Mr. Wilhelm obtained his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2004 and entered the industry to explore the real-world application of biomaterials and cell, tissue, and gene therapies for Medtronic, Inc and several local medical device and biotechnology start-ups including Gel-Del Technologies.
Board of Directors
James Martin
Director & Chairman
Jim is a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and attorney whose career included his responsibility as Partner in Charge of the Firm’s Tax Practice for its Newport Beach Office. In that role he provided and oversaw the rendition of tax services for numerous clients in varied industries including those for which the Firm provided a Certified Audit. He retains his AICPA membership and holds Accounting and Law Degrees from the University of Washington and, on a Fellowship, received a Master of Laws Degree (LLM) from New York University.
Rob Costantino
Director
Mr. Costantino is a retired CPA and former senior executive who has served as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of large corporations. He is currently a part time financial consultant, investor and a current member of the Board of Directors of 4 Yamaha Motor Finance subsidiaries. His most recent executive position was a dual role of Senior Executive Vice President– Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of NASDAQ listed WFS Financial, Inc., an automotive and commercial finance company and concurrently as Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of NYSE listed Westcorp Inc, an OTS regulated bank. He was responsible for operations and all financial areas including SEC filings, analyst interaction, earnings calls, and treasury of both companies. Mr. Costantino played a key role in the negotiation and ultimate sale of both companies to Wachovia (Wells Fargo) for $3.9 billion.
Prior to that, he was President & CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Mitsubishi Motors Credit of America, Inc - an automotive finance company with over $10 billion in assets, where he guided the company to profitability and ultimately negotiated the sale of the company’s assets to Merrill Lynch. Prior to that, he served for 17 years at various escalating management positions of Volvo Cars of North America and Volvo North America including being SVP & CFO of both the automotive parent company and the captive finance company. He was integral to the successful relocation of the company from the East Coast to California, as part of the creation of the Premier Auto Group after Ford Motor Company acquired Volvo.
Robert Rudelius
Director
Mr. Rudelius is the CEO and Managing Director of Noble Ventures, LLC, a company he founded in 2001 that provides advisory and consulting services to early and mid-stage companies in the information technology, communications, medical technology and social e-commerce industries. From April 1999 through May 2001, when it was acquired by StarNet L.P., Mr. Rudelius was the founder, Chairman and CEO of Media DVX, Inc., a start-up business that provided a satellite-based, IP-multi casting alternative to transmitting television commercials via analog videotapes to television stations, networks and cable television operators throughout North America.
From April 1998 to April 1999, Mr. Rudelius was the President and COO of Control Data Systems, Inc., during which time Mr. Rudelius reorganized and re-positioned the software company as a professional technology services company, resulting in the successful sale of the company to British Telecom. From October 1995 through April 1998, Mr. Rudelius was the founding Managing Partner of AT&T; Solution’s Media, Entertainment &; Communications industry group.
From January 1990 through September 1995, Mr. Rudelius was a partner in McKinsey &; Company’s Information, Technology and Systems practice, during which time he headed the practice in Japan and the United Kingdom. Mr. Rudelius began his career at Arthur Andersen &; Co. where he was a leader in the firm’s financial accounting systems consulting practice. Mr. Rudelius has served as a member of the Axogen, Inc. (AXGN) Board of Directors since September 2010, where he is chairman of the audit committee and a member of the compensation committee.
Joseph Jasper
Director
Mr. Jasper is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) who since 2005 has been Chief Executive Officer of Vermillion Research, an institutional investment firm, while being responsible for its day-to-day operational management. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Jasper was Managing Director and Director of Fixed Income and Marketing for Piper Jaffray Company. Prior to 2002, he spent 20 years managing, structuring and selling fixed income and equity securities at several leading investment banking firms, including U.S. Bancorp Libra and UBS PaineWebber.
Mr. Jasper also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of MicroNet, Inc. and as a director of Windigo Logistics, both privately-held companies. He has previously served as a director or principal advisor to many operating and venture-stage companies across a broad range of industries. Mr. Jasper received a MBA degree from the University of St. Thomas, where he also has served as its Adjunct Professor of Finance.
John Lai
CEO, President and Director
Mr. Lai has been a director and senior executive officer since March 2014, serving in various capacities that include Principal Financial Officer, President and CEO; and serving as our Chief Executive Officer from March 2014 to May 2017 and June 2019 to present. From March 2012 to April 2016, Mr. Lai also was Chief Executive Officer and a director of Blue Earth Resources, Inc., a small public company which acquired and managed working interests in producing oil and gas leases in Louisiana. Mr. Lai has over thirty years of senior executive and operational management and financial experience while holding key executive positions with several public companies in various industries.
In 1992 Mr. Lai founded and until December 2012 was the principal owner and President of Genesis Capital Group, Inc., which provided significant consulting services to many public and private companies in the powersports, technology and other industries, while advising its clients in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and private and public capital-raising through equity offerings. Mr. Lai’s role as a co-founder of the company and his many years of experience as a chief executive officer of many public or private companies are material factors regarding his qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors.
Diane Levitan, DVM
Director
Dr. Levitan's wide-ranging career in veterinary medicine has spanned over three decades since receiving her Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She practiced internal medicine, emergency medicine, and critical care at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and later founded Peace Love Pets Veterinary Care, PLLC in Commack, New York, a small animal veterinary care general practice that also specializes in internal medicine, diagnostic ultrasound endoscopy, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Levitan has served on the board of many veterinary medicine organizations, such as the New York Board of Regent's Board for Veterinary Medicine, the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation, and the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. Dr. Levitan has also served as a subject matter expert, consultant, and advisor to multiple businesses in the veterinary medicine industry. Dr. Levitan's career has also extended into education, including her current position as Associate Professor of Veterinary Skills at Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine and serving as a lecturer for Merial and Pfizer Animal Pharmaceutical companies on leptospirosis, other diseases, and vaccinations. Dr. Levitan has also been a prolific author and media contributor in the world of veterinary medicine. She has published many articles in professional journals and texts on subjects such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy and endoscopy, as well as in consumer publications such as the New York Times. She has also made many radio and television appearances, including being a Merck Animal Health Media Spokesperson and appearing on CNN as a veterinary expert. Additionally, Dr. Levitan is the founder and president of Helping Promote Animal Welfare, Inc. (Helping PAW), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity focused on ending pet overpopulation through education to the public and offering general veterinary health care services. Dr. Levitan's extensive experience as a veterinarian is a material factor that demonstrates her qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors.
Advisory Board
Tracy Turner
DVM
Tracy Turner began his professional career as a farrier and used those skills to help finance his education. He received his DVM degree from Colorado State University in 1978. He completed an internship at the University of Georgia and a surgical residency, as well as a Master of Science degree at Purdue University in 1981. His Master’s thesis was “Thermography of the Lower Limb of the Horse.” He served on the faculty of the Universities of Illinois, Florida and Minnesota. At Minnesota, he was Head of Large Animal Surgery and attained the rank of full Professor before leaving academics to join Anoka Equine Clinic in 2004.
Turner's primary research efforts have focused on equine lameness with particular interest in equine podiatry, back issues in horses, rehabilitation and thermography. His podiatry research has evaluated the radiographic and morphologic characteristics of hoof imbalance, as well as the differential diagnosis of palmar foot pain (PFP) and the development of PFP treatment strategies. Turner has researched the use of diagnostic imaging techniques for evaluation of equine back problems (including saddle fit) and developed epidemiological data on overriding spinous processes in horses. He pioneered the use of thermography as a diagnostic aid in lameness evaluation, as well as its use in horse welfare regulation. Turner has extensively published on these topics and been invited to lecture nationally and internationally.
Turner is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a Diplomate of the American College of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Thermology. He is an active member of the AVMA, AAEP and the American Horse Council. Turner has served as chairman of the AAEP's Farrier Liaison Committee, served on the AAEP Foundation Advisory Council and the AAEP Educational Programs Committee. Presently, he is on the AAEP Board of Directors. He is a past president of the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners and a member of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association. He is a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Horse Council and is currently the Minnesota Horse Council vice-president and chair for the Legislative and Horse Welfare committees. He is currently president of the American Academy of Thermology. He has consulted for United States Equestrian Federation, The USDA Horse Protection and Federation Equestrienne International (FEI). He has participated as an instructor at Equitarian Workshops in Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. He has participated in the Equitarian projects in Honduras and Costa Rica. He is married to veterinarian Julia Wilson and has two sons.
Michael Sterns
DVM
After graduating from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1984, Dr. Sterns began his career as a mobile Equine Veterinarian in his current practice area. He earned his MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in 1990, and spent the next twenty-three years raising equity, negotiating licensing deals, building startups, and running sales and marketing teams in human therapeutics, medical devices and research tools.
Dr. Sterns returned to small animal clinical practice in 2012 and has been actively engaged in developing a small animal house call practice on The Peninsula and South Bay. Dr. Sterns is also a part time Associate Veterinarian, practicing general small animal medicine and surgery at Alta View Animal Hospital in Mountain View, California, and a Relief Veterinarian for Banfield. He has a special interest in giant breeds, having owned and raised a Newfoundland, a Leonberger, and a very large Maine Coon Cat.
While continuing to consult with small companies as a product development and marketing consultant, he travels throughout The Peninsula and Silicon Valley and can often be found at Maverick’s Beach and the local brewery -- where he shamelessly hands out business cards and offers veterinary advice to anyone who will listen.
In his leisure time, Dr. Sterns trains for triathlons by swimming US Masters, biking with his team (the Alpine Chain Gang) and running (when he absolutely must) to survive the last leg of his races..