Tom Ludlam Jr
President and CEO
For much of his career, Tom Ludlam has driven paradigm changes in the businesses he has run, culminating in successful growth of those companies. In mid-2010, Tom focused his efforts on identifying opportunities for, and securing investment in a preclinical in vivo imaging business – an area of both growing need and specialized competencies. He collaborated with Baird Venture Partners and Arcus Ventures in identifying Molecular Imaging, Inc. as just such an opportunity. Following a $7 million Series A investment in April, 2011, Tom assumed the position of President/CEO of the company.
Prior to Molecular Imaging, Tom was President and CEO of Prologue Research International, Inc., a specialty oncology clinical CRO. He implemented a five-year plan that led to increased revenue for Prologue, with the expectation of an eventual exit for Prologue’s investor. In mid-2010, Prologue was acquired by Novella Clinical as part of Novella’s efforts at strengthening their position in clinical oncology. Prior to Prologue, Tom was CEO of ArcLight Systems, LLC, a start-up venture in the pharmaceutical data/information marketplace. Tom developed the business plan for Arclight, sold off non-strategic assets to fund investment in systems infrastructure and launched several information products before the company was sold to NDC Health.
The majority of Tom’s career has been in the pharmaceutical industry. He spent over thirteen years at Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation (BMS), where he was variously president, general manager or a senior executive of several divisions of the company, including generic drugs, primary care medicines and diagnostics. His last position at BMS was as President of The Oncology Therapeutics Network, a specialty oncology drug distribution company based in San Francisco. Tom also spent nearly five years with BMS in Europe where he served as Vice President of Franchise Management, led the pan-European generic drug initiative and completed the acquisition, restructure and ultimate successful divestment of AS GEA Farmaceutisk Fabrik. Prior to BMS, Tom spent six years at Ciba-Geigy where he rose from product manager to President/CEO of Geneva Generics/Cord Laboratories, a stand-alone generic drug subsidiary of Ciba-Geigy just outside Denver.
Tom started his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble Co. in Cincinnati, OH. He received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Patrick McConville, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder
Dr. McConville has over ten years of experience in multi-modality, small-animal imaging with a drug discovery focus, and has specialized in a broad range of disease areas. Dr. McConville is the author of over 20 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and the holder of a patent. He received his Ph.D. in Medical Physics from Queensland University of Technology and a B.S. in Physics and Computer Science from the University of South Wales. After postdoctoral work at the NIH, focusing on MR-based assessment of β-adrenergic receptor modulation of cardiac bioenergetics, in 2003, Dr. McConville joined with Professors Brian Ross and Al Rehemtulla, and previous Pfizer Ann Arbor Cancer Discovery head, Dr. W.R. Leopold to found the first multi-modality preclinical imaging CRO, Molecular Imaging Research. He established the core multi-modality imaging center at MIR and directed implementation, optimization and validation of in vivo imaging protocols across imaging modalities. These imaging services were layered on a broad array of animal models focused in oncology and inflammatory disease. MIR grew to support the world’s top pharmaceutical companies through in vivo MRI, PET, optical and CT imaging capabilities and was purchased by Charles River Laboratories in 2008.
In 2011, Dr. McConville co-led the re-establishment of Molecular Imaging, Inc. as an independent CRO. He is currently focusing on extending the range of imaging modalities and their applications in a broader range of therapeutic areas and models.
Paul DiMarzo
Chief Financial Officer
Paul DiMarzo has been a finance and accounting professional for over 20 years. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer at Assay Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of research detection kits and rare reagents, where he was principally involved in leading the company’s financing, reorganization and growth strategies, culminating with a sale to Enzo Life Sciences in 2009.
Prior to Assay Designs, Inc., Paul served on the management teams of three early-stage, internet-based software technology companies: Abuzz Technologies, Rock.com and WinWin Technologies. Before that he was Manager of Financial Reporting and Analysis for Sodexho-Marriott through its initial public offering in 1996.
Paul has participated in venture capital financings totaling more than $40M and merger and acquisition transactions totaling more than $300M. He is a Certified Public Accountant who served on the professional staffs of Deloitte & Touche and KPMG Peat Marwick. Paul received his B.A. in Economics/Accounting from Holy Cross College.
Wilbur R. Leopold III, Ph.D.
VP, Research and Development, Co-founder
Dr. Leopold has been the principal scientist and program leader for the discovery and/or development of more than 15 anticancer agents, which have advanced to clinical trials. He served as the initial President and CEO of Molecular Imaging Research and led the company’s growth and resultant sale to Charles River Laboratory in 2008. In 2011, Dr. Leopold co-led the re-establishment of Molecular Imaging as an independent CRO. Prior to Molecular Imaging, Dr. Leopold led the growth of the cancer drug discovery effort at Parke-Davis/Pfizer in Ann Arbor. He led the transition to a focus on novel molecular targets, and on the application and automation of preclinical pharmacodynamic assays to speed drug discovery. Dr. Leopold’s personal research interests are centered on the use of preclinical in vivo models to predict clinical outcomes.
A prolific author, Dr. Leopold holds three patents and is a reviewer for several renowned scientific journals. He is an Adjunct Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan and a member of Purdue University Cancer Center Molecular Discovery and Evaluation Shared Resource Advisory.
Dr. Leopold received his Ph.D. in Oncology from University of Wisconsin Medical School, a M.S. in Biochemistry and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois.
Nick Ayers
VP Sales & Marketing
Nick Ayers has over 20 years of international, commercial experience within the drug development and medical device industries. Most recently he was Head of Business Development in North America and Asia Pacific for MDS Pharma Services/Clearstone Central Laboratories where he implemented key policies and strategic alliances to accelerate the company’s growth. Prior to that Nick was Senior Director of Business Development in Europe for MDS Pharma Services.
Previously Nick had spent over eight years in senior, business development positions at Covance, including Global Director of Strategic Accounts and Senior Director of Business Development, for the early development and cardiac safety groups and five years as Senior International Product Manager in the cardiovascular division at CR Bard.
Nick received his undergraduate degree from the University of Glamorgan (UK) and postgraduate diplomas from University of Glamorgan, Växjö Universitet (Sweden) and the London Chartered Institute of Marketing.