The MedNet Solutions management team.
John M. "Rob" Robertson - President and CEO
As President and CEO of MedNet Solutions, Mr. Robertson is responsible for guiding the overall strategic direction of the organization, and has effectively managed the company's rapid growth into one of the world's leading eClinical technology companies. As one of MedNet's four cofounders, he has been integral to the company's ongoing success since its inception in 2000. Mr. Robertson's background includes more than 20 years of healthcare experience and, prior to founding MedNet, he held senior level positions with several leading healthcare companies. He developed significant expertise in the areas of clinical outcomes management and remote data capture as Vice President of Business Development for Clinsights, Inc., a clinical outcomes database provider, and as Vice President of Sales for Acumen Healthcare Solutions, Inc., a developer of clinical trial remote data entry software systems. He also served as National Sales Manager and National Accounts Manager for Summit Medical, a clinical outcomes database company specializing in the fields of Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Orthopedics, Urology, and Ophthalmology. Mr. Robertson's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College.
Brian E. Sweeney - Vice President, Business Development
Mr. Sweeney is an experienced healthcare professional responsible for guiding MedNet's overall sales activities. As a co-founder of MedNet Solutions, he brings an extensive background in the field of clinical outcomes management, having served previously as President of the Phoenix Group, a healthcare data management consulting firm founded to assist physician practices and hospitals implement outcomes-based marketing strategies. His background also includes sales management experience with HealthGate, an e-solutions company providing high quality web-based content for the healthcare industry. Mr. Sweeney was also National Sales Manager for a major clinical outcomes database company managing many hundreds of thousands of patients in databases for both professional associations and sponsor organizations. In total, Mr. Sweeney has been serving the healthcare community with quality healthcare technology services for 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. John's University.
Alan D. Sherwood - Senior Vice President, Quality Assurance and Technology Services
A 35+ year veteran of the healthcare and technology industries, and Senior VP and co-founder of MedNet Solutions, Mr. Sherwood has served the organization in a variety of capacities ranging from marketing to CQI, and is currently responsible for the company's Quality Assurance and Technology Services Divisions. An engineering graduate from Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, Mr. Sherwood spent his early career designing computer peripheral controllers and telecommunications equipment, and then managing the departments developing those devices. Since that time, he has served as an executive in a variety of medical companies including: National Computer Systems, where he was Senior Product Manager of their Medical Division; Applied Membrane Technology, where he provided consulting services addressing product life cycle planning & commercialization, key account management and product launch; and Browne Medical Systems, a supplier of diagnostic instrumentation for physicians, where he was COO, responsible for all internal operations including product development, manufacturing, quality assurance, CQI, product support, regulatory compliance, audits, and their KOL physician network. In addition to his BSEE degree from Duke University, Mr. Sherwood holds a BA from the University of St. Thomas.
Eric Peterson - Vice President, Research and Development
Mr. Peterson has the responsibility for leading all Research and Development efforts at MedNet. With several start-ups under his belt, he is an expert in leading technology groups and forging a culture of innovation. Mr. Peterson brings a great breadth of experience from several industries as well as university research labs. With more than 10 years in the software industry, his specific expertise is in cutting edge software development for mobile, web, and embedded devices. In addition to starting and leading two of his own companies, Mr. Peterson has held senior level manager and technology leadership positions at several software development companies prior to joining MedNet Solutions. Mr. Peterson's educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from the University of Minnesota.
Marc Schwartz - Vice President, Biostatistics
As a seasoned biostatistician, Mr. Schwartz supports MedNet's customers with a wide range of consulting services addressing study design, implementation and biostatistical analyses. He has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, and has developed extensive expertise in the management, analysis and interpretation of clinical study data. Prior to joining MedNet, he was the President and Founder of MedAnalytics, Inc., a consulting firm providing biostatistical and related services to the healthcare community, specializing in clinical outcomes and clinical trial applications. Previously, he was Vice President of The Phoenix Group, a healthcare data management consulting firm, and a Director for a nationally-recognized healthcare technology information solutions organization, where he was responsible for the design, management and analysis of many national and regional sub-specialty clinical study programs. Mr. Schwartz also has hands-on clinical experience, serving for 5 years as a cardiovascular surgical technician for hospitals in the Twin Cities and Duluth, Minnesota. Mr. Schwartz regularly sits on and advises Data Safety Monitoring Boards and has co-authored and provided biostatistical support for numerous peer reviewed published papers. He is a member of the American Statistical Association and The Society for Clinical Trials.
Ryan M. Anderson - Vice President, Technology Services
Mr. Anderson has overall responsibility for the technology component of all customer engagements, including Web site development and system administration. With over 15 years of experience in the Information Technology field, his specific expertise lies in the areas of systems administration, database design, and software development. Prior to joining MedNet Solutions, Mr. Anderson held key positions with Velos, Inc., a healthcare technology company specializing in clinical outcome, patient care, regulatory, and financial solutions for various disciplines including Cardiology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Nephrology and Transplant Surgery. Mr. Anderson's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences from North Dakota State University.
Paul C. Fadden - Vice President, Client Services
Mr. Fadden is responsible for overseeing MedNet's ENLIGHTEN and EMPOWER Product Development Teams, as well as the company's highly-regarded Project Management and Customer Service Departments, ensuring that all customer needs are fully met throughout the lifecycle of each study. Mr. Fadden is a 20 year veteran of the healthcare information systems industry. Prior to joining the MedNet team in 2003, he was General Manager of the Cardiovascular Division of Velos, Inc., a leading clinical research technology organization. Mr. Fadden also has an extensive, senior level customer service management background, having served as Director of Customer Services for two healthcare outcomes management companies. Mr. Fadden's educational credentials include a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.
Dennis Thalhuber - Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Thalhuber is a seasoned business professional with overall accountability for the financial performance of MedNet Solutions. Prior to joining MedNet, he held senior management positions with several emerging companies, most recently as CFO at Coolibar, Inc., a leader in the sun protective clothing market. Prior to Coolibar, he was CFO of Gentra Systems, a life sciences tools company that was acquired by the market leader, Qiagen. Mr. Thalhuber also served as Vice President of Finance at Spine-Tech, a publicly held orthopedic spine company, which was acquired by Sulzer Medica (now part of Zimmer), and as the Controller and Investment Officer at North Star Ventures/Adler Management. Mr. Thalhuber completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of St. Thomas.
Dirk H. Nelson - Director of Marketing
Mr. Nelson, a proven healthcare marketing professional with over 20 years of industry experience, is responsible for leading the company's strategic marketing and communications activities. Prior to joining MedNet, he held senior marketing management positions with Consulting Radiologists, a full service radiology practice with over 60 physicians; The MMIC Group, a large regional medical malpractice insurer and provider of medical information technology services; and Disc Systems (now part of Cerner Corporation), a leading healthcare technology company providing practice management systems and electronic medical record (EMR) solutions to physician practices. Mr. Nelson's background also includes serving as Director of the Advanced Healthcare Solutions Group for Marktech Systems, and as a Senior Healthcare Consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Olaf College, and his Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) Degree from the University of Minnesota.
