Silere Medical Technology’s highly experienced management team is comprised of its five founding members. Members of this team have relevant prior domain experience within the cochlear implant and related industries. Silere’s founding team has designed and clinically validated cochlear implants (CIs), achieved regulatory approval of these devices, and participated in the commercialization and marketing of CIs. This expertise will be put to use for the Silere implantable device. CI technology form factor are useful to Silere, representing the founding basis of its design.
William “Van” Harrison, MEE
Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer
Chairman, Board of Directors
Serves as Executive Chairman of the Board, Managing Director, and Chief Technology Officer. He has over 10 years’ experience leading cochlear implant development at Advanced Bionics Corporation as Senior Vice President of Auditory R & D. His team developed the HR-90K implant system which is regarded as the most sophisticated neurostimulation device ever developed and commercially distributed. Prior to his tenure at Advanced Bionics, Mr. Harrison co-founded and managed Acoustic Imaging Corporation, a venture capital funded diagnostic ultrasound imaging company.
Jay T Rubinstein, MD, PhD
Chief Medical Officer
Member, Board of Directors
Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Rubinstein is a well-known and highly regarded clinical practitioner and medical researcher with significant experience in the treatment of hearing disorders using electrical neurostimulation. Dr. Rubinstein pioneered the use of complex computer neural simulation software to predict the results of various stimulation paradigms on surviving nerve elements in cases of hearing loss. In his positions as an academic researcher and clinician, he has worked with Mr. Harrison and Ms. Kessler on various research projects and investigational studies over the years. Dr. Rubinstein has both advanced engineering and medical degrees, is an otolaryngologist and neurotologist, and is currently a professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, and director of the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center.
Michael F. Langhout, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Member, Board of Directors
Mr. Langhout recently served as Founder and President of AUDIENT LLC, a hearing health care services company and distributor of digital hearing instruments marketed internationally to an extensive network of medical professionals, including audiologists and neuro-otologists. His prior entrepreneurial experience includes leading several manufacturing companies implementing strategic business plans from early stage concept and startup to profitability. Mr. Langhout’s interest in auditory disorders originated with his oldest daughter, who became profoundly deaf at an early age. For the past 25 years, he has traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally, developing beneficial business relationships with neuro-otologists and audiologists who desire a solution to chronic tinnitus for their patient populations.
Dorcas Kessler, MA
Vice President
Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs
Ms. Kessler is a well-known contributor to the development and growth of the cochlear implant industry. She developed the first audiological test battery for the evaluation of the profoundly deaf and cochlear implant candidates and recipients. Ms. Kessler defined and managed the clinical trials that resulted in FDA approval of the first cochlear implant system developed and manufactured in the US. Additionally, she defined and developed the Advanced Clinical Research Group at Advanced Bionics, reporting to Mr. Harrison. This group made major contributions to the HR-90K implant, including development of its highly regarded device fitting software.
Christopher Zobkiw, MS, MBA
Co-Founder and Consultant
Research and Product Development
Mr. Zobkiw has a background of over 30 years of product development experience including pioneering medical diagnostic ultrasound, computer hardware, women’s health and sleep medicine. Recently, he guided technical operations at Pro-Tech Services, the leading supplier of sleep medicine sensors, and now part of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions. As Vice President, Director, and other similar roles, Mr. Zobkiw led R&D at Pro-Tech, Microvision, Furuno Diagnostics, Siemens, ADR Ultrasound and successful venture funded startup: Acoustic Imaging. His technical expertise includes electronics, signal processing, acoustics, imaging, displays, embedded control, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), and optics. Mr. Zobkiw holds BS degrees in electrical engineering/biosystems and mathematics from Syracuse University, an MS in electrical engineering and healthcare technology from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MBA in technology management from the University of Washington.
Member, Board of Directors
Michael K. Lester
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Accelecare Wound Centers, Inc.
Mr. Lester is an accomplished health care executive whose professional experience includes 30 years in the multi-site health care services and pharmaceutical life sciences fields. As the chief executive officer of multiple companies, he successfully capitalized, assembled top tier management teams and implemented strategic and tactical business plans creating long term value for employees, customers and shareholders.
Prior to founding Accelecare Wound Centers, a comprehensive wound care and disease management company, Mr. Lester was a Venture Partner at Bain Capital and SV Life Sciences. Prior to that, Mr. Lester was founder and CEO of Radiant Research, a comprehensive clinical research company providing Phase I-IV study conduct and drug development services to the biopharmaceutical industry, founder and CEO of ContinueCare Health Systems, a high tech home and alternate site infusion therapy company and founder and CEO of Preferred Hospital Pharmacies, a successful pharmacy management company. Mr. Lester was formerly a board member and President of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. He serves on The University of Texas College of Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Foundation Advisory Council and is a member of the board of directors of Celerion Inc., Clinical Ink LLC, The Historic Flight Foundation and The Museum of Flight. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Texas.