FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ProNova Solutions Announces Key Positions
Well Known Experts to Lead Key Divisions of Proton Therapy Company
Proton therapy company ProNova Solutions, LLC, has added to its arsenal of experts with the addition of three well known industry executives. Vladamir (Laddie) Derenchuk, Tom Welch and Jeff Pelletier recently joined the emerging start-up company, based in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Vladamir (Laddie) Derenchuk has joined as Director of Physics. A leading expert in ion and accelerator research, Derenchuk was previously Group and Project Leader of the Indiana University Cyclotron Operations, where he managed the design, build-out, and installation of new ion sources and accelerators for both the research program and the proton therapy facility. He also held positions as the Mechanical Engineering Division Head and the Accelerator Technologies Division Head leading the servicing and operation of the IU Proton Therapy System as well as overseeing the physics research and development programs. Derenchuk and his team achieved an availability exceeding 98%.
Other achievements include the design and operation of technologically ground-breaking accelerator hardware including the world’s highest intensity source of polarized negatively charged hydrogen and deuterium beams, an accelerator with an average beam power of 30 kW for the production of neutrons, and developing the world’s only continuously operating (not pulsed) RFQ linear accelerator for a proton therapy system. In October of 2009, he participated in the “Accelerators for America’s Future” workshop and contributed to the medical applications report where he expressed a strong need for America to regain leadership in engineering and manufacturing of particle therapy systems that were automated and more compact and could provide treatments at a reduced cost compared to the currently available options.
Derenchuk received his undergraduate degree and MSc from University of Manitoba, Canada and worked at the University of Manitoba Cyclotron Facility as the Assistant Director and as Accelerator Physics Post Graduate Degree Instructor until he joined Indiana University.
Tom Welch joins as Division President for the new ProNova Proton Centers Division. Welch has more than 20 years of broad business experience from pre-revenue Companies to growth stage and Fortune 50. He has primary responsibility for the planning, development, implementation and operations of the ProNova Proton Centers. He is leveraging the total solutions foundations of the ProNova Total Solutions Division and the technology and systems developed by ProNova R&D and Operations Divisions.
Most recently Welch was the President and CEO of ABT Molecular Imaging, Inc. He led the Company’s efforts to turn a technology vision into reality with $8m in revenue in its third year of commercial operations leading to product installations on four continents. He also raised over $15m in debt and equity through preferred equity and venture debt, which combined with the growth in revenue, facilitated quadrupling the Company value in four years. Prior to joining ABT, Tom was the CEO of PETNET Solutions, Inc., formerly a division of CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc., which is now Siemens Medical Solutions, Inc. In his 11-year career with PETNET, Welch helped grow from 12 to more than 50 radio-pharmacies to become the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of PET radiopharmaceuticals. PETNET is located in four countries with drug manufacturing licenses on three continents. Numerous PETNET locations were joint ventures with leading healthcare institutions in the United States. He also led the Company through the introduction of the manufacturing of new drug products into the network as well as the industry’s first commercial New Drug Application.
Welch received his undergraduate work in business administration with a major in accounting and graduate work at the University of Tennessee, receiving his MBA.
Jeff Pelletier is on board as Vice President of Research and Development. He has more than 20 years of medical device product development experience with additional experiences in marketing and product service. Previously, he served as the Vice President of the Global Device Program Management organization for Hospira, Inc. In this role, Pelletier provided strategic and operational direction to new product development activities across all Hospira device products, including infusion therapy and medication management systems. Over a 10 year career with Hospira, Inc., he held positions in program management, R&D and marketing, published two editorials in industry publications and has been granted three patents in the area of infusion therapy clinical integration.
Prior to joining Hospira, Inc., Pelletier held several positions of increasing responsibility over a 15 year career with GE Healthcare. In his most recent role at GE Healthcare, he managed a staff of 75 software developers and testers tasked with the development of a next-generation integrated radiology information system and diagnostic image review workstation. Before this role, Pelletier held product development roles for magnetic resonance imaging and digital x-ray products, and also held a leadership role in regional field service, where he managed a $10M P&L within GE Healthcare’s service organization.
He received his MBA from Northwestern University, Master of Science in Electrical and Software Engineering from Marquette University, and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
About ProNova
ProNova is committed to making proton therapy accessible to a greater number of patients and physicians worldwide. Founded by the leaders of CTI Molecular Imaging, ProNova’s team brought positron emission tomography (PET) technology out of the laboratory and made it a clinical reality for millions of cancer patients. Our team’s early work revolutionized cancer diagnostics and helped to develop an industry with over 350 cyclotrons, more than 3,000 PET & PET/CT systems and 160 PET radiopharmaceutical distribution centers installed around the world today. The same team will redefine cancer treatment once again with the introduction of the SC360 proton therapy system.
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