Thomas A. Smeenk, BA
President & CEO. Co-Founder
Thomas leads Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM | OTCQB: HMTXF), a clinical-stage biotechnology company revolutionizing regenerative medicine through autologous stem cell therapy.
For over two decades, Thomas has led Hemostemix from a visionary startup, recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer—into a global leader advancing ACP-01, a patient-derived therapy proven to restore microcirculation, relieve ischemic pain, and prevent amputations in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Dr. Fraser Henderson
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Fraser C. Henderson Sr. received his Bachelor’s and Medical degrees at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. He served in Beirut in 1983, completed a neurosurgery residency at the Medical University of South Carolina, then served as Neurosurgeon for the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade in the Gulf War in 1990-91. He was International Craniospinal Fellow at The National Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. Commander Henderson was then appointed Director of Neurosurgery of the Spine and Craniocervical Junction at Georgetown University. After promotion to Professor of Neurosurgery (Scholar tract) he entered private practice in 2008, remaining academically active as Director of The Metropolitan Neurosurgery Group in Maryland, and Adjunct Professor to University of Maryland . He has published 130 peer reviewed articles, patents and book chapters, co-edited five books, and given 200 invited lectures.
Dr. Mary Argent-Katwala, PhD
Manager, Clinical Trials
Over 20 years of leadership experience in the commercial, non-profit and government sectors. Strategic and systems thinker with track record of promoting optimal program performance through planning, collaboration, coaching and mentoring for quality and excellence.
Croom Lawrence
Chief Commercial Officer
Croom leads marketing, sales, patient services, and e-commerce for our pioneering angiogenic, autologous stem cell therapy, ACP-01. Croom focuses his energy and passion to ensure ACP-01 and other life-changing treatments reach individuals who need them most. Croom's career is defined by launching and scaling breakthrough therapies with over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical sector and proven record of transforming single-product and large multinational franchise leaders into blockbuster successes.
Peter Lacey, ICD.D
Chairman of the Board
Chairman of Cervus Equipment Corporation (CERV.TO), from inception to date.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Cervus Equipment Corporation and its predecessor entities from 1982 to April 2012.
Cervus is a company he and his partners started in 1999 and built from five John Deere dealerships to 63 dealerships selling six brands in three countries with revenues of $1.1 Billion.
Graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program at the University of Toronto.
Thomas A. Smeenk, BA
Director
A chief executive who structures, negotiates and has closed eight figure contracts. A dynamic business development and management team leader who delivers timely profitable results domestically and internationally. An adept communicator who succeeds at collaborative and interpersonal relationships with management, prospects, clients and suppliers.
Dr. Ronnie Hershman, M.D., F.C.C.S.
Director
Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Sophie Davis Center for Biomedical Research in 1980.
Practicing Cardiologist since 1987 and Medical Director of NYU Langone Long island Cardiac Care.
Pioneer in performing laser assisted coronary angioplasty.
Entrepreneur and investor for more than two decades and director and/or officer of over 9 life science companies.
Track record of investing in companies that commercialize technologies quickly and globally.
Advisor to late stage life science VC that has funded 24 companies.
Loran Swanberg
Director
Part owner and a director of a private company, Landsman Properties Ltd. since 2005. Landsman owns and leases out shop and office space in North East British Columbia and Alberta.
From 1992 to 2005, Mr. Swanberg was a director of the family owned oilfield transportation company, Swanberg Bros. Trucking Ltd., which was purchased by Producers Oilfield Services Inc. in 2005.
Director of privately held Swanberg Air Inc. from 2000 to 2012, and was a director of the Northern B.C. Truckers’ Association for 10 years, 1992 to 2002.
Most recently, Mr. Swanberg was a partner and director of Vieworx Geophoto Inc. from 2012 until Q1 2020.
Dr. Johannes Grilliari, PhD
Dr. Grillari focuses on improving our understanding of the molecular and physiological changes that occur during cellular aging, their impact on organismal aging and tissue regeneration, specifically in skin and bone.
Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, MD
Considered a worldwide pioneer in the field of stem cell research, Dr. von Schwarz has published over 150 scientific papers in international peer reviewed medical journals, as well as books and book chapters in cardiovascular medicine.
Dr. Norman Wong, MD
Currently Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Director of the Libin Gene /Cell Therapy Unit within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Pierre Leimgruber, MD, FACC
Board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases, and interventional cardiology. Specialist in cardiovascular disease treatment.
Dr. Alan Lumsden, MD
International reputation as a leader in the field of endovascular surgery. He conducts FDA-mandated training for surgeons nationwide and has received millions of dollars for his research from the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Hari L. Kumar, PhD
Expertise is in chromosome biology, functional genomics, and bioinformatics. Oversaw the development of the MRS and PATRN platforms.
DR. INA SAREL
Dr. Ina Sarel is a biotechnology executive with more than 20 years of experience in product development from discovery and proof of concept through pre-clinical and clinical stages. Ina has broad expertise in stem/progenitor cell therapy, CMC, and regulatory requirements, and previously developed a stem cell research product commercialized by Lonza.
Some of Ina’s recent positions include VP Product Development at Cellect Biotechnology, VP R&D at Hemostemix, and Project Manager at Proneuron Biotechnologies.
Ina holds a Ph.D. in Neuroendocrinology from Boston University, USA.
York N. Hsiang, MB. ChB., MHSc., FRCSC.
Professor Emeritus of Surgery and Former Head of Vascular Surgery at the University of British Columbia and Consultant Surgeon at the Vancouver General Hospital for 34 years. During that time, he treated thousands of patients, trained dozens of medical students to become doctors, and residents (medical graduates) to become surgeons. Born in Taiwan, educated in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada, Dr. Hsiang has diverse interests in vascular engineering, vascular biology, lasers, and clinical epidemiology. Dr. Hsiang has served as the Head of Vascular Surgery, UBC and Associate Head of Surgery, UBC. He was the Principal Investigator, Vancouver site, of the ACP-01 clinical trial for the application of angiogenic cell precursors for no option peripheral arterial disease patients. He has served as the Director of Surgical Research in the UBC Department of Surgery and has written over 120 scientific research articles plus a historical book on the development of vascular surgery at the Vancouver General Hospital, “Audible Bleeding”. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Past President of the Chinese Canadian Medical Society (BC), Pacific Northwest Vascular Surgery, and the Western Vascular Society.