Askel Healthcare Ltd Announces Strategic Board Appointments and New Chairman
Helsinki, Finland – December 21, 2023. Askel Healthcare, a Finnish medical technology company offering a new method for the treatment of knee cartilage defects, proudly announces significant changes to its Board of Directors following the Annual General Meeting.
In a strategic move, shareholders have welcomed two distinguished industry leaders, Mr. Ted Bird and Mr. Patrick Jamnik, as the newest members of the Board. Furthermore, the Board has unanimously elected Mr. Ted Bird to assume the crucial role of Chairman, charting the course for Askel Healthcare’s future endeavors.
Mr. Bird and Mr. Jamnik bring extensive global orthopedic sector expertise and a robust track record in US commercialization and fundraising, which are both critical assets as Askel Healthcare continues its focus on the US market.
About Mr. Ted Bird, Newly Appointed Chairman:
Bringing over four decades of global commercial and executive leadership experience in the medical device industry, Mr. Ted Bird currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer with Dymicron, an innovative startup specializing in next-generation artificial cervical discs. As Principal of Bird Medical Group, he provides strategic management consulting and MedTech commercialization solutions. Mr. Bird’s impressive career includes key roles as Chief Commercial Officer for Titan Spine, where he played a pivotal role in achieving market-leading growth in the interbody spine fusion segment with unique nano-textured titanium surface technology, leading to its eventual acquisition by Medtronic.
Mr. Bird’s wealth of experience extends to his tenure as Chairman of the Board for ApiFix, Ltd., a notable Israeli startup offering a novel fusionless minimally invasive treatment for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, acquired by Orthopediatrics in 2020.
Reflecting on his passion for sports medicine, Mr. Bird stated, “One of the primary reasons I’m excited about the opportunity to assist Askel is because I have a passion for sports medicine.” He elaborated on his extensive background in the field, emphasizing his early career at Dyonics, later acquired by Smith & Nephew, and his subsequent leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson Orthopedics, where he pioneered bioabsorbable fixation implants in orthopedics.
Since 2015, Mr. Bird has dedicated his expertise to early-stage startups, serving in strategic advisory, consulting, management team, and Board roles. His collaboration with Askel Healthcare is driven by a shared vision to transform the treatment and repair of focal cartilage defects through the innovative COPLA® cartilage implant.
“Askel Healthcare’s commitment to revolutionizing healthcare aligns seamlessly with my passion for dynamic, entrepreneurial teams solving unmet clinical needs. Joining the team to advance the groundbreaking COPLA® cartilage implant is a dream come true, bringing my career full circle to where I started – sports medicine,” Mr. Bird added.
Askel Healthcare looks forward to leveraging Mr. Bird’s leadership to propel the company to new heights in the medical technology landscape, with a focus on pioneering solutions and transformative patient care.
About Mr. Patrick Jamnik, Newly Appointed Independent Board Member:
Blending large company discipline and professionalism with small company pace and entrepreneurial thinking, Patrick Jamnik provides a unique compliment of business development and strategic acumen. A veteran of both Stryker and Zimmer-Biomet as well as numerous venture-backed and emerging growth companies, Patrick has extensive experience building and commercializing businesses across multiple therapeutic areas and geographic locations around the world.
Currently, Patrick serves as President of Episurf Medical, Inc., a Swedish-based orthopaedic implant and software provider helping surgeons diagnose and treat damaged cartilage and early arthritis in the knee and ankle. In this role he oversees all aspects of the company’s US strategy and day-to-day activities.
Prior to joining Episurf in September 2021, Patrick served as Vice-President of Business Development at InspireMD, an Israeli-based vascular stenting company, where he led the company’s licensing, partnership, and Asian business development activities.
Patrick also served as Global Marketing Director at Stanmore Implants, a venture-backed United Kingdom-based company providing both modular and personalized implant solutions to orthopaedic oncology surgeons. During his time at Stanmore, Patrick played a central role in establishing, commercializing, and growing its US business, contributing to its eventual acquisition by Stryker, where he then remained for many years in a similar position. Patrick began his career in sales roles of increasing responsibility at Zimmer Biomet.
“Symptomatic injuries to patient’s articular cartilage are one of the few areas in orthopaedics still requiring real innovation, not merely incremental improvements. Common treatments are still far too expensive and logistically challenging to meet the magnitude of the problem, and any meaningful progress will be made by solutions that can simultaneously address the needs of the patient, surgeon, and site of care. Early signs are that Askel’s COPLA® implant may do just that. I’m honored to join the company’s Board and look forward to helping the company achieve its long-term objectives,” said Mr. Jamnik.
“Askel Healthcare is embarking on an exciting new chapter, and I am thrilled to welcome Mr. Ted Bird and Mr. Patrick Jamnik to our Board of Directors. Their unparalleled expertise will undoubtedly elevate our strategic vision and drive innovation in knee cartilage repair. With a shared commitment to transformative patient care, we look forward to shaping the future of cartilage repair together,” Dr. Virpi Muhonen, Askel Healthcare’s CEO commented.