EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

John T. Spitznagel
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Prior to Oceana, John Spitznagel served as Chairman and CEO for Esprit Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the genito-urinary market. He oversaw Espirit’s growth from a start-up in 2005 to its purchase by Allergan, Inc. in 2007.  Previously he was Chairman & CEO of ESP Pharma, a company he co-founded in 2002 to pursue the acquisition, development and marketing of acute-care pharmaceuticals. ESP’s rapid growth in sales and profitability attracted third party suitors and in March 2005, within three years of initiating operations, ESP was acquired for over $500 million.  Before ESP, John was President & CEO of Roberts Pharmaceutical which specialized in acquiring in-market and late-stage development drugs. He joined Roberts in 1996 and is credited with leading that company through a dramatic turnaround in profitability and the successful merger of the company into Shire plc in late 1999 in a transaction valued at approximately $1.2 billion. From 1990-1995, John served as President of the Reed and Carnrick division of Block Drug where he also was responsible for a successful turnaround in the division’s performance.  John began his career at Warner-Lambert in sales and marketing and spent nearly ten years at Hoffmann-La Roche and ten years at American Home Products where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Wyeth.

Mr. Spitznagel is the recipient of a 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® award and has been honored twice by PharmaVOICE, in 2010 and 2006, as one of the 100 Most Inspiring People in the Life Sciences Industry.  He is a trustee for Rider University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts.  John also holds an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

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