About Us

Overview

Strategic Business Works Partners came together to consolidate Healthcare management expertise with financial and merger and acquisition acumen. SBW delivers services tailored for medical device, pharmaceutical and biologics executives who need advisors who are knowledgeable about their industry.

Executive Biographies

John H. Icardi,

With over 25 years of experience in Healthcare sales, marketing, and management, John Icardi is uniquely qualified to provide thoughtful, thorough, and accurate assessment and planning for SBW client companies. He was recently featured as a speaker at Johns Hopkins University’s MBA program (2004) on the subject of conducting feasibility studies and establishing the value of market opportunities for products and product lines in medical industries.

Prior to the expansion of SBW, Mr. Icardi served as consultant in marketing and business development for three clinical research organizations. He was primarily responsible for building revenue and market positions within the medical device, pharmaceutical and biologics industries. Most recently, his consultancy directly contributed to the successful sale of Eminent Research to PPD Inc. in 2003.

From 1983 through 1994, Mr. Icardi advanced through the sales and marketing ranks at Edward Weck & Company (E.R. Squibb & Sons subsidiary). Beginning as a field sales representative, he ultimately was named Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Squibb subsidiaries. In 1994, Mr. Icardi represented Weck in it’s divestiture from Bristol Myers Squibb to Teleflex, where he was retained as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development after the sale. During his tenure at TFX, he negotiated and closed more than 10 distribution and license sale agreements among medical device industry companies.

After earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in Speech Communications from Florida State University in 1976, Mr. Icardi spent 6 years with Societe Generale de Surveillance, a Swiss inspection and engineering firm in project and operations and management. During his tenure as Divisional Manager of SGS’ Houston, Texas engineering operations, sales and pre-tax profit doubled in each of three consecutive years.

Mr. Icardi is currently a board member of For Patients Inc., an early stage medical device company based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Mr. Icardi is also the founder and Executive Director of G-WIS (now in its 9th year), a community-based non-profit organization that connects school children with college student-athletes.

Anthony L. Otten

Anthony Otten has more than 20 years of success in senior management, with extensive experience in general and financial management, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds and strategic planning. He has worked in a number of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, high-tech, real estate, and financial services.

Recently, Mr. Otten served as Chief Restructuring Officer for a financial services company and an aftermarket automobile parts distributor, both undergoing reorganization while in bankruptcy. Previously, as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for a privately-held $150MM commercial real estate development and construction firm, Mr. Otten assisted in restructuring the company’s operations. He developed and implemented a full range of financial controls, and put in place their first working capital facility.

Mr. Otten, as CEO of a $100MM buyer and reseller of low-income single and two-family homes in the New York City-metro area, managed the turnaround and eventual liquidation of the company.
Other interim management positions include CFO of a Midwestern-based printed circuit-board assembler, serving the transportation and audiological markets and interim CFO for an internet-based health care services company. Previously, Mr. Otten served as Senior Vice President and CFO of NXT Corporation, an early-stage company focused on the transmission of financial credit card data.

Prior to joining NXT, Mr. Otten was Vice President for Mergers and Acquisitions for The Bromley Companies, and Vice President and CFO for their largest operating company, Bromley Pallet Recyclers, a multi-million dollar roll-up that undertook three to four acquisitions per year. He has also held senior management positions with Marriott Corporation and Cabot Corporation, including Managing Director of the U.K.-based Cabot Safety Corporation. While at Cabot, Mr. Otten led the turnaround and divestiture of Rastronics, Cabot's Danish-based audiological equipment manufacturer.

Mr. Otten received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a minor in Economics, has done graduate course work at the London School of Economics, and has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Currently, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Heartline Fitness Products Inc and is a member of the Advisory Board for Longroad Asset Management, LLC and the Dean’s Alumni Leadership Council at the JFK School of Government, Harvard University.

Andrew Scherer

Andrew Scherer has over twenty years of experience in corporate finance and business development. Most recently, he managed the corporate finance activities of Scherer Cybrarian Services, a research based consulting firm, assisting technology firms with projects ranging from mergers and acquisitions to private placements to strategic financial analysis and consulting. He has worked with numerous technology firms ranging from industry leaders such as MFS Communications and Level 3, to start-ups and served as Chief Financial Officer of Tentrus LLC and Capital Media LLC.

Before establishing his finance consultancy, Mr. Scherer was Director of Project Development for Mid American Energy, a utility with operations in the U.S., U.K, and Southeast Asia. During his tenure, he led the development of numerous energy and communications projects both here and overseas. He joined Mid American after a senior mergers and acquisitions role at Peter Kiewit Sons', one of the world's largest heavy construction firms.

Early in his career, Mr. Scherer was Vice President at Signet Investment Banking and General Field Engineer for Schlumberger Oilfield Services. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Duke University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago.

Angela Willis

Angela Willis has worked in the healthcare industry for over 18 years focusing in the areas of marketing and business development. Ms. Willis has extensive marketing experience in several therapeutic and surgical specialty segments including; orthopedic, neurology, spine, ENT, cardiothoracic and interventional cardiology. Recently, Ms. Willis has worked as a strategy consultant for a major clinical research organization and integrated health system provider where her engagements focused on conducting internal assessments and leveraging core competencies to expand into new business segments.

Since 1998, Ms. Willis has worked as a strategic marketing consultant. During her engagement with the Duke School of Medicine, Office of Continuing Medical Education, she served on the Leadership Advisory Board and developed a business model to transition from a regulatory compliance agent to a service-oriented profit center. Ms. Willis worked with the Director of Business Development to foster collaboration with Pharmaceutical Industry partners which resulted in a 300% increase in educational grants. She also consulted with the Duke Clinical Research Advisory Services Group to conduct an internal assessment and develop a business model to expand their product and service offerings.

Prior to 1998, Ms. Willis worked for several surgical and medical device companies. Her most recent experience was with Angiosonics, a private, start-up venture focused on applying ultrasound technology for therapeutic solutions in the interventional cardiology and radiology segments. While there, she managed all aspects of the peripheral business segment including R&D, regulatory, and marketing which culminated in expediting the development and initiation of Phase II studies in Europe and Australia within one year.

In addition to her experience with Angiosonics, Ms. Willis served in various marketing, product management, and business development roles for Pilling Weck, Sofamor Danek, Stryker Surgical Corporation, and Acufex Microsurgical.

Ms. Willis received a Bachelors of Arts from Western Michigan University in 1991 and a Masters of Business Administration from Kenan-Flagler at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2000.

An involved community member, Ms. Willis serves as a volunteer for House of Hope and the SPCA. She also is an active participant in the U.S. Volleyball Association and U.S. Tennis Association.