A.J. Kazimi
Chairman
Gordon R. Bernard, M.D.
Director
Kenneth J. Krogulski
Director
James R. Jones
Director
Caroline Young
Director
Joseph C. Galante
Director
Martin S. Brown
Director
Ines Macias-Perez, Ph.D
A.J. Kazimi
Chief Executive Officer
James L. Herman
Executive Vice President, National Accounts & Chief Compliance Officer
Todd Anthony
Vice President, Organizational Development
Cheow Choon
Senior Director, International Business
Barry Lee
Senior Director, Hospital Products
Adam S. Mostafa
Managing Director
Chris Bitterman
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Kenny Acevedo
Senior Director, Field Sales
John Hamm
Director, Finance & Accounting and Chief Financial Officer

Leadership Team

A.J. Kazimi

Chairman

  

Mr. Kazimi is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., which he founded in 1999. His career includes over 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry. At Cumberland, he has overseen the development and FDA approval of key Company brands, while also leading the acquisition of the Company’s other commercial products. He was responsible for Cumberland’s initial public offering and listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange. 

Mr. Kazimi also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive of Cumberland Emerging Technologies – a joint initiative with Vanderbilt University and the state of Tennessee – designed to support the development of early-stage life sciences programs and companies. 

Prior to joining Cumberland, he spent eleven years helping to build Therapeutic Antibodies Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company. As President and Chief Operating Officer, he made key contributions to that company’s growth from its start-up phase through its initial public offering and listing on the London stock exchange. Mr. Kazimi started his career at Brown-Forman Corporation, rising through a series of management positions. 

He is Chairman of the Board for the Gettysburg Foundation which partners with the National Park Service to preserve that historic military park. He is also a member of the Board of the Tennessee Historical Society, the Board of Visitors at the Vanderbilt University Business School, and the Visiting Committee at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Business. 

He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Health Care Council, an association of the largest concentration of healthcare companies in the U.S. and the Board of Aegis Sciences Corporation, a federally certified forensic toxicology laboratory, which has twice been sold to private equity investors. Mr. Kazimi holds an M.B.A. from the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame.

The board believes that Mr. Kazimi brings strategic insight, leadership, and a history of successful execution to the Company along with a wealth of experience in both the biopharmaceutical industry and the development of emerging companies. 

Gordon R. Bernard, M.D.

Director

  

Dr. Bernard served as our Medical Director from 1999 until 2010 and currently serves as Chair of our Medical Advisory Board. He has served on our board of directors since 2010. Dr. Bernard is currently the Melinda Owen Bass Professor of Medicine for the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine for Vanderbilt University Medical Center and former Chief of the Division. 

 

In addition, he was formerly the Executive Vice President for Research, Chief Research Officer, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences, and Chairman of Vanderbilt’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, which is responsible for approving the Vanderbilt Medical Center Formulary of approved drugs and therapeutics. 

 

Dr. Bernard has been conducting national and international trials of pharmaceuticals since 1980 and he has been steering committee chair of the National Institutes of Health, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Clinical Trials Network since its inception in 1994 through its conclusion in 2014. This network is the only federally supported ongoing system for the conduct of research in the hospital Intensive Care Unit, or ICU. As an intensivist and former Medical Director for the Medical Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Bernard is therefore in a strategic position to observe, firsthand, the pharmaceutical management issues surrounding the care of a wide variety of the most severely ill patients and identify their unmet medical needs. He holds an M.D. from Louisiana State University and a B.S. from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

 

The board believes Dr. Bernard’s medical background is extremely valuable as the Company seeks to continue expanding its pipeline with promising products that offer advancement in patient care and are well-positioned competitively. 

Kenneth J. Krogulski

Director

  

Mr. Krogulski joined Cumberland’s Board of Directors in 2017. He has over 40 years of experience in security analysis and portfolio management and is currently the Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Berkshire Asset Management, LLC. Berkshire is an independent SEC registered Pennsylvania based investment advisory firm. 

 

Prior to Berkshire, Mr. Krogulski began his career in financial services in 1979 at First Eastern Bank, N.A., now PNC Financial, as an investment analyst and portfolio manager, where he advanced to Chief Investment Officer of the Trust Department. 

 

In addition, Mr. Krogulski is currently on the board of Allied Services Integrated Health System. He previously served as a Director of Landmark Community Bank (LDKB: NASDAQ) and numerous nonprofit organizations. Mr. Krogulski holds an M.B.A. from Wilkes University and earned a B.S. in finance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. 

 

The Board believes Mr. Krogulski’s extensive financial experience plays a significant role in guiding the Company’s strategy and offers valuable services in directing Cumberland’s growth.

James R. Jones

Director

  

Mr. Jones has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 2010 and is Chair of our Audit Committee. Mr. Jones’ 36-year career in professional accounting at KPMG LLP included the role of Managing Partner at their Nashville, Tennessee office from 1999 to 2006. 

He served in various capacities during his career at KPMG which also included positions at their offices in Jackson, Mississippi, Washington, D.C., and Greenville, South Carolina. During his tenure with KPMG, Mr. Jones led a team of more than one hundred individuals providing accounting services for an extensive client base. 

Following retirement in 2006, he has served as an advisor as well as provided various consulting services to several companies, including acting as liaison between management and the board of directors of a long-term care facility and serving as interim CEO of a charitable organization. 

He is currently a board director and member of the audit committees of Argent Trust Company of Tennessee and Belmont University. Mr. Jones also serves as a member of our Audit Committee and is our Audit Committee financial expert. Mr. Jones holds an M.B.A from Mississippi State University and a B.S. from Mississippi College.  

The board believes Mr. Jones’ significant accounting background will strengthen Cumberland’s existing financial capabilities and play a key role as the company is subject to increasingly stringent accounting and auditing regulations as a public entity.

Caroline Young

Director

  

Ms. Young joined the Board of Directors of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals in 2016. She serves as Cumberland’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Board Director. Ms. Young brings two decades of health care and life sciences experience to the role. 

Currently, she serves as Vice President of Partnership Development with Frist Cressey Ventures (FCV), where she focuses on accelerating value for FCV’s partnerships and enhancing relationships with health care industry-wide stakeholders. Before joining FCV, Ms. Young partnered with Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to launch NashvilleHealth, a first-of-a-kind initiative to reduce disparities and drive community-level health improvement. 

Prior to that role, Ms. Young led one of the nation’s premier health care industry associations as president of the Nashville Health Care Council, where she cultivated a national network of executives in support of leadership and innovation. She also held prior positions as the founding Executive Director of Life Science Tennessee and director of communications and advertising at the State of Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD). 

Ms. Young currently serves on the board of Hint Health, is a member of the advisory boards of Belmont University College of Health Sciences and Washington, DC-based Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Healthcare Industry. She holds an M.S. from the University of Tennessee and a B.A. from the University of Mississippi.

 

The Board believes Ms. Young’s national healthcare industry experience and strategic innovation initiatives are valuable as the Company continues to build a strong portfolio of products that serve the healthcare community.

 

Joseph C. Galante

Director

  

Mr. Galante is a music industry executive with extensive experience that scans a celebrated career. He is accredited with developing the careers of Alabama, Dave Mathews Band, Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Clint Black, Miranda Lambert, and The Judds, among others. 

Mr. Galante began at RCA Records in New York, followed by a transfer to RCA Nashville where he served as a director at the label, followed by the role of Vice President of Promotion and Marketing. At 32 years of age, he became the youngest person ever named to run a major country music record label. 

In 1990 RCA Records US appointed Mr. Galante President of the New York based company. He returned to Nashville as Chairman to run the RCA and BNA labels in Nashville. Under his leadership, RCA Records was the number one country label for eleven consecutive years. He then served as Chairman of Sony Music Nashville for six years. 

The Opry Trust presented Mr. Galante with the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award to honor his work for country music. Then in 2022 Mr. Galante was presented with the esteemed honor of being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Pinnacle Financial Partners whose shares are listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, Fishbowl Spirits, and serves as the Chair of the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation. He holds a B.S. in finance and marketing from Fordham University.

The board believes that Mr. Galante’s successful business record, entrepreneurial and public company experience make him a valuable member of our board. 

Martin S. Brown

Director

  

Mr. Brown joined the Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Board of Directors in September of 2022. He joined Adams and Reese law firm in 1994 and primarily represents privately held businesses and their owners. His experience includes the licensing of intellectual property, international commerce, mergers and acquisitions and estate planning matters. He also advises on the private placement of securities and the implementation of stock option plans for employees. 

 

Mr. Brown is an experienced health care attorney, having represented specialty pharmaceutical companies conducting financings and licensing rights to specialized technology, a biotechnology company in a dispute over intellectual property rights, and a foreign medical device manufacturer developing domestic distribution arrangements. 

 

His credits also include service on the board of directors of the parent company of Aegis Sciences Corporation since 2018 and of Brown-Forman Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange listed company, from 2006 until 2016.

 

He is a former director of Centerstone Mental Health Center, then the tenth largest behavioral health provider in the nation. He served as President of the Yale Club of Middle Tennessee and is a member of the Economic Club of Nashville. Mr. Brown holds a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and a B.A. from Yale University.

 

The Board believes Mr. Brown’s significant legal knowledge and experience with a public listed company are critical as the Company continues to navigate the responsibilities associated with being a public company.

Ines Macias-Perez, Ph.D

  

Ines Macias-Perez, Ph.D., is a clinical research professional with extensive experience in drug development and program management. In her role serving as the Director of Product Development at Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, she oversees the strategic planning, execution, and management of clinical and nonclinical programs for the company's product portfolio.

 

Prior to her role at Cumberland, Dr. Macias-Perez held leadership positions at the Radiosurgical Research Institute, where she served as the Executive Director, and Berg Pharma, where she was the Clinical Research Director. She also held positions at renowned institutions Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Vanderbilt University, where she conducted cancer research.

 

Her expertise spans strategic product innovation, tactical regulatory approaches, and identifying unmet medical needs. Dr. Macias-Perez has made significant contributions to the field of oncology and rare disease research, with numerous publications and presentations at national conferences. She has also received grants from the FDA Orphan Product Division for clinical trials. Included with several honors and awards received throughout her career is the President’s Award from Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. She holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Cancer Biology and an M.S. and B.A. from the University of South Florida.

A.J. Kazimi

Chief Executive Officer

   Mr. Kazimi is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., which he founded in 1999. His career includes over 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry. At Cumberland, he has overseen the development and FDA approval of key Company brands, while also leading the acquisition of the Company’s other commercial products. He was responsible for Cumberland’s initial public offering and listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Mr. Kazimi also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive of Cumberland Emerging Technologies – a joint initiative with Vanderbilt University and the state of Tennessee – designed to support the development of early-stage life sciences programs and companies. Prior to joining Cumberland, he spent eleven years helping to build Therapeutic Antibodies Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company. As President and Chief Operating Officer, he made key contributions to that company’s growth from its start-up phase through its initial public offering and listing on the London stock exchange. Mr. Kazimi started his career at Brown-Forman Corporation, rising through a series of management positions. He is Chairman of the Board for the Gettysburg Foundation which partners with the National Park Service to preserve that historic military park. He is also a member of the Board of the Tennessee Historical Society, the Board of Visitors at the Vanderbilt University Business School, and the Visiting Committee at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Business. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Health Care Council, an association of the largest concentration of healthcare companies in the U.S. and the Board of Aegis Sciences Corporation, a federally certified forensic toxicology laboratory, which has twice been sold to private equity investors. Mr. Kazimi holds an M.B.A. from the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame. The board believes that Mr. Kazimi brings strategic insight, leadership, and a history of successful execution to the Company along with a wealth of experience in both the biopharmaceutical industry and the development of emerging companies.

James L. Herman

Executive Vice President, National Accounts & Chief Compliance Officer

   As Executive Vice President of National Accounts, Mr. Herman handles all national accounts sales, including wholesalers and retail chain buying offices, managed care home offices and federal government accounts. He is also charged with overseeing our corporate compliance efforts. He has been with Cumberland since 2003 and has over 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. From 1998 to 2003, he was with Solvay Pharmaceuticals and served as Director of Managed Care and Director of Trade Affairs and Customer Service. From 1990 to 1998, Mr. Herman was with Schwarz Pharma, where he held national sales leadership positions in National Accounts and Managed Care. He holds an M.B.A. from Cardinal Stritch University and a B.S. from Indiana University.

Todd Anthony

Vice President, Organizational Development

   Mr. Anthony is Vice President of Organizational Development for Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. In this role he oversees human resources, sales training, and office administration activities. Mr. Anthony joined our company in 2010. During his tenure, he has made many contributions to training and development initiatives as well as human resources activities. These include the preparation and implementation of sales training materials for each branded product. Under his leadership, the Cumberland Academy was established with a core curriculum and advanced courses designed to provide industry expertise and continued learning opportunities for the office employees. Mr. Anthony has nearly 33 years of pharmaceutical training, development and human resource management experience. Prior to joining Cumberland, he held various positions of increasing responsibility at Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, including Sales Training, Sales Management and Leadership Development. He holds a B.S. in Nursing from D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York.

Cheow Choon

Senior Director, International Business

   Mr. Choon is the Senior Director of International Business Development for Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. His responsibilities include identifying new partnership opportunities and managing those relationships in the Asian market. Prior to joining Cumberland, he was Vice President of Southeast Asia & Korea at Hospira Inc. His carer also includes roles in banking and finance with the United Overseas Bank, Singapore as well as the establishment, development and management of pharmaceutical partnerships across Asia as General Manager, Asia for Mayne & Faulding Pharmaceutical of Australia. Mr. Choon holds an M.B.A. from Monash University in Australia and is an accountant earning his Bachelor of Accountancy from the National University of Singapore.

Barry Lee

Senior Director, Hospital Products

   In his role as Senior Director, Hospital Products, Mr. Lee is responsible for all marketing activities associated with the commercialization of Caldolor®, the company’s intravenous formulation of ibuprofen. Prior to joining the company in 2008, he spent 24 years with Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. There he held a variety of pharmaceutical sales and marketing positions and, most notably, was responsible for the launch of Yasmin® in 2001—one of the most successful industry product launches at that time. He earned a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University.

Adam S. Mostafa

Managing Director

   
In his role as consulting Managing Director, Mr. Mostafa is responsible for managing our investment banking activities and supporting our institutional investor interactions. He is an experienced biopharmaceutical investment banker who has worked in corporate finance since 2001. Prior to joining Cumberland in 2017, Mr. Mostafa worked on Wall Street at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. as Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking. There, he was involved predominantly in financing life sciences companies in the specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. He also served as a senior healthcare investment banker at both Needham & Company and CRT Capital, where at the latter he was also involved in life sciences private equity investments. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mostafa was a portfolio management associate at AQR Capital and a healthcare investment banking analyst at Salomon Smith Barney. Mr. Mostafa graduated from Brown University with a B.A. degree in Economics.

Chris Bitterman

Vice President, Sales and Marketing

   Mr. Bitterman joined Cumberland in 2018 with a distinguished career in Acute Care and pharmaceutical sales management spanning over 25 years. Highlights include his roles as National Sales Director for Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Daiichi Sankyo and Regional Sales Director for Sanofi Aventis. At Cumberland, Mr. Bitterman first served as the Hospital Sales Director, leading the Hospital Sales division. In 2022, Mr. Bitterman' role expanded to include the Oncology Business, and he was promoted to Senior Director of Hospital and Oncology Sales. Currently, Mr. Bitterman is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, where he is responsible for leading the sales and marketing efforts for Cumberland's commercial portfolio and delivering annual financial objectives. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Mr. Bitterman holds both M.B.A. and B.S degrees from Central Michigan University.

Kenny Acevedo

Senior Director, Field Sales

   Prior to joining Cumberland 2011, Mr. Acevedo served in several roles including Hospital District Manager and Senior District Manager for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Acevedo has been involved in the launching of several noteworthy pharmaceutical products. He also spent 5 years at ICN Pharmaceuticals as Regional Director for the West Coast. He is a graduate of New York State University at Stony Brook and he also received his Master’s in Health Administration from Long Island University.

John Hamm

Director, Finance & Accounting and Chief Financial Officer

  

Mr. Hamm has over 25 years of finance and accounting experience, with a majority in the health care industry. In his role as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, he manages all of Cumberland’s finance and accounting activities while continuing to oversee corporate development and legal matters. 

 

Before joining Cumberland in 2019, Mr. Hamm was CFO, Partner consultant with Tatum LLC, a finance and accounting consultant firm. He previously held the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Pharmacy at HealthSpring, Inc., a managed care organization currently operating as Cigna-HealthSpring. Prior to that he was Vice President Finance at Emdeon Business Services. Emdeon Inc., a healthcare technology firm that now operates as Change Healthcare Inc., a NASDAQ listed company with over $3 billion in annual revenue.  Mr. Hamm holds an M.B.A in Accounting from West Virginia University and a B.S in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting from Wheeling University. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Financial Manager (CFM).
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