McDermott + Bull has successfully placed Andrew (Andy) Schmidt as Chief Financial Officer and Denise Dajles as Vice President of Research and Development at Sientra.
As the Chief Financial Officer, Andy will partner directly with the Chief Executive Officer and key board members to prioritize operational and strategic initiatives, further strengthening the Sientra brand as they grow and expand the company’s capabilities.
Andy brings more than 20 years of financial leadership experience and success directing the financial, M+A, and capital market strategies of numerous publicly held companies. Most recently, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Guardion Health Sciences, a Nasdaq-listed company focused on clinical nutrition, diagnostics, and medical devices. Before this, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Iteris, Inc., where he focused on internal and external strategic development and execution, accelerated growth, and achieved record stock performance. Before this, he was the Chief Financial Officer of publicly traded Smith Micro Software, Inc. and Genius Products, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin and his Master of Science in accountancy from San Diego State University.
As Vice President of Research and Development, Denise will report to the Chief Executive Officer and will drive the innovation strategy and technology roadmap to address current and anticipated customer needs. She will also be responsible for managing an effective new product development process and executing projects within Sientra’s research and development center.
Most recently, Denise was the Senior Director of Research, Development, and Innovation at Establishment Labs where she led the science and technology department. In this role, she was responsible for leading extensive scientific research and for successfully executing more than 10 new product and technology projects, which included several regulatory approvals for commercialization in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Previously, she was an Advisor, Investigator, and Interim Director in the Biomedical Engineering Lab at the University of Costa Rica School of Engineering. She holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in biomedical engineering from Washington University, St. Louis. She has also co-authored several peer reviewed publications and is a named inventor on a number of technologies.
Sientra, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, (NASDAQ:SIEN) is a publicly traded medical aesthetics company uniquely focused on plastic surgeons. They offer a suite of products designed to make a difference in patients’ lives by enhancing their body image, growing their self-esteem, and restoring their confidence. Sientra is nimble and focused with vast experience and knowledge of plastic surgeons. They are expanding commercial, manufacturing, and discovery to support new opportunities.
This executive search was completed by McDermott + Bull Partner Jake Vander Zanden, Director Jessica Combs, and Director of Business Development Susan Reid.