Board of Directors
Cadient Group’s Board of Directors helps provide guidance to the agency’s management
team. We invite you to review their professional experience.
John Martinson
Chairman of the Board, Cadient Group
Managing Partner, Edison Venture Fund
John Martinson is the managing partner of the Edison Venture Fund, Cadient Group’s
sole investor. He joined Cadient Group’s Board of Directors in 2006, and he has
served as director and advisor to 12 companies focused primarily on the pharmaceutical
industry. Currently, he is lead investor of Cambridgesoft, Health Market Science,
Octagon Research Solutions, Sentrx, and Skila.
With 30 years of venture capital experience, Mr. Martinson has organized 150 equity
financings. He has led multiple investments in customer relationship management,
education, human resources, finance, engineering, and other business software. Under
his watch, high-return investments have included Axent, Best Software, Dendrite,
Marcam, Mathsoft, and POMS.
In 1986 he established the Edison Venture Fund, which has financed more companies
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia than any other private equity
firm. In all, Edison has invested in 6 partnerships totaling $650 million. Edison
specializes in application software companies with $5 million to $20 million in
revenue.
Mr. Martinson earned a BS from the USAF Academy, an MS from Purdue University, and
an MBA from Southern Illinois University. Mr. Martinson is past Chairman of the
National Venture Capital Association, the Mid-Atlantic Capital Alliance, and the
New Jersey Technology Council.
Christopher French
Managing Director, Petsky Prunier
Christopher French is a managing director at Petsky Prunier LLC, a leading investment bank
serving the marketing, media, technology, and service industries, including businesses focused
on digital advertising, digital media, eCommerce, marketing technology, software, information,
marketing services and agencies, and consultancies. Mr. French leads Petsky Prunier’s life sciences practice.
Prior to joining Petsky Prunier, Mr. French was co-head of Winterberry Group, Petsky Prunier’s
strategy consulting affiliate. Previously, Mr. French served as chief executive officer of Cadient
Group and as senior vice president of global solutions marketing and corporate development at
Dendrite International, a provider of software, information, and service solutions to the global
life sciences industry. Mr. French began his professional career as a merger and acquisition associate
at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, a leading global law firm with headquarters in New York City.
Mr. French is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law and received a BS in economics
from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the former chairman of the
Board of Trustees for the Epiphany School Foundation in New York City.
Charles T. Saldarini
Founder/CEO, The Charles T. Saldarini Group
Charles T. Saldarini is the founder/CEO of The Charles T. Saldarini Group, which
evaluates both emerging and commercial stage companies in life sciences. Since 2006,
he has been frequently engaged to provide strategic assessments for private equity
investment, commercial product development, and service company growth opportunities.
He is an expert in biopharmaceutical services with substantial experience in product
sales and marketing.
Prior to 2006, Mr. Saldarini spent 18 years with PDI (NASDAQ: PDII), where he was
a major force in driving development of the contract sales industry. He led PDI
from its earliest stage, built its reputation as a premier provider, and drove its
service revenue growth from $1M to $365M. Throughout his tenure, he oversaw creation
of all infrastructure, systems, and talent growth supporting an employee population
of 3,000 and a world-class client base. Mr. Saldarini’s leadership enabled a successful
public capitalization as well as multiple acquisitions and strategic partnerships.
At his departure as vice chairman and CEO in 2005, PDI was debt-free, held over
$100M in cash, and was well positioned as a complete commercial services provider.
Mr. Saldarini’s current board service includes Informed Medical Communications (IMC),
Octagon Clinical Research Solutions, and Cadient Group. His community service presently
includes the Syracuse University, College of Arts & Sciences Board of Visitors,
the Board of Advisors at the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College of New
Jersey, the Mahwah Board of Education, and the Mahwah Municipal Alliance. Previously,
he has served on the boards of PDI, In 2Focus, and CharityNavigator.org.
Jim Walker
CEO, Octagon Research Solutions
Jim Walker has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for 17 years. He is founder
of Octagon Research Solutions, Inc. Prior to founding Octagon, he worked as the
senior manager of worldwide regulatory affairs for the Schering–Plough Corporation
("Schering"). While at Schering, he was responsible for clinical and pre-clinical
in the antihistamine, central nervous system, and critical care therapeutic areas.
Prior to joining Schering, Mr. Walker worked across multiple therapeutic areas in
the Regulatory Affairs/Clinical and Clinical Quality Assurance department at the
R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute (PRI). Mr. Walker has extensive experience
in and knowledge of all phases of clinical research and both FDA and European regulations.
He is skilled at process improvement and provides insight across multiple disciplines
within drug development.
Mr. Walker holds a BS in biological sciences from Villanova University, a master's
in environmental sciences from Rutgers University, and an MBA from Duke University.
Steve Zarrilli
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Safeguard Scientifics, Inc.
Steve Zarrilli is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Safeguard
Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE:SFE), a growth capital provider headquartered in Wayne,
PA. In addition to his role at Safeguard, Mr. Zarrilli serves as the chairman of
the Penn Valley Group, a middle market advisory firm which he co-founded in October
2004. Previously, he served as the chief financial officer of venture-backed Fiberlink
Communications Corporation, chief executive officer of venture-backed Concellera
Software, Inc., and chief financial officer and then chief executive officer of
US Interactive, Inc., a former public company (NASDAQ: USIT). He spent the first
11 years of his career at Deloitte & Touche, where he was directly responsible for
developing a business practice focused on the venture capital community.
Mr. Zarrilli currently serves as a director and chairman of the Audit Committee
and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee of Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ:
NTRI), as a director of Clarient, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLRT), and as a director on several
other private company boards as well. He has also served as a director and Audit
Committee member of Progress Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: PFNC) prior to its sale
in 2004 to Fleet Bank.
Mr. Zarrilli holds a BS in accounting from LaSalle University (1983) and is a former
certified public accountant.
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