We Put Pets First

We are a tightly-knit, San Francisco based biotech committed to developing safe and effective medical products for dogs and cats. We are pet-lovers that share a common goal of keeping pets happy, healthy, and living longer.

Our Leadership Team

OKAVA was founded by accomplished industry executives with a proven track record bringing innovative human products to market.

Michael Klotsman,
PhD, MBA
CEO

Wayne Anderson, PhD
R&D

David Petrick, VMD, JD
Regulatory Affairs

Evangeline (Vangie) Cruz
VP, CMC

Kevin Fick
Director and Executive Chairman

Gordon Ringold, PhD
Board Member

Jim Thompson
Board Member

Arlene Morris
Strategic Advisor

OKAVA was founded by accomplished industry executives with a proven track record bringing innovative human products to market.

Michael Klotsman,
PhD, MBA
CEO

Wayne Anderson, PhD
R&D

David Petrick, VMD, JD
Regulatory Affairs

Gordon Ringold, PhD
Board Member

Julia Stephanus
Board Member

OKAVA was founded by accomplished industry executives with a proven track record bringing innovative human products to market.

Michael Klotsman,
PhD, MBA
CEO

Wayne Anderson, PhD
R&D

David Petrick, VMD, JD
Regulatory Affairs

David Petrick, VMD, JD
Regulatory Affairs

Gordon Ringold, PhD
Board Member

Gordon Ringold, PhD
Board Member

Julia Stephanus
Board Member

Julia Stephanus
Board Member

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Dr. Klotsman has over 20 years of diverse industry experience.He began his career at GlaxoSmithKline where he held numerous roles.Prior to starting Okava, Michael ran his own consultancy where he served as C-suite advisor to privately and publicly held biotech companies.Michael was then recruited to a preeminent strategy consulting firm renowned for its expertise in strategic decision-making, risk management, and shareholder value creation.Michael has a B.A. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, holds a MPH from the University of Michigan, a MBA. from Duke University, and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Michael Klotsman, PhD, MBA

CEO

Dr. Anderson’s career spans over 30 years.Dr. Anderson earned his PhD in Pharmacology.He retired from GSK as the worldwide Wide Director of Respiratory Research and currently has appointments as a research associate professor in the Department of Medicine and an adjunct associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, both at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Wayne Anderson, PhD

R&D

He earned his VMD from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from Seton Hall.Dr. Petrick is an animal health industry veteran with over 30 years in regulatory affairs.He was the former head of regulatory affairs at Schering-Plough Animal Health (currently Merck Animal Health).

David Petrick, VMD, JD

Regulatory Affairs
A chemical engineer by training, Evangeline has over 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical drug product development and commercial manufacturing. An expert in drug delivery technologies, Vangie started her career at Alza and then went on to overseeing CMC activities at AcelRx Pharmaceuticals.

Evangeline (Vangie) Cruz

VP, CMC
Kevin Fick most recently served as CEO at Petwise Brands, where he spearheaded the growth of one of the leading platforms in the pet supplies market. Under his leadership, Petwise Brands achieved significant milestones that culminated in its acquisition by A&M Capital Partners. In addition to his role at OKAVA, Kevin currently serves on the Boards of the American Pet Products Association and the Joybound People & Pets Foundation, contributing to the advancement of the pet industry as a whole.

Kevin Fick

Director and Executive Chairman

Dr. Ringold is a biotechnology entrepreneur and currently serves as the CEO of Quadriga.From 1991 to 2000, Gordon was CEO of Affymax Research Institute (acquired by Glaxo).From 1997 to 2015, he served in various capacities as Co-Founder and/or CEO of Maxygen, SurroMed, Alexza, and Alavita.Gordon received his PhD in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Harold Varmus, before joining the Stanford University School of Medicine where he invented technologies that are now widely used for production of dozens of therapeutic products.

Gordon Ringold, PhD

Board Member
With over 25 years of proven success in omni-channel retail, Jim Thompson brings a wealth of experience and strategic insight to OKAVA.
Most recently, he served as Chief Revenue Officer at Chewy.com, the leading online source for pet products, supplies, and prescriptions in the US. Under his leadership, Chewy experienced significant growth following its IPO in 2019. Jim’s impressive career also includes roles as Vice President, President, CEO, and Board Director. Currently, Jim serves on the Board of Primal Pet Foods, a leading manufacturer of premium pet food.

Jim Thompson

Board Member
Arlene has an extensive background in leadership roles across the biotech sector. She has led public biotechnology companies as the Chief Executive Officer of Syndax Pharmaceuticals and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Affymax. In addition to her executive roles, Arlene has significant board experience, currently serving on the boards of publicly traded companies including Cogent Biosciences, Palatin Technologies, TC BioPharm, Viridian Therapeutics, and Edgewise Therapeutics. She also serves on the Board of the Charleston Animal Society.

Arlene Morris

Strategic Advisor

Ms. Stephanus is an industry leader in animal health with over 30 years of experience.Former roles include Chief Commercial Officer of Aratana, founder and CEO of Summit VetPharm (now CEVA), and Head of Global Marketing for Pfizer (now Zoetis).

Julia Stephanus

Board Member