Leadership
The NxStage leadership team brings both deep experience and strong commitment to our mission of transforming renal care.
Jeffrey H. Burbank
President & Chief Executive Officer
Jeff is NxStage’s Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, and is a member of its Board of Directors. Jeff has over 20 years of in-depth management experience with companies developing, marketing and manufacturing products for End Stage Renal Disease patients. He has led NxStage since its inception, guiding it through all of its developmental phases to the successful initiation of commercial activity, its initial public offering and the recent acquisition of Medisystems. Prior to founding NxStage, he co-founded Vasca, Inc., a company providing innovative implantable access devices, where he was the President and CEO, as well as Chairman of the Board. He gained significant renal industry experience during his nine years at Gambro, Inc., in the Renal Division, with his last position as Director of Marketing and Advanced Technologies. During his career he has been an inventor on 50 U.S. patents for medical devices.
Jeff received his BS in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University.
Agustin (Gus) M. Azel
Senior Vice President, Manufacturing
Gus has more than 20 years in the medical device industry and, specifically, with companies supplying products to End Stage Renal Disease patients. He has held senior level management positions for over 15 years in Engineering and Manufacturing including international responsibilities. In these positions his responsibility has extended to Product Quality, R&D, Financial Performance, and Regulatory Compliance. During his career he has worked for Johnson & Johnson, Baxter Healthcare, Althin Medical and others. His experience encompasses disposable products as well as instrumentation with significant exposure, responsibility and success in operations start-up, consolidations and management of growth.
Gus received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
Robert S. Brown
Chief Financial Officer
Robert has more than 20 years of financial experience. Prior to joining NxStage, Robert held several leadership positions in Boston Scientific's financial group including Vice President, Corporate Analysis & Control where he and his team were responsible for the company’s financial, compliance and operational audits and reported directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Robert also served as Vice President, International where he was responsible for the financial functions of Boston Scientific’s $2.5 billion international division in over forty countries. Previous experience also includes financial reporting and special projects at United Technologies and public accounting and consulting at Deloitte & Touche.
Robert received his B.B.A. from The University of Toledo and his M.B.A. from The University of Michigan. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Tom Shea
Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Operations
As Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Operations, Tom is responsible for all of NxStage’s manufacturing operations, including the Company’s four manufacturing facilities. Tom has over 20 years of operational management experience. Prior to joining NxStage, he held several leadership positions at Jabil Incorporated, a $12 billion Tier I contract manufacturer. Most recently, Tom served as Jabil’s Global Business Unit Manager, supporting clients in the aerospace, defense and telecommunications industries. In this capacity, he developed and implemented global operations, logistics and pricing strategies for his sector. He previously served as Operations Manager at Jabil where he had full plant profit and loss responsibility for their Massachusetts facility.
Mr. Shea earned his M.B.A. at The University of Massachusetts and his B.S. in Production and Operations Management at Bryant University.
Winifred L. Swan, Esq.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Winnie has over 10 years of legal expertise in medical devices. Prior to joining NxStage in 2000, she was Senior Corporate Counsel at Boston Scientific Corporation where she focused on M&A and business development transactions. Before this, she was an associate at Goodwin Procter LLP, specializing in corporate and securities law. Prior to law school, she served as a financial analyst in Merrill Lynch's Capital Markets Group.
Winnie received a BA (cum laude) in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University and her JD (cum laude and Order of the Coif) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Joseph E. Turk, Jr.
Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations
Joe brings to NxStage a strong strategy and market development background. Before joining NxStage in 2000, he served as Director of New Business Development at Boston Scientific. Prior to this, he was one of the leaders of McKinsey & Company's Midwest Health Care and Biotechnology Practice as a Senior Engagement Manager in the firm's Chicago Office.
Joe received his AB in Economics from Wabash College and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg School.
Michael J. Webb
Vice President, Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs
Mike has more than 15 years’ experience in quality assurance, regulatory, manufacturing, operations, engineering, development, and vendor management, primarily in the field of medical devices. Prior to joining NxStage in 2001, Mike was Vice President of Operations for Mosaic Technologies, a developer of gene-based diagnostic products. Other previous positions include Director of Operations for TFX Medical and Director of Disposables Manufacturing and Logistics for Haemonetics Corporation.
Mike received a BS degree in Industrial and Management Engineering and his MBA in Manufacturing Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
