Haig Keledjian, Chief Executive Officer
M. Karen Newell-Rogers, PhD, Chief Scientist and Advisor
Robert Berliner, B.Sc., JD, Consultant
Michael Capizzano, B.Sc., CFA, Consultant
Haig Keledjian, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Keledjian brings to VG Energy his experience in founding and managing our parent company, VG Life Sciences, Inc., where he has been instrumental in guiding the growth and development of that company, having acted as its Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President since the 1995 founding. He has overseen the completion of our parent’s human clinical trials, the creation of its global intellectual property portfolio – including the in-licensing of our Metabolic Disruption Technology from the University of Colorado and the University of Vermont – and all financing activities. He oversaw the operations and development of VG Energy while it was a division of VG Life Sciences and now assumes the head of the newly-formed subsidiary as it establishes itself as a separate entity. Mr. Keledjian is a California attorney and prior to joining VG Life Sciences, he practiced tax and estate law.
M. Karen Newell-Rogers, PhD, Chief Scientist and Advisor
Dr. Newell-Rogers is the lead inventor and developer of our Metabolic Disruption Technology. She is currently the Raleigh R. White, Jr. Endowed Professor of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, at Texas A&M Health Sciences Center and Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas. Newell-Rogers is also the Director of the newly formed Center for Cell Death and Differentiation at TAMHSC/Scott and White Hospital and was formerly at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, as Scientific Director of the CU Institute of Bioenergetics and Immunology and as the Clement and Margaret Markert Endowed Professor of Biology.
She has authored or co-authored several dozen peer-reviewed papers predominantly focused on immunology and cellular metabolism, and she has over 30 issued or pending patents.
Robert Berliner, B.Sc., JD, Consultant
Bob Berliner was a founding member of the intellectual property firm of Robbins, Berliner & Carson L.L.P., becoming a partner of the international general law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. following the 1997 merger of the two firms. Having decades of practice in all aspects of intellectual property, and having developed an extensive network of top rated intellectual property firms in over twenty countries, he founded Berliner & Associates specializing in patent, trademark and copyright prosecution, licensing and litigation, both in the United States and worldwide. He has close familiarity with the special needs of University patent portfolios and in assisting in the formation and operations of early stage companies. Bob is a member of the Intellectual Property Rights panel of the American Arbitration Association, and has served as arbitrator in significant patent and trade secret disputes.
Mr. Berliner is a founding Director and currently is on the Board of the Southern California Biomedical Council. Mr. Berliner received a B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1956 from The City College of New York and a J.D. in 1960 from Michigan State University. In December 2010 he will receive an Honorary Degree in Humane Letters from the University of Colorado. He is the published author of articles on technology licensing, and other intellectual property topics and has been a panelist or speaker at numerous conferences. Mr. Berliner was admitted to practice law in Michigan in 1961 and in California in 1966. He is also licensed to practice before the Federal District Courts of Central and Southern California, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Federal Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Michael Capizzano, B.Sc., CFA, Consultant
Mr. Capizzano joined our parent company in 2001 initially as a management consultant advising the Board on restructuring, corporate development strategy, the build-out of corporate infrastructure, business development, legal documentation, and financial issues such as analysis, reporting, disclosure and investor relations. Before joining VG Life Sciences, Mr. Capizzano worked in venture capital and provided financial advisory consulting for several years including micro and small cap financings, restructurings and M&A. He has originated, structured and managed or co-managed transactions in a variety of industry sectors ranging from $250,000 to over $20 million. Mr. Capizzano has a B.S. in Finance and Investments from Babson College, and has received his Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
