Surefire Medical Appoints President and CEO

Surefire Medical Inc. (Surefire) has appointed Mary T. Szela as its CEO, president, and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Szela brings nearly 30 years of progressive leadership experience to Surefire building global billion-dollar brands, advancing pipeline products in the biotechnology, medical products, and pharmaceutical industries, while creating value for stakeholders.
 
Szela succeeds James Chomas, Ph.D., Surefire’s founder, who has served as CEO and president since 2009. Chomas will remain a director on the company’s board and an active member of the senior management team. In the operations of the company, Chomas will also serve as chief technology and oncology strategy officer with a focus on the discovery and application of oncology drug delivery technologies.
 
“Immune therapies are reshaping the battle against cancer. The innovative application of technology at Surefire positions the company to become a leading medical device provider in the treatment of cancer,” said Mats Wahlström, Surefire’s board chairman. “Mary brings the leadership capabilities necessary to fulfill the full potential of what Surefire’s technology can do to transform cancer care on a global scale. Her proven commercial track record, coupled with her passion and commitment to patients, aligns with the company’s mission to better deliver quality of life for cancer patients. The brilliance of Jim Chomas is his ability to look at medical problems and solve them by creating technologies that help physicians successfully treat liver cancer. As the founder of Surefire, he built the company to where it is today and will continue to play an active role focused on innovations that overcome unsolved medical challenges. We’re grateful for all Jim does to advance oncology drug delivery and Surefire’s mission.”
 
Szela previously served as CEO of Novelion Therapeutics, a rare disease company, where she orchestrated the merger of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals and QLT Therapeutics. Additionally, she secured the approval, registration and launch of lomitapide in Japan, oversaw the European filing for metreleptin, and built a clinical development platform to treat multiple diseases using leptin hormone replacement therapy. Prior to Novelion, Szela was CEO of Melinta Therapeutics, leading the company’s revitalization effort, accelerating clinical development of its lead asset for treatment of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Szela held ascending management positions at Abbott Laboratories, including president of the company’s $8 billion U.S. pharmaceutical business, developing global brands such as Humira, and serving as vice president for global strategic marketing and services.
 
Szela currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Coherus Biosciences. Szela earned an M.B.A. and a B.S. in nursing, both from the University of Illinois.

“As with millions of other people who have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer, I’m thrilled to be leading a company making a difference in treating the disease. The application of technology at Surefire is already making a difference, and guiding the company to expand its reach to patients is my primary goal. I’m fortunate to partner with Jim as a member of my staff along with the talented team at Surefire to advance technologies that can truly impact patient care,” said Szela.

Surefire Medical develops infusion technologies that help physicians deliver therapy deeper into liver tumors while protecting healthy tissue, giving patients greater confidence in their cancer care. The company is based in Westminster, Colo.