Board of directors

Inside Director

CEO & Co-Chairman
Directory Since: 2008

Professor Semechkin is a specialist in system analysis, strategic planning and corporate management. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been Deputy Director of Institute of System Analysis since 2004. Professor Semechkin was awarded the Russian Government Award in Science and Technology in 2006 and has written several scientific books. He has over 20 years of experience creating and managing businesses across different industries and scientific sectors.

Inside Director

Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer & Principal Financial Officer
Chief Executive Officer, Lifeline Skin Care
Director Since: 2008

Dr. Kern was trained in medical genetics, embryology and stem cell biology. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Human Physiology from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and has broad expertise in neuroscience, and was part of the team, along with scientists from the NYU Medical School that elucidated the physiological changes that occur in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. Dr. Kern directs ISCO’s R&D programs including stem cell derivation, differentiation and the pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of stem cell derived cells and tissue. He has developed a general method of deriving highly pure populations of neural stem cells and dopaminergic neurons from pluripotent stems cells that is novel, practical and suitable for use in a clinical setting. Dr. Kern is a well-known speaker on stem cell biology, including the use of stem cells for neurology and skin regeneration. He has more than 40 publications in the field of Parkinson’s disease and stem cell biology and he is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Independent Director

Director Since: 2007
International Stem Cell Corporation Committee Membership:
Audit Committee, Compensation Committee

Mr. Maier has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Mr. Maier is currently an independent financial consultant.

Previously, Mr. Maier was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial officer of Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LGND) a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, a position he held from 1992 to 2007. From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Maier served as Vice President, Finance of DFS West, a division of DFS Group, LP a private multinational retailer. From 1984 to 1990, Mr. Maier was employed by ICN Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology research products company, where he held various executive positions in finance and general management in ICN as well as SPI Pharmaceuticals, a publicly held subsidiary. Mr. Maier has served on the boards of public and private companies. Mr. Maier received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from Pennsylvania State University.

Independent Director

Co-Chairman
Director Since: 2007
International Stem Cell Corporation Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Compensation Committee

Mr. Wright brings to International Stem Cell Corporation over 30 years of experience in starting and nurturing emerging growth companies, both public and private. He is President and Founder of Everett, Washington-based Confluence Capital Group Inc., (www.confluencecap.com), which provides consulting services to institutional investors, debt holders and public and private companies.

Prior to Confluence Capital, Mr. Wright was President and CEO of Pacific Aerospace & Electronics, Inc., a company he founded in 1990, took public and ran until 2006. Under his leadership, Pacific Aerospace grew from annual sales of approximately $3 million in 1994 to over $112 million in 2000. Earlier, Mr. Wright was President and CEO of Washington-based Component Concepts, Inc., a company he founded in 1976. He is the recipient of numerous business and community awards, and was named one of the 50 fastest growing companies in Washington State for 1998, 1999 and 2000 by Deloitte & Touche. Additionally he was recognized by Deloitte & Touche as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the United States for 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Mr. Wright served as an advisory board member for Central Washington University’s School of Business for six years and completed the UCLA Director Training and Certification Program.