People
Meet CIVCO. Overwhelmingly, our success stems from the high caliber of people who work here, across the board. Led by a world class leadership team of experienced executives, CIVCO has the sure-footed guidance to maintain its growth momentum in the highly competitive medical industry. Meanwhile a dedicated and experienced workforce has the drive and skills to make the company vision become reality. With facilities worldwide, all of our people are bound together by a passion for exploring innovative solutions for enhancing patients’ lives, while unifying CIVCO’s three guiding principles of Involvement, Integration and Innovation.
And while CIVCO has successfully blossomed into an international, patient-centered force in the medical device engineering and services world, it retains the approachable and open culture of its humble roots as a small company in Kalona, Iowa. That’s no accident. The people of CIVCO value strong relationships and communication, helping the company work as a powerful team. And those same interpersonal values translate into better customer service.
Thanks to the hard working people at CIVCO, the medical industry has become a little more personal and significantly more effective.
CIVCO’s Leadership
CIVCO is headed by an exceptional leadership team, experienced in guiding rapidly growing companies through highly competitive markets. Under their skilled attention, CIVCO has become an emergent force in the world of medical services.
Charles R. Klasson, President
Charles R. Klasson, Jr. has 25 years of experience in a variety of different industries including executive level positions within manufacturing, distribution, commercial finance and construction industries including 9 years in the medical device industry. As president and chief operating officer of CIVCO Medical Solutions, Mr. Klasson is the driving force behind the emergence of this high tech world-class medical device company. He has overseen the creation of a highly charged open culture consisting of trust and engagement of all associates throughout the business. Associates know where the company is going and are focused on meeting the goals and initiatives established in the company's annual operating plan. Mr. Klasson was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner in 2004. He is currently a director of the entrepreneurial Development Center, Inc., a community sponsored non-profit business accelerator supporting the development of new high growth businesses in eastern Iowa. He is a Director of the Biosciences Alliance of Iowa, a public and private sector organization focused on ensuring Iowa is a key player in the global biosciences industry from a plant, animal and human sciences perspective. Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurial and Business Education at the University of Iowa teaching entrepreneurs how to develop business plans utilizing the Fastrac II curriculum developed by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He received his education from the University of Iowa.
Michael Klein, President of Radiation Oncology Division
Michael Klein is President of CIVCO’s Radiation Oncology Division. Klein oversees the sales, marketing, business development and product management functions of CIVCO’s radiation oncology business division. Klein comes to CIVCO after a distinguished career in oncology and medical devices businesses. Most recently he was President and CEO of radiation oncology company Xoft, Inc., and previously, headed R2 Technology, Inc. where he served as President and CEO. Klein also has held several senior level roles including Senior Vice President and General Manager of Oncology Products at Varian Medical Systems and Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Becton Dickinson & Company.
David S. Schultz, Vice President of Operations
Mr. Schultz has over 20 years of management experience in industries ranging from finance to telecommunications. He is successful in strengthening corporate financial position, generating capital and driving growth through acquisition and diversification. He is a pivotal member of the CIVCO executive team and is recognized for a pragmatic understanding of key business drivers. Mr. Schultz has the ability to accurately portray the impact of strategic plans and operating decisions on financial results. He excels in delivering leadership centralized around people, process and P&L performance to deliver hard-core cost savings, enhanced systems and engage in company-wide process improvement. Before joining CIVCO in 1997, he held the position of Chief Financial Officer with Murdock Communications Corp. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa and holds a Certified Public Accountant certificate.
Scott Rude, Vice President of Human Resources
Mr. Rude joined CIVCO as Vice President of Human Resources in October of 2003. His 20 plus years of experience include leadership roles with Frito-Lay/PepsiCo, Wells Fargo Corporation and Mellon Financial Corporation. Mr. Rude holds a masters degree in Industrial Relations and a bachelors degree in business administration from Iowa State University. He has attained the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation, and has taught in the University of Iowa MBA program in the area of strategic change management. His many activities and appointments include advisory roles on workforce development and education.
Robin Therme, Vice President of Interventional Radiology Solutions
Ms. Therme has been with CIVCO for 15 years, fulfilling a variety of leadership roles throughout the company, including sales and marketing, product and business development, as well as product management. Robin has a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Iowa and a BA in Communications from Iowa Wesleyan College.
Mike Marshall, Vice President of Engineering & R&D
Mr. Marshall's wealth of engineering and project management expertise provides CIVCO with the added leadership to build on the company's innovative development and growth platform. He began his career as a software and hardware engineer at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. Prior to joining CIVCO, Mr. Marshall held positions at Celestica where he was employed as Technical Director. Previous assignments with Celestica and Motorola included Director of Engineering, Engineering Manager and Sr. Quality Engineer. Mike holds a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Geoffrey Dalbow, Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Dalbow has extensive experience in research and development of solutions for the detection and diagnosis of cancer. He has directed several research and development efforts for a broad range of products and solutions to improve cancer care at Philips Medical Systems – Oncology, R2 Technologies and Varian Medical Systems. Geoffrey holds a Masters of Science degree in physics from the University of Pittsburg and a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from the Carnegie Mellon University.
Mike Saracen, Vice President of Advanced Robotics and IGRT Solutions
Michael Saracen is CIVCO's Vice President of Advanced Robotics and IGRT Solutions, overseeing development of robotics and IGRT related technologies, including motion management hardware & software and fiducial markers. Saracen previously held the post of General Manager of Advanced Robotics and IGRT Solutions at CIVCO. Saracen has over 15 years’ experience creating, patenting, developing and launching new products and services into the medical device industry. Immediately prior to CIVCO, he was Director of Business Development at Accuray, Inc. He holds 15 issued and 5 pending patents covering robotics, quality assurance, tracking & visions systems and treatment planning software. Additionally, Saracen holds a Master’s Degree in Biomaterials and Artificial Organs from Brown University.
Joos Wisse, Vice President International and OEM Sales
Mr. Wisse is responsible for the management of CIVCO’s international division, headquartered in Reeuwijk, The Netherlands. Wisse brings to CIVCO a clinical and corporate background. Educated at Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center (now called Erasmus MC) in the Netherlands, Wisse spent several years learning and practicing radiation therapy prior to his corporate career. Upon switching to the sales side of the industry, Wisse built a strong record of increasing sales of existing products in existing markets. Wisse most recently was an Area Sales Manager for IBA Dosimetry primarily overseeing business for the Mediterranean countries. Previously, he worked with Cablon Medical as a Business Unit Manager and as a Product Specialist for Radiotherapy. Mr. Wisse works in our Reeuwijk office.
Patrick Hylkema, Managing Director of International Sales for Radiation Oncology
Mr. Hylkema oversees CIVCO's international radiation oncology sales with a focus on IGRT, robotics and RF tracking products. Hylkema is headquartered at CIVCO's international sales office in Reeuwijk, the Netherlands. In conjunction with Joos Wisse, Hylkema manages CIVCO's international sales for Europe, the Middle East, Asia/Pacific and South America. He brings more than 15 years of management and corporate industry experience, most recently as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for IBA Dosimetry. Prior to IBA, he worked in sales and management for Cablon Medical/TheraView, a portal imaging company, developing their international distributor network. He started his career in the Erasmus Medical Center, formerly Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, in the Netherlands, where he gained seven years of clinical radiation therapy experience. Hylkema is a 2008 graduate of the INSEAD Management Acceleration Program.
Axel Schiemann, Vice President of Sales for Radiation Oncology, Asia/Pacific Rim Region
Dr. Willet F. Whitmore III, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Whitmore is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Johns Hopkins Medical School. He is a board certified urologic surgeon who was on the academic faculty at Harvard and then in private practice in Sarasota, Florida. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology and has been involved with medical device development since 1994.
