About

Mr. Closs brings proven leadership in medical devices, health policy, and technology to the Ancora Heart team. He has dedicated his career to working at the intersections of change to promote innovative, life-changing solutions. He has extensive experience founding new ventures (Benu), driving a successful IPO (Perclose), and having leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies (Fox Hollow, Edwards, Guidant, Bentley). Formerly a director at Nellix Endovascular, which was acquired by Endologix, and BioIQ, a health tech company, he is also an adjunct professor at Stanford University Center for Health Policy and the former president of the St. Raymond School Board. Mr. Closs holds an MBA from Emory University and a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

A champion for the development of minimally invasive surgical systems, Mr. Sampson brings a proven track record of invention (over 80 U.S. international patents) to his position at Ancora Heart. Leveraging his deep experience with CE and PMA approvals, commercialization, profitability and acquisition for companies such as Cytyc, Novacept, Abbott Laboratories, Space Systems/Loral and Ford Aerospace, he is responsible for our core technology, intellectual property and product development efforts. Mr. Sampson is the co-founder of Sierra Surgical Technologies (SST) and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering (AMES) from the University of California, San Diego.

Mr. Miles brings 25 years of experience scaling medical technology companies to his position as chief commercial officer (CCO) of Ancora Heart, including his most recent post as CCO of Terumo Aortic in Glasgow, Scotland. In that role, he was responsible for global sales and marketing, custom solutions, portfolio strategy and expansion into new markets, helping guide the company during a period of significant growth.
Prior to his time at Terumo Aortic, Mr. Miles served as senior director of commercial strategy at Invuity, where he played a key role in driving adoption of their core product lines across key surgical specialties throughout the United States. He was instrumental in facilitating significant growth through the company’s eventual IPO in 2015. Previously, Mr. Miles held positions of increasing responsibility at Medtronic, serving as director of global marketing of the Endovascular Business Unit. He began his career at Eli Lilly and Company, serving various commercial leadership roles during his eight-year tenure. Mr. Miles received an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BS in health sciences from James Madison University.

Ms. Tjossem brings a 35-year track record of successful growth and leadership in biostatistics and data management to her position at Ancora Heart. Her experience includes key roles establishing and managing biostatistical and data management efforts at some of the world’s leading clinical research and medical device organizations, including Medtronic, Boston Scientific, St. Jude and Berlin Heart. Ms. Tjossem began her career working in medical research for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As Vice President of Biostatistics and Data Management, Ms. Tjossem is responsible for all facets of her team’s success in advising and implementing appropriate techniques and methods for statistical and data management areas. In addition to managing these line-of-business functions, Ms. Tjossem’s vast breadth and depth of experience allows her to make significant contributions to the company’s overall business, regulatory and clinical strategy. Christine received her Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics from Iowa State University.

Drawing on his expertise in transitioning innovative medical devices from the developmental stage to commercial success at several emerging startups (Elixir, Nanostim), Mr. Zapien leads our clinical research. Previously the Director of Clinical and Medical Affairs at CardioDx, Inc., he also has clinical and commercial experience at Medi-Globe, Silk Road Medical, Abbott Vascular, and Guidant Corp. Mr. Zapien is a certified clinical researcher with a MS from the University of Maryland and a BS from San Francisco State University.

Ms. Phan Lu brings over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, strategic planning, and accounting operations across the life sciences, medical device, and technology sectors. She has held key finance roles at companies including Logitech, Gilead Sciences, and Xlumena, where she has consistently driven financial clarity and operational efficiency.

Ms. Phan Lu’s expertise spans financial planning and analysis (FP&A), executive-level reporting and supporting multiple rounds of financing. She has led multi-billion-dollar consolidations, supported investor relations during earnings calls, and developed profitability models that have shaped corporate strategy. Her background also includes hands-on accounting leadership, including payroll, accounts receivable, and international financial consolidation.

Ms. Phan Lu holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Finance emphasis from the University of Southern California.

A veteran of introducing early-stage and ground-breaking therapies to physicians, Mr. Beasley brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare marketing to Ancora Heart. By building partnerships with the clinical community, gathering first-hand insights towards procedure and product development, and enhancing clinical trial patient education and recruitment, he has helped drive the rapid growth of multiple revolutionary therapies and new therapeutic categories. Mr. Beasley served as Vice President of Marketing at Avinger, drove market development at Transcend Medical (acquired by Alcon), was Director of Marketing at Fox Hollow (acquired by ev3), and began his career at Perclose (acquired by Abbott). Mr. Beasley holds an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a BS in Economics from Santa Clara University.

Mr. Fritz comes to Ancora Heart with decades of medical device industry experience including strategic leadership, management, operational, and hands-on roles in regulatory affairs, clinical research, quality assurance, and engineering. His career includes roles with small start-ups (Synapse Biomedical and Cyberkinetics) and larger companies (Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Guidant) developing class III implantable devices and class II minimally invasive devices in diverse fields including interventional cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, neurology, pulmonary/respiratory, laparoscopic surgery, neurosurgery, rehabilitation medicine, and neuroprosthetics. Mr. Fritz holds an MS degree in software engineering from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor of electrical engineering degree from the University of Minnesota.