Meet the Team
Martin Cook, PHD
CEO, Co-Founder and Board Member
Martin Cook is a recognized leader in mechanical circulatory support (MCS) with over 25 years of experience advancing cardiac assist technologies. He previously served as Vice President of Product Development at Sunshine Heart and held key leadership roles at Ventracor (LVAD) and Percutaneous Cardiovascular Solutions (acquired by Edwards). Martin has directed multiple device development programs through CE mark and FDA approval and has advised CEOs and CTOs across the MCS sector as a consultant and mentor to MedTech startup leaders.
He holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Physics, a PhD in Fluid Mechanics, and is the author of numerous scientific publications as well as the inventor on multiple patents. Martin also contributes to the broader MedTech community as a reviewer for medical technology journals and grant programs.
Suku Thambar, MD
Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer and Board Member
Dr. Suku Thambar completed his undergraduate medical training at Sydney University, his cardiology training at Nepean and St Vincents Hospitals in Sydney and his interventional training at the prestigious Rhode Island hospital/Brown University with David O Williams. He is currently is a Senior Staff interventional Cardiologist at John Hunter Teaching hospital in Newcastle Australia and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle.
Dr. Thambar’s research expertise has been in the evaluation of new devices and procedures in the clinic. He has performed state of the art interventions including Carotid stenting, Intramyocardial injection of stem cells,TAVR, Renal Denervation, and LAAO. Dr. Thambar pioneered the introduction of Renal Denervation, Stem cells for Cardiac Repair and successfully established the first regional cardiac catheterization laboratory in Tamworth NSW (3 hours from a surgical site). He has multiple publications including prestigious journals like Lancet, AJC, Eur Heart Journal, and ASAIO. In the last 20 years Dr. Thambar has been involved in developing medical devices and CoFounded two start ups. The first company was the first to propose replacing the mitral valve in 2 steps via catheter and was acquired by a large valve company. The current company is developing a state of the art pVAD. He has over 20 patents.
Dr. Thambar’s passion for improving sick cardiac patients and repairing the heart stems from his own mother’s heart disease at a young age. In the last few years he has led humanitarian efforts to improve the heart health of patients in developing countries.
Jordon Honeck, BSME, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Jordon has over 27 years of experience in bringing new medical technology to markets having held leadership positions serving engineering, research, program management, quality, marketing, manufacturing, supply chain, regulatory, and IT departments. His projects have developed new therapies across a variety of clinical applications with an emphasis in cardiology. His inventions have resulted in 21 granted patents and numerous more pending. He holds a BS in Mechanical engineering, an MBA in marketing and is Project Management Professional (PMP) Certified.
Sandi Klemann, MBA, CPA Certificate Holder
Chief Finance Officer
Sandi Klemann is an accomplished financial executive with more than 35 years of experience spanning the medical device, pharmaceutical, and banking industries. She began her career in internal auditing with Marshall & Illsley Bank and went on to hold progressive leadership roles, including Director of Finance for U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Systems, Global Controller for Acist Medical, and Finance Director for Upsher-Smith Laboratories.As Founder and Principal of Fractional Finance Solutions, Ms. Klemann leverages her extensive background in finance, accounting, and strategic leadership to provide fractional CFO services to high-growth and transformative companies. Her work focuses primarily on the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors, supporting organizations from early-stage R&D through commercialization, business turnarounds, and strategic transactions.
Ms. Klemann holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She earned her CPA certification in Wisconsin in 1993.