The AVANCEN Team
Executive Staff
Avancen has a seasoned management team with an enviable track record of success. This team brings imagination,
innovation and the expertise of medicine, business, finance and engineering technology to the company for the
development of its products.
Steve Seide
Chief Executive Officer
Steve Seide is a 28 year healthcare industry veteran. He spent his career with Cardinal Hhealth and the legacy companies;
American Hospital Supply, Baxter and Allegiance Healthcare. During his career he served in leadership roles in sales,
operations, and general management. Steve has worked in both hospital and non-hospital markets where he has twice successfully
built, developed and lead new businesses creating new markets and growth, with primary emphasis on the medical/surgical,
laboratory and pharmaceutical business segments. Most recently Steve was the National VP of Sales for Cardinal's Ambulatory
Care business where he was responsible for the development, implementation and execution of the overall strategy. He is known
in the industry for his successes with building and developing teams to penetrate new and established markets as well as his
customer focus.
Ned Buffington
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Buffington obtained a BS in Business and Economics from Rollins College and has 35 years experience in economics,
finance, senior management, marketing and business development. He has owned and managed his own companies as well as
functioning in the capacity of C.E.O., General Manager and Executive Director of other successful companies. For the
last 10 years, Mr. Buffington has worked with multiple emerging, high growth start-up companies in senior management
positions with the responsibility for strategic planning, business plan implementation and capital strategy & acquisition.
William (Bill) S. Westin, CMA
Chief Financial Officer
Bill Westin is the founder and principal of WSW Financial, LLC. Over the past twenty-five years, he has held numerous senior financial
positions, including CFO, treasurer, and controller. His experience covers a wide range of industries and companies ranging in size from
start-up to 5 billion dollars. Mr. Westin is active in the Charleston business community, working with the Charleston Digital Corridor and
EXECnetSC through the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. He is a founding member of Charleston First (a business/government forum) to
ensure the health of businesses throughout the greater Charleston area. He holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Computer Systems from San
Diego State University.
Sharon Conley MD PhD
Chief Medical Officer
Founder and Product Development
Dr. Conley earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, which was followed by 10 years of
experience as a bench researcher in molecular biology. She then obtained her MD at the University of Missouri and trained
in Internal Medicine followed by a fellowship in Medical Oncology/Hematology at the University of Florida. She practiced
as a medical oncologist at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, from 1991 to 2003. Dr. Conley currently
serves as a consultant for clinical research organizations and has authored multiple clinical trial documents and research papers.
Angela Cassano, Pharm. D., BCPS
Pharmacy Consultant
Angela Cassano has extensive education and experience in hospital pharmacy operations. Dr. Cassano has worked in various capacities
within hospital pharmacies, most notably as a Clinical Pharmacist, Assistant Health System Director of Quality Assurance and Drug Safety,
and as the Assistant Health System Director for Clinical Pharmacy Programs. Dr. Cassano's clinical sub-specialties in Adult Internal Medicine,
Pediatrics, and Neonatology draw on her experience gained during two post-graduate residencies. Additionally, her research efforts and subsequent
presentations and publications have allowed her to excel in regulatory compliance, quality assurance and medication safety.
Samara Bay
Director, Communications and Investor Relations
Samara Bay has provided marketing direction and creative communication concepts for a diverse collection of US companies for
more than 20 years. She has directed, developed, and implemented both traditional and web-based marketing/promotional campaigns
and training programs and has been responsible for budgets ranging from $250,000 to $25,000,000. Her experience includes
business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing, customer and dealer promotions, training, incentives and recognition.
Meg McCoy RN, BS, CCRN
Director of Development and Education
Meg McCoy is a Registered Nurse with ten years of in-hospital experience. She holds ANCC Board Certifications in both Pain Management
and Critical Care. In 2011 Meg earned her Master Trainer certification in TeamSTEPPS, a system developed jointly by the Department of
Defense (DoD)and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which allows her In addition to focusing on pain management,
serve as a consultant for Quality Improvement in line with hospital Value Based Purchasing. She resides in Charleston, South Carolina.
Tom Primer
Regional Sales Director
Tom Primer possesses several years of sales and product management experience in the medical industry. Most recently, Tom was the
Principal of a medical device distributorship in the metropolitan New York City area, where he sold various spinal device and implant
systems. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, majoring in Microbiology, and, while selling in
Louisiana, he earned an MBA from Louisiana State University – Shreveport.