Michael Swartzburg
Chief Financial Officer
Dermavant
With a background spanning over two decades in biotechnology and healthcare, Michael Swartzburg brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his current the chief financial officer of Dermavant Sciences. His key strengths lie in his ability to build and grow companies, resulting in significant value creation - most notably generating over $2 billion worth of business mergers and integrations, IPOs and follow-on equity offerings in various leadership roles at prior companies and executing $200 million of financing arrangements at Dermavant.
As Dermavant's CFO, Swartzburg has been integral in the launch of the company's first FDA-approved product - VTAMA (tapinarof) cream, 196 for adults with plaque psoriasis — growing Dermavant to approximately 300 employees and successfully positioning the company's financial assets to facilitate the distribution of its product into pharmacies and patients' hands just days after receiving FDA approval. He evolved and grew his local and global finance, accounting and technology teams to seamlessly transition Dermavant from a research and development stage company to a newly commercialized company. Outside of his financial stewardship at Dermavant, Swartzburg is also deeply committed to giving back to the community and is particularly inspired by children's charities. As a seasoned leader, he recognizes the immense importance of supporting the younger generation, because they represent the future. As part of his charitable involvement, Swartzburg actively donates to and engages with national and local organizations, such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Hospital Board of Governors Innovation Center. He also supports The Children's Hospital of Orange County Foundation.
While his community involvement primarily focuses on children's chanties, Swartzburg and his wife Charisse are dedicated to making a positive impact that goes beyond a single cause, and they support their two daughters' Orange County schools and fundraising activities. He continuously seeks ways to contribute and make a difference in the lives of others, leveraging his expertise to support charitable endeavors across the Orange County community. Swartzburg is an active member of the California State University, Northridge Alumni Association and a donor to the OSUN Alumni Scholarships program.
Public Company–Midsize: Finalists
Tim Cruickshank, a leader with over 15 years in life sciences, served as CFO of ImpediMed from 2020 to 2023. He led ImpediMed to a 27596+ share price increase, securing coverage for its technology with major health insurers and expanding its market to over $2 billion. Cruickshank also developed the company's SaaS business model, achieving significant revenue growth. Recognized as CFO of the Year and a 40 Under 40 winner, he continues as a senior advisor at ImpediMed. He is active in the San Diego community, particularly with Big Brothers Big Sisters, raising over $2 million through the annual Golf Marathon, and was named Volunteer of the Year in 2021 by the San Diego Business Journal.
Aaron Sullivan has been the chief financial officer of LiveOne, Inc. and PodcastOne Inc. since January 2024 after serving as interim CFO since December 2021. With extensive experience in financial management, mergers and acquisitions and operational leadership, he has played a crucial role in scaling organizations and enhancing financial reporting and internal controls. Sullivan has built and led financial organizations across multi-billion-dollar technology companies. Prior to his appointment as LiveOne’s vice president and controller, he served as the controller–cloud of j2 Global, Inc. Prior to that position, he also worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a global public accounting firm. Sullivan’s educational background includes a B.A. in business and an economics degree from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Justin Scarpulla, chief financial officer at Identiv, Inc., brings over 25 years of financial leadership to the global digital security and IoT leader. Under his financial stewardship, Identiv achieved record revenues of $116.4 million in 2023, maintaining strong margins and a solid balance sheet. He led Identiv to end Q4 2023 with $24.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and maintained a strong working capital position of $48.7 million. Scarpulla's expertise in scalable financial systems and strategic growth has been instrumental in the company's success, including significant increases in federal billings and RFID unit shipments. Before Identiv, he held senior roles at SpaceX, Incipio Group and MaxLinear, where he drove financial strategy and operational excellence. Before that, Scarpulla’s career originally began at Ernst & Young, providing a foundation in Big Four accounting.
Michael L. Zemetra, EVR CFO and treasurer at Veritone, has over 20 years of experience in senior financial roles within SaaS, technology and digital media companies. Since joining Veritone in October he has overseen finance, accounting, investor relations, HR, corporate development, tax and IT functions. Under his leadership, Veritone's revenue grew from $57 million in 2020 to $150 million in 2022, with a significant increase in employee count. Zemetra raised over $250 million in financings and led a strategic turnaround, resulting in a 23096 stock growth in 2024. He successfully negotiated debt recapitalizations, expanded global operations and improved internal controls, positioning Veritone for sustained growth and profitability. Zemetra's previous roles include CFO positions at LiveXLive Media, J2 Global, Global Eagle Entertainment and Demand Media.
