Michael Thomas CEO
Appian Partners

Michael Thomas has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry in various executive leadership positions. Currently, he is the President and CEO of Appian Partners, healthcare advisors focused on strategy development and implementation for medical device and healthcare services firms ranging in size from early stage startup to Fortune 50 global conglomerates. Previously, he was a Partner/Director at the Inova Health System where he co-managed a $150MM fund that invested in other venture funds (fund of funds), late stage healthcare ventures (Series B and C) and very early stage startups (pre seed, seed, and Series A). He was CEO of Viatherm Therapeutics, a med device startup re-inventing deep heat pain management with a direct-to-consumer, wearable diathermy device.

Also, Mr. Thomas was CEO of iSonea Limited, a Melbourne, Australia based, publicly traded (ASX:ISN) respiratory medical device firm focusing on technology and smartphone app development for home asthma monitoring. Within eighteen months, the company’s market capitalization increased 6,200% from $4MM to $245MM. He raised $25MM from new and existing investors; drafted and implemented a new, long-term mobile health strategy; reduced monthly cash burn by 40%; reduced headcount from approximately 40 FTEs to 12; and hired a new executive team with extensive medical device development and launch experience. Mr. Thomas led iSonea to launch the world’s first asthma mHealth monitoring tool and smartphone app in Australia and secured FDA 510k OTC clearance for the asthma medical device to monitor wheezing.

Formerly, he was President and CEO of Sleep Solutions Inc. (now NovaSom Inc.), a venture capital-backed medical device manufacturer and national healthcare service provider. He raised over $50MM in venture capital funding to develop and launch a new industry in the $5 billion Sleep Medicine market. He successfully lobbied the largest Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to alter their medical policy and approve reimbursement for in-home sleep apnea diagnostic testing services.

Mr. Thomas was also a member of the Board of Directors for AdvaMed, the world’s largest and most prestigious medical device association. While a BOD member for AdvaMed, he participated in the successful renegotiation with the FDA for the MEDUFMA II legislation (the FDA’s regulatory approval process for medical devices), with leaders on Capitol Hill regarding the Remote Monitoring legislation, and sat on the BOD sub-committee for International Affairs.

Earlier he was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for National Sleep Technologies Inc. (NST). As an executive and Board member, he identified and closed 12 acquisitions representing over 80 sleep labs, which led to NST becoming the largest U.S. sleep-testing company at that time. He helped create the first national brand in the highly fragmented sleep apnea diagnostic lab testing market. He recruited and managed a sales and marketing team that achieved a sales growth rate that was 2 times greater than the industry average for four consecutive years, and helped to raise over $15MM in venture capital financing.

As the Vice President of Sales for Patient InfoSystems, Inc., (NASDAQ: PATI) a healthcare IT start-up developing disease management programs, he was instrumental in taking the company public within two years. Previously, he held various sales and marketing positions, including seven years with Merck and Glaxo Wellcome, and has earned numerous awards for sales and management achievements. Mr. Thomas graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology.