Tiger Buford is an orthopedic technology executive.  He boosts market value and capitalization for companies by quickly developing innovative technology.   During his career, he has brought over 50 new products through the development process and ready for commercialization.  Specifically, he has held management roles in New Product Development, R&D, Marketing, Business Development and Acquisitions at Smith & Nephew, Zimmer/Centerpulse/Sulzer Orthopedics, Wright Medical, NovaLign Orthopaedics and most recently at a startup, called Active Implants.  

	· Total Joints	· Spine Biologics	· Fracture Repair
	· Soft Bearing Joints	· Sports Medicine Tissue	· Pre-Clinical Research
	· IP Portfolio Development	· Technology & Asset Acquisitions	· Results-Oriented R&D

Active Implants Corp (Memphis, TN) Apr 2010 - present
Vice President, Global Research and Development

• Responsible for cushion-bearing hip and knee systems
• Re-positioned the Israeli Research Lab into a Development focus to prepare for clinical studies and commercialization

 

NovaLign Orthopaedics, Inc. (Memphis, TN) Jan 2008 - Feb 2010
Vice President, Research and Development

• 13 months from implant concept to a broad FDA clearance (1^st for the company)
• 1st key executive hired after CEO
• Assembled entire R&D staff of 5 (3 Engineers, 2 Designers) and designed R&D facilities and infrastructure
• Managed outside Development,  Manufacturers and Packaging partners to achieve key company milestones
• Wrote surgical techniques and supported post-market surgery trials in US and Europe
• Developed new relationships with top trauma clinicians and thought leaders
• Designed and conducted over 22 Hands-on Surgeon Training Wet Labs focused on development
• Developed and protected core technologies with a strategic IP portfolio work 
• Lead pre-clinical animal research at Auburn University
• Worked to install a brand new Quality System and passed FDA audits and ISO 13485 audits

 

Wright Medical Technology (Arlington, TN) 2001-2007

Senior Director, Business Development 2006 - 2007

• Brought dural anti-adhesive gel technology to the Company with the successful $8.4M asset acquisition of the Gliatech’s ADCON anti-adhesive gel
• Lead the strategic replacement of the licensed foot/ankle Newdeal product line with the internally developed Charlotte Foot/Ankle System in 10 months
• Redefined surgical treatment of distal radius fracture fixation by licensing 2 patents and developing the MICRONAIL in 10 months

 Senior Director, Product Development - Knees, Extremities, Biologics 2002 - 2005 

• Developed 39 new medical devices that contributed to 20% of Wright’s gross sales within 18 months of launch
• Recruited and ultimately hired 15 additional talented Engineers
• Managed $5.2M budget, 35-45 reports, including 3 Directors
• 14 Biologics products brought to commercialization (GRAFTJACKET Max Force, GRAFTJACKET SLR, GRAFTJACKET Xpress Flowable Gel, GRAFTJACKET Foot Ulcers, GRAFTJACKET, Osteoset DBM, Allomatrix RCS, MIIG X3 High Visc, MIIG X3, CellPlex Porous TCP, mini-MIIG for hand, IGNITE Fracture Repair Kit, Osteoset Mini Bead Kit, MIIG 115)
• Created a high velocity development environment with open communication and rapid decision making
• Worked very closely with key clinicians, Marketing and Operations
• Reconfigured ALLOMATRIX® CUSTOM Versatile Bone Putty with Large Cancellous Chips for lumbar fusion cutter placement
• Created CELLPLEX® TCP Synthetic Cancellous Bone to compete with VITOSS while getting around IP

 Director, Product Development   2001 – 2002

• Developed minimally invasive Unicompartmental Knee, Low Conformity Uni Inserts, Advance Knee Offset Tibial Bases, Advance Knee Asian Sizing, Advance Uni Metal-Backed Tibia, Magic Sulcus Clamp

 

 

 

Avery Dennison - Fasson Division, (Concord, OH) 2 years

eBusiness Manager     1999-2001

• Left Orthopedics to chase the Dotcom rainbow
• Pioneered first eCommerce channel for Avery that resulted in online sales of $3MM per month within 6 months
• Launched first industry online marketplace in labeling
• Responsible for entire B2B eBusiness channel strategy, communication, planning, resourcing

 

Zimmer – formerly Centerpulse/Sulzer Orthopedics/Intermedics (Austin) 1992-1999

Business Development Manager   1997-1999

• Completed Due Diligence of Spine-Tech prior to the $600M acquisition of this early spine cage company
• Developed Web-based Marketing program that integrated a Website with direct mail, print ads, and toll-free call center
• Developed eBusiness strategy for a $200MM B2B Medical Device Mfg Corp
• Assembled and led cross-functional teams for six major Web projects
• Conducted primary and secondary research of target Spine companies including face-to-face interviews with orthopedic surgeons and neuro surgeons
• Installed Library, managed Knowledge Management personnel and department with $400K budget

 Technical Marketing Manager   1995-1997

• Managed Modular Oncology segmental replacement line that resulted in $15MM annual sales
• Managed new launch campaign for new implant materials including Durasul Tribological System
• Carried out primary market research of 20 customers in Japan to assess needs for new medical devices
• Developed and launched the Magna ROM Total Knee System designed specifically for the Japanese market
• Designed and conducted a front-end customer marketing process that sped up product development of Apollo knee by 50%

 Senior Development Engineer 1992-1995

• Lead redesign of company’s #1 product – The Natural Knee a $90MM product line
• Lead design team for new acetabular implant – Inter-Op shell a $30MM line

 

 

 

Smith and Nephew, PLC (Memphis) 1986-1992
Product Development Engineer  1987-1992

• Co-designed the Genesis Total Knee System from inception through commercialization – largest selling product at Smith and Nephew 20 years later

 

 

Intern, Lab Tech 1986 

• Worked in Mechanical Testing Lab for R&D new product development and regulatory filings

 

 

 

 

 

Education

University of Memphis	Memphis, TN	1986
B.S. Mechanical Engineering

                         

Patents

System of inserts for the tibial component of a knee prosthesis (US Patent # 5,047,058)

Prosthetic knee with posterior stabilized femoral component (US Patent # 5,405,398)

Additional Patents Pending US and WW