PRINCIPALS:
Peggy A. Farley.
Ms. Farley is Co chairman of the Ascent Group, President and CEO of Ascent Capital
Management and a Managing Director of the General Partner and co-founder of the Ascent Medical Technology Funds. From 1984, Ms. Farley was Chief Executive Officer of a set of firms that she developed as the locus for investment in the U.S. for non-US investors, engaging in venture capital investments, identifying and conducting acquisition transactions in the U.S. and South Asia as well as directing the management of private and corporate assets. She has a top-tier record of investment, is well known for expertise in the IPO markets, and has been very successful with private equity. From 1978 to 1984, she was with Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, in the International Group of the Corporate Finance Division. During her tenure with Morgan Stanley, she was advisor to the People’s Republic of China, working with Bank of China and other government ministries to better deploy foreign exchange and gold holdings. She also advised the country on approaching the principal capital markets to finance development programs. In addition, she conducted business with many of the top-ranking European and Japanese commercial banks and other foreign corporations, advising them on strategies for extending their reach into the U.S. markets, through both business combinations and tapping the capital markets. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Ms. Farley served as consultant to U.S. corporations, including Avon, Ingersoll-Rand, Citibank, and Morgan Stanley. Her career in business began in the mid-1970s in Citibank’s Athens-based Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, where she participated in the bank’s successful reach into those regional markets.
She received her A.B. from Barnard College in 1970 and completed her graduate work at Columbia University.
Karl Groth, Ph.D.
Dr. Groth is Co-Chairman of the Ascent Group, is a co-founder of the Ascent Medical Technology Funds and a Managing Director of the General Partner. Dr. Groth has over 30 years experience in the health care industry. He previously served as President and CEO of First Circle Medical Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of medical devices used in the treatment of patients with chronic intractable diseases. He also served as President and CEO of Browne Medical Systems, which he guided to a successful sale. Prior to joining Browne Medical Systems, Dr. Groth was Executive Vice President of InStent, Inc., Director, International Business for Heart Technology, Inc. and Vice President of Marketing for Clarus Medical, all start-ups that were harvested with great success. He also worked with Medtronic Inc. for a decade in a variety of business development management positions, including product planning, product development, and long range planning for the neuro division, three years in Paris, as Director of Non-Pacing Business for Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Director of Business Development. Dr. Groth served as Senior Scientist in the Department of Infectious Disease at the University of Minnesota. His research work focused on the development of antiviral drugs and vaccines. He also published over 30 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals. Dr. Groth received his B.S. from the State University of New York in biology, his M.S. in plant physiology from New York University and his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Minnesota. In addition, Dr. Groth continues to publish and present on topics including vascular disease and endovascular intervention.