RiconPharma

Phone : 040-29564445

Leadership

Raju Mantena

Chairman and CEO
Raju, an adept leader and seasoned innovator, established RiconPharma Pharmaceuticals in 2010 with the purpose of bridging the gap between quality healthcare products and affordability. Overseeing the overall leadership and strategic direction of the business, Raju brings more than 25 years of experience, having previously founded several successful healthcare ventures.

Before founding RiconPharma Pharmaceuticals, Raju spearheaded ICORE Healthcare, specializing in solutions for managing specialty cost trends in health plans. His prior endeavors include founding International Oncology Network (ION), a notable oncology group purchasing organization and pioneering OncoScripts, one of the initial specialty pharmacies focused on oncology.

Raju’s academic background includes a clinical pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from JNTU (Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University) in India, highlighting his diverse expertise in both pharmaceuticals and technology.

Andrew Gellman

President

As the President of RiconPharma Pharmaceuticals, Andrew offers strategic leadership and tactical guidance. Before establishing RiconPharma, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at ICORE Healthcare, a specialty drug management company dedicated to overseeing specialty drug expenditures. Additionally, Andrew has experience as the President and General Manager of Integrated Commercialization Solutions (ICS), a third-party logistics provider for the pharmaceutical industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan.

Paul Dutra

Executive Vice President

Paul possesses substantial experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on initiating and developing generic companies. Formerly, he served as the Executive Vice President of North American Generics at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, playing a crucial role in the establishment and remarkable expansion of the company. In this capacity, Paul oversaw various functions, including sales and marketing, contracting, customer service, supply chain and warehouse distribution.

Before joining Glenmark, Paul held the position of Director of Sales and Marketing at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. In this role, he was tasked with constructing the commercialization platform for the company’s extensive pipeline of products.

Mukti Gande

Chief Scientific Officer

With a track record spanning more than two decades, Mukti boasts a wealth of successful experience in pharmaceutical formulation R&D, API sourcing, bio-studies/clinical studies and regulatory submissions. He has achieved significant milestones, having identified, developed and successfully brought to market over 100 generic products tailored for the U.S. market. Mukti’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through as he has co-founded five thriving pharmaceutical business ventures.

These ventures encompass CorePharm, a generic pharmaceutical company; Synerx Pharma, specializing in injectables; Apicore, a company dedicated to specialty API development and manufacturing; RiconPharma, a specialty pharmaceutical company; and Mirror Pharmaceuticals, focusing on pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

Brahmaji Valiveti

Chief Strategic Officer

Brahmaji brings a robust and diverse background in pharmaceutical manufacturing and retail pharmacies to RiconPharma. As a successful businessperson, he demonstrates a keen interest in the entire pharmaceutical landscape, encompassing API, product development, manufacturing, distribution, GPO and retail.

Prior to joining the U.S., Brahmaji served as a principal at the PES College of Pharmacy in India. Notably, at the young age of 24, he played a pivotal role in establishing and transforming the college into one of the country’s premier and most trusted educational institutions. Additionally, he gained valuable experience at Lederle Labs, the generic division of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where he spent over two years contributing to manufacturing, analytical method development, quality control and release processes.

Dr. Samir Mehta

Chief Operating Officer

In his role as the Chief Operating Officer of RiconPharma, Samir takes on the responsibility of providing strategic and operational leadership to drive the company’s growth. Before joining RiconPharma, Dr. Mehta served as the President of Accord Healthcare, USA, where he played a pivotal role in the establishment, growth and management of the company. With decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Samir has a wealth of expertise in overseeing crucial areas, including Hatch Waxman litigation, generic sales and marketing, as well as pharmaceutical product development and registration.

Dr. Mehta holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Georgia.

Raj Devalapalli

President, Manufacturing Services

With a career spanning more than two decades, Raj brings extensive expertise in pharmaceutical product and process development, lifecycle management, product enhancement, scale-up, technology transfer, validation, manufacturing, quality management and regulatory compliance. He has held significant roles at reputable companies including Pfizer, Warner-Lambert, Becton Dickinson Transdermal Research and Penwest Pharmaceuticals.

Raj holds an MS degree in Industrial Pharmacy/Pharmaceutics and an MBA in Pharmaceutical Business. Additionally, he is a registered pharmacist in the state of New Jersey, further enhancing his comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical field.

Matthew Baumgartner

Chief Financial Officer and Authorized House General Counsel (licensed in Ohio only)

In his role as the CFO of RiconPharma Pharmaceuticals, Matthew oversees the financial regulations of the company. With a rich background in organizational and operational management, financial structures, and M&A, Matthew began his professional journey in public accounting with Peat Marwick (later KPMG). His professional experience extends across diverse industries, including healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.

Matthew is a holder of a BBA in accounting and a JD from Cleveland State University. He is also admitted to the Ohio Bar and possesses CPA and CGMA certifications, further showcasing his comprehensive qualifications in the financial realm.

Jeanmarie Dunk

Vice President
Jeanmarie became part of RiconPharma in 2012, initially overseeing the comprehensive operations of the business. Her responsibilities spanned customer service, warehousing and distribution, information technology, supply chain management, account management, pharmacovigilance, contracts and chargeback administration, as well as government pricing and Medicaid administration.

In 2022, Jeanmarie transitioned into an Executive Coaching role and initiated Ingenus’ Executive Leadership Training Program. Leveraging her seasoned leadership, she played a crucial role in sharing her management expertise to enrich the RiconPharma management team. RiconPharma is firmly committed to investing in its employees, recognizing that future success hinges on optimizing human capital. The leadership training programs are tailored to enhance management skills, foster team building, improve communication, boost employee engagement and autonomy, and promote individual growth and development.

With over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Jeanmarie commenced her career at Barre-National (Alpharma) and subsequently contributed her expertise to Geneva Pharmaceuticals, ENDO Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and Wockhardt USA.

Dr. Praveen Billa

Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs
Praveen With more than two decades of expertise in pre-formulations, analytical R&D, formulation development, bio-studies, and regulatory submissions, Praveen has held pivotal roles in pharmaceutical R&D at Wockhardt, Reddy’s Laboratories, and Orchid Pharma, Ltd. Dr. Billa played a crucial role in the development of over 100 ANDAs and successfully managed more than 20 Paragraph IV challenges.
His proficiency extends to the development of various complex dosage forms, including modified release tablets and capsules, suspensions, and lyophilized injectables. Praveen has particularly excelled in developing over 30 Injectable ANDA products, involving PENAMS and Cephalosporins. His extensive experience encompasses solid oral dosages (IR and MR), topicals, liquids, and parenterals. Additionally, Dr. Billa holds multiple patents (U.S. and WO) and has contributed to several publications in the field.