Ernest Mario, PhD
Venture Partner
Ernie has 40 years of experience in the research-based pharmaceutical industry. His career began in 1966 as a pharmaceutical researcher at Strasenburgh Laboratories in Rochester, NY. He later held various management positions within SmithKline and Squibb Corp., overseeing operations, quality control, and manufacturing. He was elected to the Squibb Board in 1984. He joined Glaxo plc in 1986, and subsequently served as Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman, during which time he oversaw the launch of five major brands that grew the company's sales and profits by nearly 15 percent annually, as Glaxo became the second largest global pharmaceutical company. In 1993, Ernie joined Alza Corporation as CEO, where he ultimately consummated with Johnson & Johnson one of the largest mergers in pharmaceutical history. In 2001, Ernie founded Apothogen, a company involved in early stage pharmaceutical development, which subsequently merged with IntraBiotics. He recently retired from Reliant Pharmaceuticals where he served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2003. Ernie currently is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capnia, a privately held development-stage pharmaceutical company in Palo Alto, CA that is developing novel therapeutic products for migraine and other conditions using a proprietary medical gas delivery system.
An adjunct professor of pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island, Ernie also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Rhode Island and Rutgers University where the School of Pharmacy bears his name. In addition to his service on the boards of several publicly traded corporations, Ernie is active with numerous educational and healthcare organizations, including the American Foundation of Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE), for which he serves as chairman.
In 2007, Dr. Mario was awarded the Remington Medal, the highest honor in the field of Pharmacy in the United States.
Ernie was a member of Pappas Ventures' Scientific Advisory Board for 9 years starting in 2002.
Education
Rutgers University (Bachelor of Science, Pharmacy)
University of Rhode Island (MS, Physical Sciences)
University of Rhode Island (PhD, Physical Sciences)