Alfred Mann

Alfred E. Mann has founded and largely funded 17 companies in his career.  Nine were acquired at an overall total of almost $8 billion, and two companies became public.  The companies currently within the family:

  • MannKind Corporation, which develops novel therapeutics and drug delivery technologies for treatment primarily of diabetes, metabolic disease and cancer;
  • Bioness, which develops and manufactures systems to address neural deficits and to restore controlled function of paralyzed limbs;
  • Second Sight, which is developing a visual prosthesis to restore sight to the blind;
  • IncuMed, which is developing novel percutaneous seals for various applications;
  • PerQFlo, which is developing drug delivery systems; and
  • Quallion, which develops, manufactures and markets advanced batteries for medical, aerospace and military applications;
  • Stellar Microelectronics, which produces micro-circuit assemblies, and
  • RoundTrip, which is developing location and identification technology.

Additionally, Mr. Mann founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MiniMed Inc. from its founding in 1993 until August 2001 when it was acquired by Medtronic, Inc. Medtronic MiniMed develops, manufactures and distributes microinfusion systems and continuous glucose monitoring systems that have revolutionized the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. Mr. Mann also founded and funded Medical Research Group (MRG) which was developing an artificial pancreas. MRG was also acquired by Medtronic in 2001. Al Mann also founded and served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Bionics Corporation (AB), from its founding in 1993 until it was acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) in 2004. Advanced Bionics developed neurostimulation devices for various neural deficits, including cochlear stimulators. In 2008 Mr. Mann and others acquired from BSC the portion of AB, which develops, manufactures and distributes cochlear implant devices. AB was acquired by Sonova Holding along with PercuPort, which is developing advanced hearing devices. Mr. Mann also founded and was Chairman of the Board and CEO of Pacesetter Systems, Inc., which developed, manufactured and distributed cardiac pacemakers, from 1972 until 1985 when it was acquired by Siemens, AG. From 1985 to September 1992, Mr. Mann continued to serve as Chairman and CEO of the successor company, Siemens-Pacesetter, Inc., Pacesetter is now the Cardiac Rhythm Management unit of St. Jude Medical. Prior to 1972, he was President of Spectrolab, an electro-optical and aerospace systems company, and Heliotek, a semiconductor and electro-optical components manufacturer. Mr. Mann founded these companies in 1956 and 1960, respectively, sold them to Textron Inc. in 1960 and continued to lead them until 1972, when he left for Pacesetter. They are now part of the Boeing Company.

Mr. Mann holds B.A. and M.S. degrees in physics from the University of California, Los Angeles and honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Southern California, The Johns Hopkins University, Western University and the Technion Institute (Israel), as well as, Research Professor, University of Southern California, and Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles.

Mr. Mann is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has received numerous honors and awards from the private and public sectors including the following:

1980s:
Group Achievement Award (NASA; 1981)
Exceptional Public Service Award (NASA 1984)
Pioneer in Cardiac Pacing (Cardiostim, 1988)
1990s:
Master Entrepreneur of the Year (Los Angeles, 1996)
Arthur Anderson Award for Fostering Innovation (Southern California, 1996)
Citation Award; Engineer of the Year (UCLA, 1997)
APEX Award for Outstanding Product Design of the Year (for MiniMed Insulin Pump) (The Management Roundtable, 1997)
Father of the Year (Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 1998)
Lifetime Achievement Award (Independent Living Center of So. California, 1998)
Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award (League for the Hard of Hearing, 1998)
Pioneer in Cardiac Pacing (50th Anniversary of Cardiostim, 1998)
Man of the Year (San Fernando Valley Economic Alliance, 1998)
Appreciation Award from The Children of PADRE (PADRE Foundation, 1998)
School of Engineering Award (USC, 1999)
Spirit of Edison Award for Community Service (Thomas Edison State College, 1999)
Man of the Year (WISE Senior Services, 1999)
Vision of the Future Award (RP International, 1999)
Humanitarian of the Year (House Ear Institute, 1999)
Named “One of the 10 Most Influential People on the Tech Coast (Los Angeles Times, 1999)
Reynolds Society Achievement Award (Harvard University, 1999)
2000s:
Golden Platter Honoree (American Academy of Achievement, 2000)
Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (2000)
Heart of a Child Award (Cardiac Arrhythmia Research and Education Foundation, 2000)
Elie Wiesel Humanism in Healing Award (Western University) 2002
Business Person of the Year Award (Los Angeles Business Journal, 2003)
Invited speaker (Western University Graduation, 2003)
Keynote address to INS Congress (Madrid, 2003)
Spirit of Los Angeles Award (United Way, 2003)
Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award (Hugh O’Brian’s Youth Organization, 2003)
Ernest Borgnine Spirit Award (American Veterans Association, 2003)
Business Leader and Humanitarian of the Year Award (Jewish Vocational Service, 2004)
Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences (Life Sciences, 2004)
Keynote speaker at Los Angeles Venture Association (2004)
Keynote speaker at Medtech Insight Conference (Irvine, 2004)
Keynote speaker at SRI Conference (San Francisco, 2004)
Panelist, White House Forum on Disabilities (2004)
Case Western Reserve University, Deioma Lecture Series (Engineering for Success, 2004)
Phoenix 2004 Innovator Award (Phoenix Medical Device Conference, 2004)
Diabetes Innovator Award (Diabetes Technology Conference, Philadelphia, 2004)
Honored as “American Friend of Rabin Medical Center” (New York, 2004)
Robert A. Schindler, M.D. Endowed Lecturer, (University of California San Francisco, 2004)
Honoree at Eye Birth Defects dinner (Los Angeles, 2005)
Invited speaker, Metabolic Drug Discoveries (San Francisco, 2005)
Leader of Today Honoree, UCLA Health Services Alumni Association (UCLA, 2005)
Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Devices Industry (Frost & Sullivan, 2005)
Von Liebig lecturer (University of California San Diego, 2005)
Neel Distinguished Research Lecturer (AAO, Los Angeles, 2005))
Invited Speaker, “Artificial Pancreas: Closing the Loop” (NIH, Bethesda, MD, 2005)
Keynote speaker, Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum (2005)
Keynote address, Mountain West Biomedical Engineering Conference (University of Utah, 2005)
Keynote address, CIBC Conference (New York, 2005)
Keynote address, National Academy of Engineering (October 2005)
Spirit of Life Award, Larry King Cardiac Foundation (November, 2006)
New Freedom Award, 9th Intl. Congress on Community Services (December, 2006)
Invited speaker, International Conference on Aging (Florida, 2006)
Keynote, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (Washington D.C. 2006)
Keynote, National Institutes of Health (Washington D.C. 2006)
Lifetime Achievement Award (L.A. Venture Association, 2007)
Surface Science Award (Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation, 2007)
Distinguished Achievement Award (Biomedical Engineering Society 2007)
Keynote, Global Harmonization Task Force (Washington, D.C. 2007)
Keynote, Wilson Sonsini Medical Device Conference (CA, 2008)
Distinguished Business Leader Award, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
(CA, January 2008)
Distinguished Humanitarian Award, B’nai B’rith International (NY, 2008)
Guest speaker, American Diabetes Association Leaders Forum (CA, 2008)
Moderator, Drug Delivery Partnership Panel (NV, January 2009)
Invited lecturer, Northwestern University (IL, October 2009)
Keynote, Diabetes Technology Society Meeting (CA, November 2009)
2010s:
Invited lecturer, University of Maryland (MD, May 2010)
Invited lecturer, Johns Hopkins University (MD, May 2010)
Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year, Cal State L.A. (CA, July 2010)
Invited lecturer, Trustees of Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (CA, August 2010)
Keynote, Joslin Diabetes Roundtable (MA, September 2010)
Invited speaker, Yale/CURE Biohaven Entrepreneurship Series (CT, September 2010)
Invited Speaker, Diabetes Technology Society Meeting/Expo (CA, October 2010)
President’s Award, City of Hope (CA, March 2011)
Keynote, ILSI-BioMed (May 2011)
MDDI Lifetime Achievement Award for Medical Design Excellence (NY, June 2011)