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Breg Leadership

Kevin Hobert

Chief Executive Officer

Paula Richmond

General Counsel & Compliance Officer

George Fratian

Chief Information Officer and Acting CISO

Ashley Chandler - PHR, SHRM-CP

Chief Human Resource Officer

Nikki Thurman

Chief Financial Officer

Ray Fujikawa

Chief Commercial Officer

Steve Ingel

Chief Business Management and Innovations Officer

Sergio Bermudez

Vice President of Operations

Eduardo Blanco

VP Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance

Humberto Mojica

Vice President, Distribution and Logistics

Evan Mathew

Vice President, Billing

Kevin Hobert

Chief Executive Officer

Kevin is an accomplished CEO who has generated significant sales and profit growth for global medical device and healthcare information technology (IT) companies, including Carestream Health, Kodak Health Group and General Electric Medical Systems. He joined Breg in March 2022 to lead our company to a new phase of growth and expansion, based on his reputation for creating and commercializing disruptive technologies, optimizing company performance and leading customer-focused initiatives. He is also skilled in Lean and Six Sigma.

Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife, Amy, recently relocated from Pittsford, NY to Carlsbad, CA. They have two children in college. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys snow and water skiing, fitness activities and time with his family.

Paula Richmond

General Counsel, Secretary & Compliance Officer

Paula joined Breg in 2014 and has an extensive background in compliance and regulatory affairs in the medical industry. Some of her main duties include ensuring Breg adheres to all industry regulations and policies, managing the Compliance and Audit teams, and negotiating and drafting contracts. Prior to joining Breg, she served as the VP, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Secretary for United Orthopedic Group, which merged with Breg in 2014, and as the Attorney, Compliance Officer for St. Jude Medical Inc.’s Neuromodulation Division. 

Paula enjoys spending time with her friends and family, especially her two children. She enjoys traveling, fitness, tennis, fashion, interior design and college football (her teams are Texas A&M and Notre Dame). Paula currently serves on the board of trustees of a private, Christian school in Dallas and previously served six years on the board of trustees for the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, which she continues to support through volunteer work. Paula is a native Texan and hails from a small town in northeast Texas. 

George Fratian 

Chief Information Officer
George has worked in the private industry (medical device, pharma, distribution, high-tech and other industries) with BD (Becton Dickinson / CareFusion / Cardinal Health) and consulting (with KPMG and Arthur Andersen). He has significant experience running IT programs and organizations in environments of all sizes; most recently being responsible for the IT environment at the MMS business unit of BD. George will support the company’s vision and strategy to become the market leader in the non-operative sports medicine domain, by delivering innovative and cost effective IT solutions.

George is very proud of his three adult children and he is still constantly amazed by how much he can learn from them. He loves everything technology related and is passionate about space travel and SciFi. His bucket list includes going to the Moon and sailing around the world. In his spare time, George loves watching a great movie or reading; he’s a big fan of Star Trek and he’s a published author!

Ashley Chandler – PHR, SHRM-CP

Chief Human Resource Officer

Ashley brings more than 10 years of experience cultivating robust corporate cultures and serving in a variety of key Human Resources and training roles.

Ashley graduated with her B.B.A. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management from the University of North Texas. Her degree includes International Management and Business Policy, which she earned in a European Study Abroad program. Ashley is a Professional in Human Resources, PHR; certified trainer in Situational Leadership;, master trainer for Culture Partners Culture of Accountability framework; and is also certified in Predictive Index.

On a personal level, she is a committed dog mom of a spunky Yorkie named King, and in her free time, she enjoys traveling and entertaining family and friends.

Nikki Thurman

Chief Financial Officer

Nikki is a Certified Public Accountant with ten years of experience in public accounting and more than seven years working in the life sciences and medical device industries.

Before joining Breg in 2020, Nikki was the financial controller of Prometheus Biosciences and the senior manager of assurance services at RSM. She holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting and Financial Management degrees, both from the University of San Diego.

Hailing from a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Nikki likes to spend most of her free time outdoors with her two young sons, teaching them to ride all-terrain vehicles, swim, and ride bikes.

She’s also a foodie who enjoys unwinding with good TV shows—she’s always looking for recommendations—and traveling whenever she gets the opportunity.

Ray Fujikawa

Chief Commercial Officer

Ray Fujikawa oversees sales, marketing, and billing teams, driving revenue growth and customer success. Ray is leading a commercial organization that delivers the best customer experience in the industry and drives the fastest growth with the most efficient cost structure.

Ray built Breg’s commercial organization over fifteen years before he left in 2013 to become President of Orthofix’s spine division. After five years at the helm there, he retired and then eventually took a position with Aspen, as senior VP of commercial strategy and business development.

Ray lives in Texas and enjoys golf whenever he gets the chance to play—which isn’t often since rejoining Breg, he says!

Steve Ingel

Chief Business Management and Innovation Officer

Steve Ingel is a highly accomplished executive with more than thirty-five years of experience in the orthopedic device industry. As the Chief Business Management and Innovation Officer at Breg, Steve leads the company’s efforts to develop and commercialize innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of patients and healthcare providers. He is also responsible for evaluating potential partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Breg, Steve owned a Southern California-based medical distribution business; he served as Western Regional Sales Manager at Professional Care Products (ProCare); and he joined DJO—then Smith & Nephew DonJoy, now Enovis—after acquisition of ProCare. He spent more than twenty-eight years in C-suite roles for DJO leading multiple divisions and playing a key role in developing and launching many successful products. He also served as the CEO of Precision Medical.

Steve is the son of a medical sales professional, so he effectively grew up in the industry. He and his wife of 32 years, Tracy, are longtime residents of Carlsbad, Calif. They are the proud parents of three grown children: Ashley, 30, Tyler, 27, and Michael, 25. Steve fondly refers to his family as his “foundation.”

Sergio Bermudez

Vice President of Operations

Sergio is an accomplished operations leader responsible for Breg’s supply chain, including manufacturing operations, strategic planning, and sourcing.  He has extensive experience in the medical device industry—both in the US and Mexico—at Baxter, CareFusion, Cardinal Health, and Össur.

Sergio joined Breg in 2021 and has embraced and integrated Breg’s culture throughout the organization’s manufacturing operations and has committed to Excellence! and continuous improvement.

He and his team are accelerating progress toward a “Breg Operating Model” that will standardize processes and procedures at every Breg facility and serve as an example of best-in-class operations for healthcare suppliers and manufacturers.

During his free time, Sergio enjoys cycling, finding the best wine and coffee bars with his wife, and attending shows at small music venues. His son is attending college, and his daughter is a college graduate working in San Diego’s biotech industry.

Eduardo Blanco

VP Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance

Eduardo Blanco brings extensive leadership experience in Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance to the Breg team having worked in the medical device industry for over 25 years. Since joining Breg in 2013, Eduardo has successfully developed and established an effective and efficient quality management system focused on compliance and delivering a positive customer experience in support of our customer-centric mission. He has also served as the functional lead for the integration projects of multiple key acquisitions and mergers, most notably the Biomet and UOG integrations.

Prior to joining Breg, Eduardo served in various leadership roles at Integra Lifesciences Corporation, where he was involved in supporting the company’s acquisitions and integration strategy with responsibility for multiple facilities.

Eduardo lives in San Diego with his wife and enjoys traveling and walking their three dogs, Louis, Mina and Tikkis.

Humberto Mojica

Vice President, Distribution and Logistics

Humberto has a wealth of experience and a proven track record in operations leadership and supply chain management. As Breg’s former Director of Operational Excellence, he significantly contributed to the Breg Operating System and enhanced organizational processes.

Humberto’s prior roles include leading distribution and manufacturing at Eastman Kodak and Carestream Health. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt. Notably, he helped Carestream’s Guadalajara site win the Shingo Prize.

Humberto and his wife Veronica are the proud parents of two college-graduate children, Jose Maria and Camila. He is a car enthusiast and enjoys road and mountain biking, family time, and walking his dogs, Balam and Rufino.

Evan Mathew

Vice President of Billing

Evan’s innovative approach in building a technology-enabled and robust billing process has set new standards in customer satisfaction, profitability, and growth.

Prior to joining Breg in 2018, Evan worked in private orthopedics where he focused on enhancing operational efficiency, achieving significant cost reductions, and aligned technical solutions with business objectives, turning information technology into a competitive advantage.

Evans’ background in Computer Science combined with his professional experience, makes him an effective leader in the field to benefit our customers and the company.

When he is not refining our billing strategy, Evan spends time with his wife and three kids in central Oklahoma. He has many hobbies such as woodworking, music, and perfecting the art of roasting coffee.