Kirby Lester has assembled a Leadership Team to accomplish one goal: position Kirby Lester as the worldwide leader in pharmacy automation technology. Our strategy starts with continuous interactions with pharmacy leaders and understanding the needs of the profession. This drives the Kirby Lester technology team to improve on our current portfolio of products and to introduce new, innovative and cost-effective products.

President and Chief Executive Officer Garry Zage has built a core leadership team including COO/CFO Karen Bergendorf, Chief Technology Officer Dave Schultz, Vice President of Sales Dave Johnson and Vice President of Business Development Christopher Thomsen. This leadership team shares a combined 110 years of pharmacy automation and healthcare experience.

Garry Zage, R.Ph. - President & CEO

Garry has overall responsibility for Kirby Lester, with primary focus on the company's future strategic planning, investor relations and pharmacy industry relations.

Garry has over 30 years experience in the pharmacy industry, including 15 years in automation technology. Zage is the only CEO of a retail pharmacy automation company who is also a pharmacist. Prior to his pharmacy automation experience, Zage held several executive business development and corporate sales and marketing roles with Baxter International. His prior experience includes time as a pharmacist at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL and as a hospital administrator over professional services (including pharmacy) at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. Zage is a member of the National Advisory Board of the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy. He also served as President of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists and sat on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.

Karen Bergendorf - Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Karen joined the Kirby Lester executive team in 2012 and is focused on Kirby Lester's total financial and operational strength, while building upon our customer-centric culture.

Karen has more than 25 years of global experience in manufacturing operations including work with Danaher Corporation, Case New Holland and Textron. Her experience spans several industries including medical, high technology and industrial. Karen also is trained in lean manufacturing and is a CPA.

Dave Schultz - Chief Technology Officer

In addition to being responsible for enhancing the established Kirby Lester product line, Dave leads the development of new technologies to improve pharmacy dispensing. This ranges from simple, oral-solid medication counting machines for retail pharmacies to high-volume counters for manufacturing and specialty pharmacy settings.

Dave previously was with AmerisourceBergen where he was one of the original AutoMed Technologies executive management team members. Working 10 years with AutoMed, Dave was responsible for software and hardware product development as the Chief Technology Officer for the pharmacy automation line of products.

Dave has more than 20 years of experience in the informatics side of healthcare, including work with Siemens Life Support Systems, Cardiac Alliance and Business Partner Solutions. He also has worked with AT&T Information Systems, Bell Labs and United Technologies Inc.

Dave Johnson - Vice President of Sales

Dave has overall responsibility for Kirby Lester's sales in all pharmacy healthcare markets.

Dave is a 25-year healthcare industry veteran. Prior to Kirby Lester, Dave held a variety of leadership positions with AmerisourceBergen (AutoMed Technologies), Baxter International and Major Pharmaceuticals where he was responsible for sales and operations in retail, hospital and mail order pharmacy markets.

Christopher Thomsen - Vice President, Business Development

Christopher is responsible for national and regional chain sales, marketing strategies, new business development and pharmacy industry relations.

Prior to joining Kirby Lester, Christopher served as the Founder and CEO of The ThomsenGroup Inc., providing expertise and automation consulting services for pharmacies in the public, private and government sectors. He teaches pharmacy continuing education programs and has published 18 pharmacy efficiency and technology studies.

In 1994, Christopher helped co-found ScriptPro USA, where he established a domestic and international marketing presence for the company. Thomsen has helped to co-author several text books on pharmacy automation and technology and continues to speak throughout the world on this topic. He also serves as an advisor and editorial staff member for Hospital Pharmacy Europe, Business Briefings North American Pharmacotherapy and sits on advisory panels for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the University of Oklahoma School of Pharmacy.