Dean’s Seminar: Seelye Fellow Mr Paul Wessel Biography and CV
Mr Wessel has spent the past 25 years involved in different disciplines of industrial and healthcare automation. He has held different executive leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, and New Product and Intellectual Property development within large and medium sized corporations. As an inventor and entrepreneur, Mr Wessel has successfully built and sold several medical device companies.
Mr Wessel received the 2003 Tekne Award presented by the Minnesota High Technology Association as “ Innovator of the Year” for an emerging company. Mr Wessel has been issued three United States Patents with six more domestic and international patents still pending. Mr Wessel’s groundbreaking work in automated healthcare data acquisition and incentive delivery has been extensively covered on domestic and international television and print media including, BusinessWeek, CNN Headline News, National Public Radio, Die Deutsche Zeitung, ZTV, MSNBC, and The Washington Post. In 2011, Mr Wessel was honoured by the Engineering Society of Detroit with its Alpha Award, as ecognition for his contributions in medical device development.
A native of New Ulm, MN, Mr Wessel earned a BA with distinction from Concordia University, St. Paul, MN. He also holds a Mini Masters in Business from St. Thomas University, Minneapolis, MN and currently serves as an adjunct professor to Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, WI and a Senior Research Assistant for the Primary Care Clinical Innovation Center at the University of Minnesota.
Mr Wessel has been married to his wife Michelle for over 12 years. He is father to four children and four step children. Two of Mr Wessel’s children have battled life-long chronic conditions, diabetes and cerebral palsy, which provided the necessary motivation for him to become a medical device entrepreneur. He currently resides in Delano, MN.
Education
M.A St. Thomas University School of Business –Mini Masters in Business Management
B.A. Concordia University, St. Paul, MN – Business Management and Marketing cum laude
Experience Founder and CEO, First Layer Health LLC 2012 Founder and CEO, Visual Medical LLC 2010 Founder and CEO, Thermal Barrier Solutions, LLC 2009 - Present Founder and CEO, Innovation Consulting Partners. LLC 2008-2010 Sr. Director of New Product Development – Bayer Diabetes Care 2008-2010
Founder and CEO Guidance Interactive Healthcare 2008-2010 Founder and CEO, Lucid Healthware Systems 2000 - Present
Banner Engineering Corporation – Minneapolis, MN
Director of Sales and Marketing Global Automotive Automation Initiative1998-2000 Director of Safety Products Group 1995-1998 National Accounts Manager 1993-199 Corporate Business Manager 1990-1993
Honeywell Micro Switch – Freeport, IL
Advanced Sensor Specialist 1986-1990
Honeywell Visitronics – Denver, CO
Regional Sales Engineer 1984-1986 Recognition and Awards
Engineering Society of Detroit – ALPHA Award Winner 2011
Minnesota Society of Technology’s TEKNE Award Winner 2003
Small Business Innovator of The Year 2001
Donnell Etzwiler (Founder of International Diabetes Center) Coup Award
Banner Engineering - CEO Award 1993
Honeywell President’s Club 1987
Honeywell Micro Switch Golden Circuit Club 1987
Honeywell Micro Switch Golden Circuit Club 1986
Honeywell Micro Switch 110% Club 1985
Honeywell Visitronic’s Director’s Award 1984 Professional Development
St. Thomas University School of Business Mini Master’s Degree 2012 Professional Affiliations/Memberships Founding Member Medical Automation Organization 2000-2001 Adjunct Healthcare Lecturer Carlson School of Management 2000-2001
Society of Manufacturing Engineers 1985-1995
Machine Vision Association 1985-1995
Robotic Industries Association 1985-2000 Precision Metalforming Association 1995-1998 Honeywell Sales Professionals 1987-1990
Intellectual Property
• United States Patent # 6,699,188 - Issued – Interactive Rewards and Device Methods.
• United States Patent # 6,494,830 – Issued –Handheld controller for Monitoring /Using Medical Parameters.
• United States Patent # 12/773/637 -Issued - Dock Leveler Blanket Apparatus and Methods
• United States Patent# US 2007/0179356 -Pending – Programmable Devices, Systems and Methods for Encouraging the Monitoring of Medical Parameters.
• United States Patent# US 2008/0015422 -Pending – Combined Peripheral and Health Monitoring Devices.
• United State Patent # US 2010/020675 - Abandoned – Supply Organizers and Methods for Health Management.
• United States Patent # -2011/ Pending – Dock Leveler Blanket Storage Apparatus and Detection Methods
• United States Patent # 2011/61492266 - Pending – Medical Marking Apparatus and Methods