Staci DumoskiWhat would you do with $75 million? When you’re the Chief Financial Officer of a biotech company, problems like that are just part of the job. Recently, Mike Feher’s company CathWorks received a substantial investment from medical device company Medtronic to assist in the co-promotion of their FFRangio® System, a non-invasive cardiovascular diagnostic tool.
“We take great pride in helping patients and improving their lives through the products we create. It is a very rewarding industry to be in,” says Feher, who graduated from Chapman in 2006 with a degree in accounting and business administration.
After graduation, he started his career at Deloitte, one of the “big four” accounting firms, before moving on to Volcom and Edwards Lifesciences, where he worked for 10 years before joining CathWorks. He is personally aware of the significant impact medical technology can have on people’s lives – his grandmother received a heart valve that Feher helped launch when he worked at Edwards.
“I work with the best team in the industry! We are all very dedicated to launching the FFRangio product and helping it benefit patients around the world. We also have a really fun time doing it and many of us have worked together for a long time,” says Feher.
He looks forward to a long career in the medical device industry, helping investor capital get to the right place to create value through innovation and commercial launches.
We talked to Mike Feher ’06 about his career and how Chapman helped prepare him for his career.
Who was the most influential person for you at Chapman? Why?
I met my wife Christine at Chapman, and obviously she has had the biggest influence. She is unwavering in her belief in me and encourages me to pursue my dreams.
If you could go back in time and experience one moment again from your time at Chapman, what would it be? Is there anything that you would do differently?
The study abroad that I had in New Zealand was amazing. I would love to do that again!
What do you wish you knew at the time of your graduation that you know now? What advice can you give to the students and/or recent graduates of today?
Love learning! It is the key to succeeding in your career (and leads to a lot of fun experiences).
How did Chapman prepare you for your career? For life? How did your experience prepare you for the real world?
My degree in accounting gave me a very strong financial foundation that has served me my entire career. It paved the way for me to be at Deloitte and taught me how to create value for an organization.
Were there any major societal issues in our country/world that you recognized or faced as a young college student?
Chapman’s approach to learning challenged many fundamental beliefs throughout my time there. I love it! Hearing a large number of varying viewpoints and opinions allows you to form a robust understanding of the world (rather than just accepting what you have always been told).
