FireflyVR expands leadership team with two appointments and more digital health hires

FireflyVR, a company that develops virtual reality software for mental healthcare, announced the appointment of Andy Mathis as its new chief business officer and Steve Howarth as its chief financial officer. 

Mathis’ previous roles include head of Android carrier partnerships in North America at Google, head of customer account management at Oculus, director of healthcare partnerships for the REAL System at Penumbra, and, most recently, principal of business development, emerging products at Amazon. 

Howarth formerly held the role of vice president of global finance operations at medical device company Medtronic. 

“I look forward to building on FireflyVR’s already strong relationships with the VA, life science companies, clinics, hospitals plus add new relationships in healthcare and with technology companies,” Mathis said in a statement.

Cognito Therapeutics, a startup using visual and auditory stimulation to treat neurodegenerative disorders, appointed Christian Howell as chief commercial officer. 

The Massachusetts-based company’s investigational medical device uses noninvasive neuromodulation to treat people with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. 

Before joining Cognito, Howell was the senior vice president and general manager at Aetion’s Medical Device and Diagnostic Group. Aetion is a startup focusing on real-world evidence in healthcare.

“Over the last two decades, he has worked closely with public and private payers in the development of innovative reimbursement models, with key relationships with regulators, public and private payer organizations, top healthcare systems and industry stakeholders,” Brent Vaughan, chief executive officer at Cognito Therapeutics, said in a statement.  

“We look forward to Christian joining our executive leadership team and his invaluable expertise and relationships will play a vital role in commercialization of our lead product in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.”