Board of Managers
WILFRED R. KONNEKER, Ph.D.
Dr. Konneker is the Chairman of the Board of Managers of Athenian’s Fund I and also serves on the Board of Managers of Athenian’s Fund II. Dr. Konneker has been a venture capital investor in technology for over thirty years. Over the course of his career Dr. Konneker has founded or co-founded numerous companies including DNX, Inc. and Diagnostic-Hybrids, Inc., both successful emerging companies that have exploited technologies developed at Ohio University, and other start-up companies, including Infant Care, Telray, Inc., Lion’s Choice, Spaulding Racquetball Clubs, Inc., and Konneker Development Corp. In 1950, Dr. Konneker founded Nuclear Consultants, Inc., which became the first and the major commercial supplier of radiopharmaceuticals. In 1966, he merged this company with Mallinckrodt, Inc., where he served as a vice president until 1972. Prior to attaining his Ph.D., he served three years in the U.S. Army, assigned to the Manhattan Project. Dr. Konneker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Ohio University. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Washington University. Dr. Konneker has been active at both of his universities, having served as a trustee of Ohio University and presently as a trustee of Washington University in St. Louis. He has been active and served as president or chairman of alumni boards at both universities, as well as the Ohio University Foundation Board, director of the Ohio University Innovation Center and Research Park, and chair of the Technology Transfer Committee for Washington University.
ROBERT P. AXLINE
Mr. Axline is the Chairman of the Board of Managers of Athenian's Fund II, and also serves on the board of managers of Athenian’s Fund I. Mr. Axline is the Chairman and CEO of Plastic Card Systems Inc., a company that provides automatic identification systems. Mr. Axline began his career with RCA Corporation in 1957. After working in most RCA divisions, Mr. Axline founded Polyform Corporation, a custom molder of rigid polyurethane for electronics and medical equipment. Mr. Axline was a vice president at Bowmar-All Corporation, the developer of the first hand-held calculator, the "Bomar Brain", in 1972 and 1973. From 1973 to 1976, Mr. Axline served as vice president-manufacturing and engineering operations for Dymo Industries. Mr. Axline was vice president-corporate development and international for Addressograph-Farrington Inc. (AFI) from 1976 to 1986. Mr. Axline holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Ohio University, and a PMD from Harvard Business School. An active alumnus of Ohio University, Mr. Axline is a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio University Foundation.
JERRY P. PEPPERS, Esq.
Mr. Peppers is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop LLP, a global law firm, where he specializes in mergers and acquisitions. Along with mergers, acquisitions and tender offers, both negotiated and contested, Mr. Peppers has dealt with leveraged buy-outs, proxy contests and takeover defense work for international and domestic clients. He has also worked with securities transactions including underwritten public offerings and private placements and with general business consisting of a broad variety of corporate transactions for international and domestic companies. Mr. Peppers is a member of several boards of directors of business and charitable organizations, including the Ohio University Foundation. Mr. Peppers graduated from Ohio University in 1968 and from Duke University Law School in 1971.
JOHN E. REYNOLDS
Mr. Reynolds has been a faculty member of Ohio University’s College of Business since September 1992 and serves as Executive in Residence and Director of the University’s Insurance Institute. Mr. Reynolds is also a trustee of the Ohio SEED Fund, Inc. He retired February 1992 as the Vice President of Operations at the Western Head Office of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in San Francisco. In this position, Mr. Reynolds had responsibility for all operations pertaining to the administration of insurance in Metropolitan’s Western territory, which encompasses 13 states and includes 127 sales offices and over 2,300 sales representatives and administrative employees. Mr. Reynolds holds an M.B.A. in insurance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a degree in industrial management from Ohio University. He earned his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from The American College.
RICHARD R. WILHELM
Mr. Wilhelm is the president and CEO of International Hospitality Corp., with responsibility for the development, operation, and review of the multi-million dollar operating, consulting, and asset management company specializing in the hospitality, real estate, and finance industries. Mr. Wilhelm has many years of experience in the hospitality industry, including senior management positions at I.T.T. Sheraton Corporation and Trump Castle Hotel-Resort-Marina. From 1988-1992, he held several positions with Plaza Operating Partners, Ltd., last serving as president, chief executive officer, and managing director of The Plaza Hotel in New York. Mr. Wilhelm has written numerous publications on finance, marketing, and asset management and is listed in "Who’s Who in America". He has been a member of the board of directors of the California Hotel Association, the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, the New York City Hotel Association, and numerous national associations. Mr. Wilhelm earned his bachelor of science degree from Cornell University’s Statler School of Hotel Management and a master’s degree in finance from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Finance. He studied at Louisiana State University’s Graduate School of Communications and Ohio University’s College of Business and has completed the Executive Management Program at Cornell University. Mr. Wilhelm is also a trustee of Ohio SEED Fund, Inc.