TELA Bio Appoints Roberto Cuca as COO and CFO

TELA Bio Inc. (TELA), has appointed Roberto Cuca as chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO). As COO and CFO, Cuca will lead execution of the company’s business plan and manage its finances. He reports directly to President and CEO Antony Koblish.

“I am delighted to welcome Roberto to the TELA Bio team. We are privileged to have such a talented professional joining us in the COO and CFO roles. We have built a solid team to date and are pleased to be adding further strength at the executive level,” said Koblish. “His extensive operational and financial experience, along with a proven track record of execution, will be a valuable addition to TELA.”
 
Cuca joins the TELA team with more than 25 years of experience in relevant operational and finance positions within the healthcare industry. Most recently, Cuca served as CFO of OraSure Technologies, a point-of-care testing and sample collection technologies company, where he led the finance and IT functions since joining in 2018. Prior to that time, Cuca served as senior vice president and CFO of Trevana Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, where he led the finance and investor relations functions and worked with senior management to establish and execute overall corporate strategy. Prior to his time with Trevana, Cuca held various leadership positions within the finance organization of Endo Health Solutions Inc., a pharmaceutical company, including treasurer and senior vice president, Finance, where he was responsible for capital raises and cash management, mergers, acquisitions and licensing transactions, tax planning and compliance, and risk management.

Cuca earned an M.B.A from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from Cornell Law School, and an A.B. from Princeton University. Cuca is also a CFA Charterholder.
 
“I’m thrilled to join TELA Bio and to contribute to a company making significant advancements in soft tissue reinforcement and reconstruction,” said Cuca. “I look forward to working with Tony and the entire organization, bringing my knowledge and experience to bear on the execution of TELA’s business plan and strategy and driving continued growth.”
 
In connection with Cuca’s appointment as COO and CFO and in accordance with the terms of an employment agreement between him and TELA, the Board of Directors granted Cuca an option to purchase 144,000 shares of TELA’s common stock. The option was granted as an inducement material to his acceptance of employment in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The option vests 25 percent on the first anniversary of the grant date, with the remaining 75 percent vesting in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter. The vesting of the option is subject to Cuca’s continued service with the company.
 
TELA Bio Inc. is a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on designing, developing, and marketing innovative tissue reinforcement materials to address unmet needs in soft tissue reconstruction. The company is committed to providing patients with advanced, economically effective biologic material repair solutions to minimize long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials and improve clinical outcomes. TELA Bio’s OviTex and OviTex PRS Reinforced Tissue Matrix products are purposefully designed to address the shortcomings of existing reinforcement materials in hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction, and plastic and reconstructive surgery.