Robert Dempsey, MBA

Board Member

Robert Dempsey, MBA, has served as a board member since August 2018. He brings more than two decades of domestic and global experience in the ophthalmic space driving successful drug development, business transactions and commercialization. Robert was recently appointed to Chief Executive Officer and President for AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. Most recently, he served as CEO of TearClear in which he led a successful Series B financing and FDA engagements while amplifying their innovative platform, putting TearClear on the map in ophthalmics. Prior he served as the Global Head of Ophthalmology at Shire, which was acquired by Takeda, and was responsible for one of the top 10 largest biopharma transactions of 2019, the divestiture of the Takeda lead ophthalmic drug, Xiidra®, a transaction of up to $5.3 billion. Under Robert’s leadership, Shire successfully acquired four companies to accelerate the value creation of the franchise through the addition of innovative early, mid and late-stage pipeline candidates.

Robert's widespread experience in ophthalmology stems from diverse leadership roles across commercial, business development, medical affairs and venture backed startups. He brings deep relationships with key opinion leaders and comprehensive knowledge of the ophthalmic ecosystem. He has been instrumental with successful early-stage venture capital and strategic fundraising activities as a board member and advisor to multiple ophthalmology companies. Additionally, his philanthropic engagement includes serving as Chairman of The Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration and as Co-Director of the Corporate & Surgeon Partners Program for SightLife.

Robert holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.