Drew Hofmann, B.S. ’72, at the San Clemente, Calif., headquarters of HeartSine Technologies

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
by Catherine Leidemer

3,000 Miles From Home, Two Graduates Create Golden Opportunities in SoCal.

You most likely haven"t ever met Drew Hofmann, B.S. ’72, but someday he just might save your life. As the president and chief executive officer of HeartSine Technologies in San Clemente, Calif., Hofmann is helping to put automatic external defibrillators—or smaller, hand-held versions of the standard hospital equipment—within reach of anyone, anywhere in the event of cardiac arrest.

A seasoned professional in the global health-care market, Hofmann and two associates founded HeartSine Technologies in 1997 with a goal of developing a simple AED device that could make this life-saving technology available to the general public in any venue.

With the help of leading researchers at two Irish facilities—the University of Ulster and the Royal Victoria Hospital—HeartSine, within only a few years, introduced its first product: a portable defibrillator suited for use by both professional and minimally trained individuals and designed for storage in ambulances and public or corporate buildings. The device, approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, can now be found everywhere from schools, sports stadiums and hotels to airports, shopping malls and even the White House.

"We are focused completely on public access defibrillators and spend 100 percent of our research dollars on making the devices smaller, less expensive and more effective," says Hofmann, whose company, by September 2004, had introduced a public access defibrillator that could be kept in the home. The product provides simple voice instructions to enable anyone—with minimal training—to use the product.

"Most people die in the home, and so that's exactly where we want to bring our products," he continues. "We've developed what is probably the most compact and easiest-to-manufacture product on the market."

For those in the medical equipment industry, the success of Hofmann's company should come as no surprise. His previous experience entailed several decades of senior management positions at corporations specializing in cardiovascular devices. From distribution, sales and marketing to mergers and acquisitions, Hofmann handled it all—and created more than one company that became an industry powerhouse.

His motivation to forge an accomplished business career can be traced back to his time at UB, says the Baltimore native. Hofmann took two year' worth of business classes at the University (and became a staple at the Kappa Omega Fraternity house on North Charles Street) while working at Stewart's Department Store on Reisterstown Road, but his studies were interrupted by the Vietnam War and a nine-month National Guard stint in New Jersey.

Upon his return to Maryland, Hofmann decided to enroll in night classes at UB. "It was at this point that I really became motivated," he says. "My professors were businesspeople and I felt like I was being taught by people who really knew what they were talking about.

"For the first time in my life, I enjoyed going to school," says Hofmann, who by this time had switched his major to industrial management. "I owe the University a lot—it gave me a great foundation and is a wonderful place."

After graduation, he worked in pharmaceutical sales before joining the sales force of Puritan Bennett, a company that specialized in respiratory products. "Most of the company's salespeople were respiratory therapists by training, and the executives decided to switch that strategy and take on people with pure sales backgrounds who could learn the industry," he explains. "I was lucky to be one of those people and quickly found that I really enjoyed the medical field."

By 1972, Hofmann had become a UB graduate, a husband and a father—and was well on his way to a solid start in the medical industry. He spent the next 18 or so years in increasingly senior-level marketing and sales positions at a number of prestigious medical equipment companies and eventually branched out into a new area—mergers and acquisitions.

Between 1985 and 2000, Hofmann helped to acquire, expand and then sell three major medical equipment companies: the Burdick Corporation, E for M Corporation and SenDx Medical. It was in 2000 that he and a business associate recognized the growth opportunity for public access defibrillators and, even though Hofmann had technically already "retired" from the day-to-day corporate life (though he still served as a consultant for SenDx), HeartSine Technologies was born.

"My background has been to buy and sell companies," he says, "and I'm looking forward to doing the same thing here. HeartSine is my last business deal and then I'll retire again.

"I've been very lucky," continues the father of three grown children, "in that I"ve enjoyed being in the medical industry and I've been able to travel and see places I wouldn't have been able to visit otherwise."

Some of Hofmann"s favorite places don't involve worldwide travel, though; his home in Mission Viejo, Calif., is ideally located between San Diego and Los Angeles. "When people come to visit, the first place we take them is to the beach, whether it's Newport Beach or Laguna Beach," he explains. "We'll also take visitors—which we have frequently—to an old hotel called the Hotel Laguna. There's a deck that overlooks the ocean and it's absolutely the best place to have a cocktail and watch the sunset.

"It's like a Mediterranean resort out here: There are nice, big beaches, shops, art museums—you name it. Except there aren't any crabs out here for Marylanders," he laughs. "You just have to find something else on the menu."

She has been quoted in Cosmopolitan and Redbook magazines, written more than a dozen books, created her own line of skin care products and is recognized as a leading expert on holistic health and skin care.

Strangely enough, renowned holistic aesthetician Shelley Hess, B.S. ’78, spent most of her time at UB as an accounting major.

"I had always envisioned becoming a dermatologist," explains Hess, who earned her associate's degree in accounting from Catonsville Community College, "but I knew that I would have to work throughout my entire college education, and accounting seemed like a reasonable backup profession. Plus, I was able to find accounting jobs while taking classes."

She chose to continue her studies at UB, which she selected for its "highly accredited accounting department," and became a night student while working at Mercantile Safe & Trust and then at the Internal Revenue Service during the day. But Hess was dealt a cruel blow when, in her senior year, she was diagnosed with cancer and had to switch to a liberal arts major at the last minute in order to graduate on time—which she did, taking her final exams from her hospital bed.

At this point, the determined Baltimorean had a wake-up call: She realized that she wasn't ready to trade in her true career goals for the title of certified public accountant. In 1978, after recovering from her health crisis, Hess found another way to get her foot in the door of the beauty and skin care industries: She packed her bags and headed to New York City, where, drawing upon her pre-med classes, she landed a job teaching anatomy at the Christine Valmy School—which was, at the time, the only aesthetics school in the country.

It was here that Hess met a 70-year-old Tibetan student who was a holistic health practitioner. "She told me that I understood the medical side of anatomy, but that I had a lot to learn about the holistic attributes of the body," she explains. "She became my mentor, and that launched my journey into holistic health; she taught me everything she knew."

Hess traveled to Tibet and became familiar with the philosophies and practices of herbecology, reflexology, shiatsu, acupressure and other holistic remedies. At the same time, she kept current on her other passions—skin care and cosmetics—and began working as a licensed aesthetician in both New York and Maryland.

After learning the intricacies of holistic practices, Hess decided to take a fairly significant cross-country leap. She had heard that most leading skin care research was taking place in Southern California, and wanted to base her practices—massage, skin care, cosmetics and whatever else she decided to add to the menu—where her business could flourish. "Even with the addition of holistic elements, skin care was my passion," says Hess. "So I moved to Orange County and began working at a variety of salons and spas."

It was the 1980s, popularly referred to as the "me generation." The concepts of massage therapy and spa services were becoming increasingly common, but the spas at which Hess worked hadn"t yet caught on to the idea of more holistic practices. She took another risk and decided to work for herself, adding the likes of aromatherapy, shiatsu and reflexology to her services. She worked out of rented space at several spas and quickly developed a loyal clientele who kept her appointment book filled.

It wasn't long before her career took off in multiple directions. In 1988, Hess founded her own company, Facemaker Enterprises (www.Facemaker1.com) and created an entire line of skin care products called "Nature's Bounty by Shelley." The formulas, which she created herself and still sells under her own label, have also been sold to cosmetics companies who mass- produce them under well-known labels.

As an author, Hess is credited with publishing the first educational newsletter for makeup professionals in the United States and Canada (Facemaker News) and with developing a four-part makeup system called Faceology. The Burbank, Calif., resident has written 16 books—two of which, Salon Ovation"s Guide to Aromatherapy and The Professional"s Handbook for Reflexology, she describes as being among the leading textbooks for the entire beauty industry.

On top of it all, Hess can still be found several days a week at medical spas (or spas that use stronger, medically based treatments) in the Los Angeles area, where she offers customized services ranging from facials, waxing and eyelash tinting to airbrush makeup applications, massages and glycolic peels.

"I'm still offering my entire line of services," says Hess, who admits that she isn"t quite sure what the future holds for her, personally or professionally. "I've enjoyed every part of my life," says Hess, "and am looking forward to whatever challenges await me. After all, a challenge is nothing more than an opportunity that hasn't been solved yet."

In the meantime, Hess continues to take advantage of all that living in Southern California has to offer. Though she lists Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain as "the standard attractions you have to see," she prefers to watch performers dance, sing and juggle on a number of beachfront promenades.

"Also, between the cities of Hollywood and Burbank, you'll find a number of tiny, private little theaters where, for $10 or so, you can see the most spectacular live performances," she says. "They're professionally run and feature these amazing thespians who perform simply for the love of the art.

"I also adore live comedy," she continues. "You can't go wrong between The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip and the Improv. There's just nothing better than laughter."

Shelley Hess, B.S. ’78, gives a client a hot stone therapy treatment