Michael Stomberg is the founder and CEO of Planet Healthcare's parent company, The Planet Group, which includes several renowned staffing companies and global consulting organizations. Since founding Planet in 2009, Michael has led the organization to record organic growth while also leading the company through the launch of four new business lines and the acquisition of multiple firms. He also led the M&A activities when in May 2021, The Planet Group merged with ProPharma Group, the leading global provider of outsourced regulatory, clinical research, compliance, pharmacovigilance, and medical information services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. Michael assumed the role of ProPharma Group's CEO in September 2021.
Michael has over 20 years of experience developing and leading global organizations focused on the Life Sciences, Technology and Energy industries. His expertise includes organizational development, leadership development, streamlining operations, technology integration, team development, and global business strategy. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
Carolyn Durham
Chief Operating Officer
Carolyn Durham brings a unique blend of experience in account management, business development, and corporate operations to lead the direction of our client services, business development, and administrative functions. Carolyn brings over 17 years of experience in the professional staffing and consulting industries primarily supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and device organizations. Her experience has encompassed sales, recruitment, business development, commercial operations, and project management. Carolyn has a bachelor’s degree in communications and culture with a minor in business and sociology from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
Sara Nichols
Chief Operating Officer
Sara Nichols is the Chief Operating Officer of The Planet Group and is responsible for leading our client services, business development, and corporate operations functions. Sara brings over 20 years of experience in the professional staffing and consulting industries, where she has helped drive organizational transformation for companies growing both organically and via acquisition.
Sara is skilled in finance and corporate operations leadership, organizational development, streamlining operations, leadership and team development, technology integration, and strategic planning. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from The Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.
Tim Bauwens
Chief Financial Officer
Tim Bauwens is the CFO of The Planet Group of Companies and is responsible for accounting and reporting, financial planning, cash management, human resources, and risk management. He has over 25 years of corporate accounting and finance experience, having spent the early part of his career focused on mergers & acquisitions, mostly in the service and utilities sectors. Tim has spent the last ten years in the professional services and construction industries working with publicly traded and privately held companies with an emphasis on accelerated topline growth, improved cashflow, and maximizing return on investment. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Augustana College and holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.
Emma Morris
President, Global Workforce Solutions
Emma Morris leads and directs the EMEA subsidiary of Planet Pharma. She has worked in global staffing and outsourcing for over 12 years with a specific EMEA region focus, within the Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Medical Device, and CRO businesses. Her experience includes international business development, client account management, staff augmentation, FSP/Outsourcing, staff training & management, and project management. Emma has built out teams in niche verticals in start-up environments and has been able to strategically identify resourcing solutions and meet client demand in challenging circumstances.
Jim Patton
Senior Vice President
Jim Patton joined The Planet Group in 2016 to expand the healthcare division and services. Jim brings over 13 years of experience in healthcare and is responsible for business development, recruitment strategies and account management. Jim brings a wealth of experience to clients with attention to detail and offering flexible solutions. Jim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Cleveland State University.
Ashley Porter
Vice President Of Operations
Ashley Porter is The Planet Group's Vice President of Operations. She joined Planet Forward in 2010, quickly advancing through the organization before being named Director of Recruitment in 2013 and Director of Operations in 2016. In 2018, Ashley transitioned into a corporate role supporting operations for The Planet Group organization globally. Ashley continues to be an integral part The Planet Group's global expansion with a diverse range of experience encompassing company operations, recruitment, account management, business development, and training/development. Ashley holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Communications with minors in both Business Management and Leadership Studies from Bradley University.
Tim Simmerly
President, The Planet Group
Tim Simmerly is the President of Planet Healthcare's parent company, The Planet Group, and oversees global strategy as well as the day-to-day operations for our global staffing and consulting companies.
With more than twenty years of experience in talent and human capital services, Tim has helped launch three of Planet's companies and continues to lead them today: Planet Forward, PFES, and Rokster. Tim's leadership ability, business development acumen, and operational excellence are key to his role in expanding The Planet Group into new market segments worldwide. Tim joined the Planet Group of Companies in 2009 and has held numerous leadership positions including Director of Business Development, Vice President, and Executive Vice President.
Matthew Fedor
Director of Recruitment
Matthew Fedor is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the national Planet Healthcare recruitment team.
Matthew graduated from The Ohio State University with a focus in the business sector of healthcare and has spent years building upon his knowledge of the healthcare industry. Matthew takes great pride in facilitating staffing augmentation for hospitals across the continental US.
Marni Helfand
Chief HR Officer And General Counsel
Marni Helfand is the Chief HR Officer and General Counsel for The Planet Group. Marni oversees all legal and HR functions including providing training, advising on all areas of compliance, negotiating client agreements, managing litigation, and protecting the company's intellectual property. After leaving private practice with the law firm of Littler Mendelson, most of her career has been spent in the staffing and consulting industries. Prior to beginning her career, Marni received her Bachelor's Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations form Cornell University, and attained her JD Law Degree from Northwestern University's School of Law.
Jon Whiley
Chief Technology Officer
Jon Whiley is the CTO of The Planet Group of companies and is responsible for leading the firm's innovative technology strategy, including network infrastructure, system integrations, process improvements, new technology implementations, and IT support.
Jon has over 20 years of progressive tech and operations experience delivering transformative solutions that drive immediate business impact and continuous improvements across enterprises. During his career, he has designed competitive tools and adopted technology to optimize workflows and strengthen service delivery across multisite operations.
Prior to joining The Planet Group, Jon was Executive Vice President and CTO of Majestic Steel USA. A veteran of the US Marine Corps and graduate of Ohio University, he serves as a Governing Body Member of Evanta’s Midwest CIO group and is also involved with the Northeast Ohio chapter of SIM.
Our website uses cookies to improve your experience and give us feedback as to our website performance.I'm Happy With ThisRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
