What We’re All About
Driven by innovation, we started the Reticular Formation to help Health Care Professionals connect with opportunities that matter to them most. After hundreds of hours of consultations, discussions, research and candid, late-night conversations, The Reticular Formation was born.
Who We Are and How We Arrived
Nigel D. Guest
Co-Founder, family doctor and entrepreneur
Act 1: Born in Birmingham UK, Nigel was brought up in the ‘Midlands’ so he could perfect his accent at an early age. A Liverpool University educated doctor, he began his General Practice career in the UK National Health Service (NHS), working in the North West. There, he built and developed a successful family practice as senior partner.
Act 2: Motivated by improving patient care, Nigel became increasingly involved with healthcare management, ultimately becoming CEO of a highly successful and innovative NHS commissioning Group overseeing a £350m budget and leading larger scale Cancer Care and Mental health innovations.
Act 3: Embracing new opportunities and interest in innovation in healthcare, Nigel set up a consultancy company with national and international clientele. Recognizing new challenges for healthcare workers, he started The Reticular Formation to address these issues and opportunities, recruiting his medical school and life- long friend, Jonathan Sackier, and colleague, friend, and collaborator Phil Deschamps.
Appendix: Nigel loves to swim, sail, cycle and cook. He characterizes himself as the moderating influence in this partnership, but has yet to solicit either Jonathan or Phil for comment.
Jonathan M Sackier
Co-Founder, surgeon and entrepreneur
Act 1: London-bred, Jonathan is a Liverpool-educated doctor. After his surgical training in the UK, he was recruited to help introduce laparoscopic surgery to the USA. There, he enjoyed a busy clinical practice while also conducting research and was motivated to publish and present data. He adored teaching, but merely tolerated administration duties.
Act 2: The needs of his patients inspired innovation. Jonathan developed and licensed several medical inventions, and helped others to do the same – including the first surgical robot and various other diagnostics, devices and services.
Act 3: Looking back on the life decisions that had impacted his ability to earn an appropriate income, build wealth and make wise purchasing decisions, Jonathan recruited his lifelong friend Nigel Guest and long-time collaborator Phil Deschamps to create a platform that would help others. With their assistance, The Reticular Formation was born.
Appendix: Jonathan loves to fly planes, scuba dive, ski, hike and cook for friends. He suspects that he drives Phil and Nigel to distraction with his ideation, while relying on them to deliver focus.
Philippe Deschamps
Co-Founder, healthcare CEO for 21 years
Act 1: Philippe grew up in beautiful Montreal Canada and was educated at the University of Ottawa. He built his career as a commercialization expert in the pharmaceutical and healthcare services industry. Over the years, he launched, or participated in the launch, of well over 30 products in the healthcare industry all over the world.
Act 2: Phil has a passion for life sciences, including neuroscience and the complexities of the human brain, inspired in no small part by having family members struggling with bipolar depression and his brother’s suicide in 2013. Grateful that his DNA has spared him from this horrible affliction, he dedicated his career to neurosciences. He co-founded a neurological rehabilitation company and took it through the regulatory gauntlet while raising $100M in the process.
Act 3: Phil recruited his good friends Nigel and Jonathan to co-found The Reticular Formation, to help people in the healthcare and the life sciences industry drive innovation, build wealth and make wise purchasing decisions. Phil is now the CEO of Montreal-based Ortho Regenerative Technologies Inc.
Appendix: Phil loves to play golf, ski, hike and have Jonathan cook for him. His mission is to supplement Jonathan’s and Nigel’s prolific imaginations with some business focus.
John Hunt, MD
Co-Founder, Pediatric Respiratory Physician, Editor-in-Chief
Act 1: John has a permanent love of medicine, the people who provide medical care, and patients who need it. And also a general detestation of those incompetent buffoons who stick their nose in the doctor-patient relationship. In the Navy and within academia, he did the triple threat: clinical, research and teaching, while he started a bunch of medical companies, and one in transportation.
Act 2: John resigned his tenure, quit the boards, and worked in West Africa, while also writing novels with Doug Casey. Back in the US, he became chief medical officer of companies in the medical cost sharing space. You know, an administrator, good grief – but at least in a role focused on getting third parties out of the doctor-patient relationship.
Act 3: With promises of ending world hunger and establishing peace through the cosmos, Jonathan cajoled John into joining The Reticular Formation. But John will be happy just being Editor-in-Chief of a company designed to have positive impact on the profession he loves.
Appendix: John loves the water. Drinking it, floating on it, sailing on it, diving in it. Like in the Virgin Islands.