Executive Team

Thomas Ruggia joined Samsara Vision as the Chief Executive Officer in July 2020. With nearly 20 years of ophthalmology business experience, he has a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the health care environment in the United States and abroad, as well as significant experience in the development and commercialization of vision products with differing regulatory and pricing structures.

Before joining Samsara Vision, Mr. Ruggia spent five years at Johnson & Johnson, working at Johnson & Johnson Vision and The Janssen Pharma Co, respectively. Most recently at Johnson & Johnson Vision, he was the Vice President WW Customer Experience and Ocular Surface Disease, responsible for two global commercial teams working in customer strategy, customer service, and field technical service. At Janssen, he was the commercial strategy leader in ophthalmology assigned to an asset in development for AMD. Previously, Mr. Ruggia spent fourteen years at Alcon, a division of Novartis, working in a variety of ophthalmology sales and marketing roles with escalating responsibility. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from The College of New Jersey in 1998.

Josh Fox joined Samsara Vision in January 2021 as CFO after serving as a senior advisor to Montminy & Co. and, earlier, as managing director, head of real estate, lodging, and leisure investment banking at Stout. In addition, Mr. Fox brings nearly 25 years of diversified investment banking and legal experience, having advised public and privately held companies on a wide range of topics including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, financial restructuring, and strategic alternatives. He earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan and holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Fox is registered with FINRA and holds the Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

Jason joined Samsara Vision in August of 2021 and brings over 24 years Ophthalmic Medical Device, Pharmaceutical and OTC business experience. Jason has lived and worked in Canada, USA, Switzerland and Czech Republic. He has successfully held many roles of increasing responsibility in Sales, Sales Management, Country, Regional and Global Marketing, Country General Management, and as the Franchise Head for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia for Alcon. Jason is the winner of sales, marketing, and management awards including as the General Manager of the top market in the company for sales growth and expense management. Jason earned his Bachelor’s in Communications from Saint Mary’s University in Canada and an MBA from the University of Toronto in Canada.

Eli Aharoni has been with Samsara Vision since its formation and is responsible for the Company’s operations at its Petah Tikva, Israel facility. He has over 30 years of experience leading research and development programs, and a strong background in program management and mechanical engineering. Mr. Aharoni also has over a decade of experience in the Class III medical devices industry. Prior to joining Samsara Vision, his extensive background includes being Commander of a large research and development center in the Israeli military industry.

Mr. Aharoni holds a B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

Dr. Rebecca Kammer brings over 20 years of experience in academia, low vision patient care, clinician education, endpoint development, and professional consulting. She is a world-renowned expert in low vision models of patient care and has conducted cutting-edge clinical trial research in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other retinal conditions. Prior to joining Samsara Vision, Dr. Kammer served as the Vice President of Clinical Operations at jCyte Inc, where she led the clinical studies for a cell therapy for retinitis pigmentosa. She also owned her own consulting firm that supported clinical studies of therapies and devices for visual impairment and retinal diseases. This support included extensive experience with the first-generation implantable miniature telescope.  During this consulting phase, Dr. Kammer mentored clinicians in the practice of low vision rehabilitation while simultaneously founding the low vision service within UC Irvine's Gavin Herbert Eye Institute department of ophthalmology. Her earlier professional years included teaching optics and low vision at optometry schools and leading the low vision clinical department at the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO). Dr. Kammer holds a bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering from University of LaVerne, a Doctor of Optometry degree from SCCO and a PhD in Higher Ed.

Syed Rashid joined in May 2024 as Vice President, Worldwide Market Access & Government Affairs. With 10 years’ experience in the Ophthalmology sector and 15 years in the Diabetes space Mr Rashid has worked within in MedTech since leaving Sanofi for 16 years where he held various senior leadership positions in Sales & Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Medical Device industry.

Before joining SamSara Vision, Mr Rashid spent 7 years with Johnson & Johnson, working with Johnson & Johnson Vision and prior to those 2 years under the ownership of Abbott Ophthalmic Surgical division that J & J acquired in 2017. Most recently he was responsible for Market Access and Sales Training for EMEA region. He shaped EMEA Value Based Healthcare Strategy and working with European Societies and Government NGO agencies on innovative payment schemes in France, Germany, and NHS England. He brings with him a wealth of International Market Access experience in various therapy areas including breast, cervical and oncological related cancers specifically in the diagnostic screening setting gaining reimbursement in Europe and Asia.

Mr Rashid has a bachelor’s degree from Leicester University and Marketing Diploma (DipM) from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.