BENS Appoints Two New Board Members, Strengthening Expertise at the Intersection of Science, Technology, and Security

Washington, D.C. — Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is pleased to announce the appointments of Joe D’Cruz and John Prufeta to our Board of Directors. These accomplished private sector leaders bring expertise in medical and technological innovation along with the capital markets behind them, strengthening BENS’s ability to advance new ideas and solutions to strengthen our nation’s security.

At a time when national security is increasingly shaped by public-private partnership in the face of evolving threats, D’Cruz and Prufeta further expand the private sector expertise BENS brings to help our government partners address today’s security challenges.

• Joe D’Cruz is Founder and Managing Director of Catalyze Partners, a pioneer of the Corporate Innovation Capital model that is focused on commercializing and launching disruptive technologies in new markets. He is also a cofounder and board member of Metro Aerospace, which commercialized fuel-savings and emissions-reduction technology sourced from Lockheed Martin. In addition, D’Cruz serves as CEO and Executive Chairman of Alpine Advanced Materials, supporting lightweight and affordable structural thermoplastic nanocomposites for the Aerospace and Defense sectors.
  
• John Prufeta is General Partner and CEO of Medical Excellence Capital LLC, an early-stage life sciences venture capital firm focused on gene/cell therapy, quantum biology, and regenerative medicine. He is also Co-Founder of ProJenX, which developed an advanced treatment for ALS. Prufeta is Co-Founder and Chair of The Medical Excellence Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds cutting-edge medical research in top research institutions across the United States. In 2007, he founded and currently serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Medical Excellence International (MEI), a global private health advisory firm with offices in New York, London, Miami, Dubai, and Freiburg.

By convening leaders from business, government, and industry, BENS advances solutions that recognize national security cannot be secured by government alone — it’s a combined force across sectors. D’Cruz and Prufeta bring sector-specific strengths across medical and technological innovation to the elevate national security dialogue. We’re pleased to welcome them to the BENS Board of Directors to help address our nation’s most pressing security challenges.