HemaCare Chief, Pete van der Wal, Joins ABL Organization

Santa Ana, CA — July 15, 2010 — Pete van der Wal, President and CEO of HemaCare Corporation, has joined the Adaptive Business Leaders Organization (ABL). As part of California’s leading vertical-industry Chief Executives’ Organization, ABL Members provide one another with executive leadership coaching through its confidential, professionally-facilitated, peer-CEO Advisory Board Round Tables, executive learning workshops, network of CEO peers, and expert resources.

HemaCare Corporation provides blood products and therapeutic services to the healthcare industry. Licensed by the FDA and accredited by the AABB, HemaCare provides the customized delivery of blood products and services, collecting, processing and distributing blood products to hospitals and research-related organizations. The company operates and manages donor centers and mobile donor vehicles to collect transfusable blood products from donors, and also collects human-derived blood products which are utilized by health research-related organizations. Additionally, HemaCare provides blood-related services, principally therapeutic apheresis procedures, stem cell collection and other blood treatments, to patients with a variety of disorders. Blood-related therapeutic services are usually provided under contract as an outside purchased service. HemaCare has operated in Southern California since 1978. In 1998, the company expanded its operations to include portions of the Eastern U.S.

Pete was previously HemaCare’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and in March 2010 was named President and CEO, and appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. A business turnaround expert, Pete has a proven track record with over 20 years of success in managing sales, marketing, operations, and business development in the medical services industry. He was formerly President and CEO of Comprehensive Imaging Solutions, and also held senior management positions with Phormax Corporation, Comprehensive Medical Imaging, and Syncor International Corporation.

Pete earned his BS degree from the University of Maryland and his MBA from George Mason University. In his leisure time, Pete enjoys mountain biking and tennis.

About the Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL) Organization
ABL supports the needs of its Member CEOs by providing a place for top-level executives to draw on the experience, knowledge and skill sets of their peers in a vertical industry, personal advisory board – “multi-coach approach” – setting.

The core component of the CEO Membership experience is the group Round Table meeting. Members meet once a month for a half-day with a group of peer CEOs, Presidents, COOs and Division General Managers from non-competing companies, all from the same industry (healthcare, technology or life sciences), in a trusted and confidential board room-like setting, which allows ABL Members to tackle topics and enhance their decision making and business performance. Topics include: developing and honing new business strategies and best practices, new lines of business, “A-players” on the management team, and an effective board of directors, as well as understanding trends in new markets, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and other “hot” topics brought to the Round Tables by the Members themselves.

ABL Members also gather several times a year at workshops and conferences to exchange ideas and connect with other chief executives beyond their own CEO peer groups. In effect, ABL Members serve as one another’s business coaches within the Round Tables and are encouraged to connect and leverage their co-Member peers’ particular skills and expertise for additional leadership coaching, one-on-one, outside of their monthly group meeting. In addition, each Round Table’s facilitator also serves as an objective business advisor, offering executive and industry insights and advice.

 ABL's Chief Executive Leadership Development Round Table program is currently offered in California's Greater Los Angeles, Orange and San Francisco County areas. More information about the ABL Organization can be found at http://www.abl.org .