Title: 1) Founder and Principal; 2) President and Chief Executive Officer
Company: 1) ThoughtStorm Innovation; 2) Eyesight Mobile
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
John W. Sheets Jr., Founder and Principal at ThoughtStorm Innovation and President and Chief Executive Officer at Eyesight Mobile, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in Product Development.
Dr. Sheets is lauded as a leader in the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, recognized for his expertise in innovation and product development. His long-standing career is marked by a series of high-impact roles that have shaped the landscape of ophthalmology and medical technology worldwide. In his most recent professional endeavors, Dr. Sheets has served as the president and chief executive officer of EyeSight Mobile since 2023. He has been instrumental in driving the development of portable ophthalmic examination solutions through his startup, furthering access to eye care technology.
Dr. Sheets has also served as the principal at ThoughtStorm Innovation since 2014, providing consulting advice on innovation and regulatory strategies across the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
Beyond his commitments at EyeSight Mobile and ThoughtStorm Innovation, Dr. Sheets has served as a board member for the International Space Station National Laboratory since 2021, contributing to advancements in space-based research and innovation. He previously served as a strategic adviser to the Stevenson School of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Oklahoma from 2021 to 2023 and as a business adviser for Boyd Street Ventures in 2023.
Among various other professional roles, Dr. Sheets was the chief executive officer at Pantheon Vision from 2023 to 2025, where he led the organization from concept to readiness for the first-in-human trials of a synthetic cornea designed to address vision needs in low- and middle-income countries. He also served as the president of ELISAR within the Dr. Agarwal Eye Hospital System in Chennai, India, between 2018 and 2020, where he spearheaded the development and market introduction of a mobile digital perimeter for glaucoma diagnosis. Previously, Dr. Sheets served as the vice president for science and technology advancement at LifeNet Health in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from 2017 to 2018.
Dr. Sheets’s regulatory experience included serving as the director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health between 2016 and 2017. His earlier leadership roles included chief scientific officer at Anika Therapeutics and senior vice president for corporate research at Boston Scientific, where he contributed to innovations in cardiovascular health and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Sheets also excelled as the corporate vice president for global research and development and chief technology officer at Bausch + Lomb, overseeing research initiatives until the company’s acquisition by Valeant.
As the global president and chief executive officer of HOYA Surgical Optics in Tokyo from 2007 to 2008, Dr. Sheets led significant growth within the ophthalmic division of the multinational conglomerate. His tenure as the worldwide vice president for research and development and chief technology officer at Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson’s largest medical technology company, spanned between 2003 and 2007, during which he established the Biosurgicals business unit and managed research and development across multiple therapeutic areas, including wound management and minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
From 1994 to 2002, Dr. Sheets was the vice president for surgical research and development at Alcon, where he played a pivotal role in transforming the company into a leading force in surgical ophthalmology. This position came after successfully serving as the director of product and process development at Johnson & Johnson’s IOLAB Corporation between 1988 and 1994.
Highly educated, Dr. Sheets acquired a Bachelor of Science in zoology and chemistry in 1975 and a master’s degree in materials science and engineering in 1978 from the University of Florida. He then obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in materials science and engineering on campus in 1983. To complement his technical expertise with business acumen, Dr. Sheets completed coursework through Harvard Business School’s program for management development as well as executive education on managing innovation through Stanford Biodesign.
Dr. Sheets is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and maintains active memberships with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Beyond his professional achievements, he has made significant contributions through civic engagement. He currently serves on the boards for the International Space Station, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, and Keystone Nano in State College, Pennsylvania.
Throughout his career, Dr. Sheets has been credited with more than 20 U.S. patents and is widely recognized for building high-performance teams that continue to innovate long after his departure. He is recognized for his ability to identify talent, foster collaboration and create environments where creativity thrives.
Dr. Sheets attributes his success to discipline, hard work and collaborative teamwork. Looking ahead, he remains committed to advancing innovative product development that transforms the standards of care within ophthalmology, while continuing to mentor emerging leaders across various disciplines. He also intends to continuously seek opportunities that allow him to make both global impacts through new technologies and local differences through personal connections.
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