TIDMONT
RNS Number : 3425X
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
19 December 2023
19 December 2023
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
Appoints Two Non-Executive Directors
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc (LSE: ONT) ("Oxford Nanopore"
or the "Group"), the company delivering a new generation of
nanopore-based molecular sensing technology, is pleased to announce
that Dr Sarah Fortune and Dr Heather Preston will be joining the
Group as Non-Executive Directors with effect from 19 December 2023.
Sarah Gordon Wild and Wendy Becker, both non-executive directors of
the Company, announced their retirement from Board, with effect
from today and at the conclusion of the AGM in 2024,
respectively.
As a Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Dr Sarah
Fortune brings deep expertise in genomic diagnostics and
multi-omics approaches to infectious disease, including at the
intersection of human genetics. Her world-leading research has
focused on understanding how Tuberculosis (TB) mutates to become
drug resistant using a combination of single cell, genetic, and
genomic approaches, including nanopore sequencing. In 2019, she led
one of three labs awarded funding by the US National Institutes of
Health to establish a new center for immunology research to
accelerate progress in TB vaccine development - work that remains
ongoing. Oxford Nanopore will draw on Sarah's rich experience as
the company seeks to develop more sequencing-based applications in
the clinical space, including its first sequencing-based test for
drug-resistant TB.
Sarah holds a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University and a
Bachelor of Science in biology from Yale University.
Heather joins the board at a time when Oxford Nanopore's
platform and its latest Q20+ chemistry have delivered profound
developments in system performance, including accuracy and data
yield, positioning it for ambitious growth. She brings more than 30
years of experience in healthcare, as a scientist, physician,
McKinsey management consultant and long-time investor in biotech
and the life sciences, most recently as a Managing Partner of
Pivotal BioVentures based in San Francisco. She has been a director
of more than 18 private and public technology-based healthcare
companies, where she was involved in designing and implementing
effective scaling strategies. Oxford Nanopore will draw on her
expertise as it looks to deliver long-term growth and shareholder
value. Heather currently sits on the Boards of Oxford Biomedica
plc, Oxford Science Enterprises plc and Azura Opthalmics.
Heather holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oxford
and a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from St
Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School at the University of
London.
Sarah Gordon Wild, a non-executive director of the Company and
the non-executive responsible for workforce engagement, will retire
from the Oxford Nanopore Board with effect from today, having
served for nine years. Kate Priestman will succeed Sarah as the
non-executive director responsible for workforce engagement. Wendy
Becker, a non-executive director, has informed the Board that she
will not stand for re-election at the next AGM but will remain a
committed supporter of the Company.
Duncan Tatton-Brown, Chair of Oxford Nanopore, said : "We are
extremely pleased to welcome Sarah and Heather on the board as
Non-Executive Directors of Oxford Nanopore. These are two leaders
in their respective fields: Sarah's understanding of the sector,
the technology and Oxford Nanopore's aspirational markets position
her as an ideal resource to support the company's move into the
clinical space. Heather's incredible breadth of experience, in
addition to her understanding of the investor mindset, will provide
a valuable voice on the board as the company looks to scale whilst
delivering shareholder value. I would also like to thank our
outgoing non-executive directors, Sarah and Wendy, for their
outstanding support and contribution during their tenure."
Sarah Fortune, incoming Non-Executive Director of Oxford
Nanopore, said: " Oxford Nanopore's technology is best-in-class -
beautiful, high-performing and unique in its distributed model. I'm
excited to contribute by helping the company achieve its vision of
distributed sequencing, both in resource-limited locations and
across hospitals and other healthcare settings. This is a complex
opportunity that will require engagement from multiple stakeholder
groups, and I also look forward to supporting the company by
applying my passion for bringing people together across disciplines
to enable Oxford Nanopore's ambitious clinical vision."
Heather Preston, incoming Non-Executive Director of Oxford
Nanopore, said: "This is an exciting time in Oxford Nanopore's
growth journey. The company has done a phenomenal job in
establishing the technology in the genomics research market and is
now at the point of being able to scale in a significant way. I
look forward to contributing to this next phase by offering a
strategic sounding board to support the company's decision-making,
prioritisation and identification of the most effective ways to
grow and deliver value."
Gordon Sanghera, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Nanopore,
said : "Sarah and Heather bring substantial experience to support
Oxford Nanopore's next phase of growth in complementary ways.
Sarah's depth of knowledge in human genetics and infectious
disease, in addition to her clinical background, will be critical
to us as we create new opportunities for sequencing in clinical and
applied markets. Heather's expertise both as a clinician and
company builder will help us prioritise effectively for growth and
continue to deliver value. I also want to thank outgoing
non-executive directors Sarah and Wendy for their time, insight and
guidance during their tenure on the board. We appreciate their
significant contributions and wish them well on their next
chapter."
This announcement is made pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6.11R.
There are no other details required to be disclosed under Listing
Rule 9.6.13R.
[ENDS]
For further information, please contact:
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
Investors: ir@nanoporetech.com
Media: media@nanoporetech.com
Teneo
Tom Murray, Olivia Peters
+44 (0) 20 7353 4200
OxfordNanoporeTechnologies@teneo.com
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of the UK version of the market abuse regulation (EU no. 596/2014),
which forms part of English law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018. The person responsible for arranging the
release of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Hannah
Coote, Company Secretary of Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc.
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