Last checked at 19 Dec 2023 14:00
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.
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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.