Peter D. Meldrum (1947-2018)
December 31 2018 - 7:05AM
Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) today announced that the
company’s former CEO Peter Durkee Meldrum, age 71, passed away on
Thursday, December 20, 2018.
Pete was a co-founder of Myriad Genetics, forming the company
with Dr. Mark Skolnick in 1992. Pete steered the company from
its inception through its initial public offering in 1995, to a
profitable company with more than 2,500 employees that provided
over two million patient test results by the time of his retirement
in 2015.
Under his leadership, the company made numerous important
strategic and scientific achievements including the discovery of
the BRCA1/2 genes; the launch of BRACAnalysis, which was the first
commercial test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer; the
acquisitions of Myriad RBM and Crescendo Bioscience; and the
company’s expansion outside the United States to name a few.
“We are deeply saddened by Pete’s passing,” said Mark. C.
Capone, president and CEO, Myriad Genetics. “He was a scientific
visionary and pioneer in the fields of personalized medicine and
molecular diagnostics. He cared deeply about making a
difference in patients’ lives by providing perfect test results
which are values that we continue to live by every day.”
Pete was born on June 26, 1947, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the
eldest son of Benjamin “Nibs” Meldrum and Grace Durkee
Meldrum. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in
chemical engineering from the University of Utah in 1970 and his
MBA from the University of Utah in 1974. He received an
honorary Doctorate of Science from Westminster College in 2004 and
an honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Utah in
2009.
Pete was selected by Scientific American as one of the Top 50
Scientific Visionaries in the World and was a member of the
“Scientific American Thinkbank.” He was awarded the
“Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology” in 1998 and received
the “Mountain West Venture’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award” in
2001. He received the “Distinguished Chemical Engineer Award”
from the University of Utah in 2007 and the “American Federation
for Aging Research Award of Distinction” in 2008. He was
inducted into the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame in 2009.
Pete loved the arts and served on several Utah-based arts
boards, including Pioneer Theatre Company and Ballet West. In
2011, he received the prestigious “Bravo Award” for his
philanthropic efforts for the arts. He also served on the
Boards of Westminster College Board of Trustees, the Museum of
Natural History, the National Advisory Council, and Fine Arts
Advisory Board of the University of Utah.
After retiring from Myriad, Pete served as executive director of
The Meldrum Foundation, the family’s private charitable foundation
that supports educational endeavours, artistic activities and
humanitarian programs. He also served as chairman of the
Board of Directors for Golden Pine Ventures, LLC, a venture capital
firm focused on the development of biotechnology and biomedical
companies.
“Pete’s business acumen drove our company’s growth throughout
his tenure as CEO,” said John T. Henderson, M.D., chairman of the
board, Myriad Genetics. “His consistent focus on the
individual patient, commitment to research and strive for
perfection were the cornerstones of his success and are values that
we continue to cherish as a company.”
Pete was married to his wife Catherine for 48 years. He is
survived by his wife, Catherine; his brother, Daniel (Patty); his
son Christopher (Jenette); three grandsons, Ian, Colin, and Aidan;
and multiple nephews and nieces.
About Myriad GeneticsMyriad Genetics Inc., is a
leading personalized medicine company dedicated to being a trusted
advisor transforming patient lives worldwide with pioneering
molecular diagnostics. Myriad discovers and commercializes
molecular diagnostic tests that: determine the risk of developing
disease, accurately diagnose disease, assess the risk of disease
progression, and guide treatment decisions across six major medical
specialties where molecular diagnostics can significantly improve
patient care and lower healthcare costs. Myriad is focused on
five strategic imperatives: build upon a solid hereditary
cancer foundation, growing new product volume, expanding
reimbursement coverage for new products, increasing RNA kit revenue
internationally and improving profitability with Elevate
2020. For more information on how Myriad is making a
difference, please visit the Company's website: www.myriad.com.
Myriad, the Myriad logo, BART, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris
AP, myPath, myRisk, Myriad myRisk, myRisk Hereditary Cancer,
myChoice, myPlan, BRACAnalysis CDx, Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx,
myChoice HRD, EndoPredict, Vectra, GeneSight, riskScore Prolaris,
ForeSight and Prelude are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Myriad Genetics, Inc. or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the
United States and foreign countries. MYGN-F, MYGN-G.
Media Contact: |
Ron Rogers |
Investor Contact: |
Scott Gleason |
|
(801) 584-3065 |
|
(801) 584-1143 |
|
rrogers@myriad.com |
|
sgleason@myriad.com |
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