SAN DIEGO, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc.
(NASDAQ:ILMN) today announced that Bob
Ragusa has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of
GRAIL, a healthcare company whose mission is focused on
multi-cancer early detection, effective immediately. GRAIL
currently operates as a separate and independent unit of
Illumina.
"With over three decades of experience in genomics, Bob
possesses the strategic vision and strong track record of execution
to successfully scale GRAIL and bring its breakthrough early cancer
detection test to billions around the world," said Francis deSouza,
Chief Executive Officer, Illumina, Inc. "His extensive experience
building and leading high-performing organizations, as well as his
deep understanding of our industry, make Bob the perfect fit to
lead GRAIL. I'd also like to thank Hans for his leadership and
commitment to advancing multi-cancer early detection."
Hans Bishop, who has been Chief
Executive Officer since June 2019,
has chosen to step down and will serve as Advisor to Bob Ragusa through the end of 2021.
"Successfully bringing Galleri™, GRAIL's multi-cancer early
detection test, to market has been one of the proudest achievements
of my career," said Hans Bishop. "I
am grateful to have led GRAIL over the last two and a half years.
With Illumina, GRAIL's world-class talent will advance innovation
to further accelerate the development and commercialization of new
diagnostic tools and services in the fight against cancer."
Ragusa is one of the most respected leaders in the industry with
over 30 years of experience in genomics. As Illumina's Chief
Operations Officer, he was responsible for significantly scaling
the business to serve over seven thousand customers in more than
140 countries. He was also responsible for Illumina's Clinical Lab
Services which processed millions of genomic samples per year. His
organization included the global Manufacturing, Clinical Lab
Services, Supply Chain, Quality, Life Cycle Management, Information
Technology, and Global Facilities and Real Estate teams, all
committed to ensuring high product quality and customer
satisfaction.
Before joining Illumina in 2013, Ragusa was Executive Vice
President of Engineering and Global Operations at Accuray, a
radiation oncology company, where he and his team were responsible
for the development, manufacturing and distribution of innovative
precision treatment solutions. Ragusa served as Senior Vice
President of Global Operations for Applied Biosystems, where he
played an instrumental role in ramping up the availability of QPCR,
as well as the sequencing systems that were used by the Human
Genome Project.
"Leading GRAIL is the culmination of my career, including my
work in genomics, oncology and scaling businesses to increase
access to groundbreaking products that positively impact human
health," said Ragusa. "I am honored to lead this talented team
during a time of extraordinary growth and discovery with the
express purpose of deploying innovation and cutting-edge science to
help save lives."
Ragusa holds a Master of Science in Biomedical and Electrical
Engineering from Carnegie Mellon
University as well as a Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the
University of Connecticut.
About Illumina
Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the
genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global
leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving
customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our
products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology,
reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. To
learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us
on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram,
and YouTube.
Investors:
Brian Blanchett
858.291.6421
IR@illumina.com
Media:
Dr. Karen Birmingham
EMEA: +44 7500 105665
US: 646.355.2111
kbirmingham@illumina.com
Use of forward-looking statements
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties
associated with the development and commercialization of, and our
ability to develop and commercialize, the products of GRAIL,
including the Galleri cancer screening test. Among the
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements
are: (i) challenges inherent in developing and launching new
products and services; (ii) our ability to deploy new
products, services and applications, and to expand the markets for
our technology platforms; (iii) our ability to accelerate our
innovation and reduce customer costs; (iv) the acceptance by
customers of our products, which may or may not meet our and their
expectations; (v) the risks and costs associated with the
integration of, and our ability to integrate, GRAIL's business
successfully to achieve anticipated synergies, including any delay
in integration following any hold separate period; (vi) our
ability to obtain regulatory clearance for GRAIL's products from
government agencies; (vii) our ability to obtain approval by
third-party payors to reimburse patients for GRAIL's products;
(viii) the risk that disruptions from the consummation of our
recent acquisition of GRAIL or any associated legal or regulatory
proceedings or obligations will harm our business, including
current plans and operations; (ix) potential adverse reactions
or changes to business relationships resulting from the
consummation of our recent acquisition of GRAIL and
(x) legislative, regulatory and economic developments,
together with other factors detailed in our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent
filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in
public conference calls, the date and time of which are released
beforehand. We undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to
update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm
analysts' expectations or to provide interim reports or updates on
the progress of the current quarter.
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SOURCE Illumina, Inc.