Berkeley Lights Announces Changes to Board of Directors

Rhea-AI Summary

Berkeley Lights, Inc. (BLI) announced leadership changes, appointing Gregory T. Lucier as the new Chairperson of the Board, effective May 14, 2021, succeeding Michael Marks, who is retiring. John Chiminski, CEO of Catalent, joins the Board as an Independent Director. Lucier aims to advance Berkeley Lights' mission in digital cell biology, while Chiminski expresses enthusiasm for the company's growth potential. CEO Eric Hobbs praised both leaders for their extensive experience in life sciences. Marks was acknowledged for his key contributions during the company's transition to a public entity.

Positive

• Appointment of Gregory T. Lucier as Board Chair may provide fresh strategic direction.
• John Chiminski's experience in healthcare could enhance board insights and business growth.

Negative

• Retirement of Michael Marks may cause concerns over leadership continuity.
• Potential experience gaps as new members acclimate to the company.

Gregory T. Lucier named Board Chairperson, succeeding Michael Marks

John Chiminski joins Board as an Independent Director

EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Berkeley Lights, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLI), a leader in digital cell biology, today announced that Gregory T. Lucier has been named Chairperson of the Board of Directors, effective May 14, 2021. He will succeed Michael Marks, who is retiring from the Board. Concurrent with this appointment, John Chiminski, chief executive officer and chairperson of Catalent, will join the Berkeley Lights’ Board as an independent director.

"I am honored to be appointed Board Chair and continue to work alongside the Berkeley Lights team to enable a future where cells are a scalable and sustainable way to manufacture the products that we need to live a long and healthy life,” said Mr. Lucier. “The Berkeley Lights Platform is key to enabling this future by providing precise, rapid discovery and functional validation of biology.”

“I am excited to join Berkeley Lights and be part of an organization that is transforming the cell-based product value chain across a wide range of applications and markets," said Mr. Chiminski. "The Berkeley Lights platform is incredibly powerful, and I look forward to helping guide the Company into its next phase of growth.”

"I am pleased to welcome John to our Board and for Greg to lead our Board as Chair,” said Eric Hobbs, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Berkeley Lights. “Collectively, our Board has deep experience across the life sciences and healthcare industries along with a proven track record of business and strategic growth execution. We have an incredible group of leaders around the table who will be an invaluable resource as we execute on our strategy to transform the market for cell-based products.”

“I also want to thank Michael Marks for his leadership and contributions to Berkeley Lights over the last several years. He provided valuable guidance and expertise as we transitioned from a start-up to a publicly traded, cell-based technology leader,” stated Dr. Hobbs.

About Gregory T. Lucier
Mr. Lucier is chief executive officer of Corza Health, which in partnership with private equity firm GTCR, provides governance, strategic insights and growth capital to expand the equity value of companies across the life sciences and medtech industries. Before Corza Health, he most recently served as CEO at NuVasive. Prior to that, he was CEO at Life Technologies—formerly Invitrogen—which he grew into a global life sciences powerhouse that was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific for approximately $15 billion. Mr. Lucier serves on several public and private company boards, including Catalent, Dentsply Sirona, and Maravai Life Sciences. He holds a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

About John Chiminski
Mr. Chiminski has been the CEO of Catalent, Inc. since 2009 and also serves as the Board chairperson. Prior to Catalent, he spent more than 20 years with GE Healthcare, including serving as president and CEO of GE Medical Diagnostics, a global business with sales of $1.9 billion. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Chiminski served as vice president and general manager of GE Healthcare’s Global Magnetic Resonance Business, and from 2001 to 2005, as vice president and general manager of Global Healthcare Services. Earlier in his career, he held a series of cross-functional leadership positions in both manufacturing and engineering. In 2019, Mr. Chiminski was selected as the inaugural recipient of CPhl Pharma Lifetime Achievement Award. He holds a B.S. from Michigan State University and an M.S. from Purdue University, both in electrical engineering, as well as a Master’s Degree in Management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

About Berkeley Lights
Berkeley Lights is a leading digital cell biology company focused on enabling and accelerating the rapid development and commercialization of biotherapeutics and other cell-based products for our customers. The Berkeley Lights Platform captures deep phenotypic, functional and genotypic information for thousands of single cells in parallel and can also deliver the live biology customers desire in the form of the best cells. Our platform is a fully integrated, end-to-end solution, comprising proprietary consumables, including our OptoSelect™ chips and reagent kits, advanced automation systems, and application software. We developed the Berkeley Lights Platform to provide the most advanced environment for rapid functional characterization of single cells at scale, the goal of which is to establish an industry standard for our customers throughout their cell-based product value chain.

Forward Looking Statement
To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Berkeley Lights or its products, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that relate to future events, and actual results and product performance could differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Berkeley Lights undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties relating to the Berkeley Lights platform and the company’s execution on its growth strategy and expansion into additional markets, see the statements in the "Risk Factors" sections, and elsewhere, in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Berkeley Lights Platform and the Berkeley Lights’ Beacon^® and Lightning^™ systems and Culture Station^™ instrument are FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Press Contact
berkeleylights@bulleitgroup.com

Investor Contact
ir@berkeleylights.com

FAQ

Who is the new Chairperson of Berkeley Lights (BLI)?

Gregory T. Lucier has been appointed as the new Chairperson effective May 14, 2021.

Why is Michael Marks retiring from Berkeley Lights' Board?

Michael Marks is retiring after providing leadership during Berkeley Lights' transition to a publicly traded company.

What is John Chiminski's role in Berkeley Lights (BLI)?

John Chiminski joins the Board as an Independent Director, bringing significant experience from his role at Catalent.

What impact might the leadership changes have on Berkeley Lights (BLI)?

The changes could lead to new strategic directions and growth opportunities, leveraging the extensive experience of the new Board members.