Dr John Anson has taken over as CEO of Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) from Dr Mike Evans, who has become a non-executive director of OGT’s board. In addition, as part of the company’s increasing focus on diagnostics following its acquisition by Sysmex Corporation, OGT has appointed Paul Kenny in a new regulatory position — EVP of regulatory and medical affairs. This new appointment will equip the company to successfully navigate the ever-evolving IVD regulatory landscape.
Dr Mike Evans has been with the company since 2005 during which time he spearheaded OGT’s transformation from a microarray licensing-led business model to a molecular genetics products business. During his tenure, Dr Evans oversaw the successful acquisition and incorporation of OGT’s Cytocell fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) probes business in 2014—beginning the transformation into a diagnostics company. In 2017, Dr Evans led the company through the smooth acquisition by Sysmex, a leading provider of haematology and in vitro diagnostics products.
Dr Anson has been responsible for OGT’s successful alignment with market growth in molecular genetics and the move towards molecular diagnostics. Dr Anson led R&D teams that are now collaborating with Sysmex to develop an automated system for FISH testing that combines Sysmex’s instrumentation technology with OGT’s high-quality FISH reagent development expertise. As CEO, Dr Anson will lead the company in its next chapter and help realise the opportunities of bringing together OGT’s innovation and expertise in genetic assays with Sysmex’s instrument development and in vitro diagnostic capabilities.
