Placement | Oxford Biodynamics appoints Jon Burrows as Chief Executive Officer
Following a successful global search, The RSA Group is pleased to announce the placement of Dr Jon Burrows as the new Chief Executive Officer at Oxford BioDynamics Plc, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of biomarkers.
Dr Burrows brings over 25 years of industry experience with an established track record in oncology and personalized medicine within big pharma, biotech and molecular diagnostics companies. He is the co-founder of Oncology Partners, a consulting and clinical advisory firm focused on providing strategic counsel to development stage pharma, biotech, medical devices and diagnostic companies. Previously, Jon was President and CEO of OncoPlex Diagnostics, a leader in clinical proteomics for oncology. Under Jon’s leadership OncoPlex was transformed from a private, pre-revenue stage company into a thriving clinical diagnostics business with marketed products, which was ultimately acquired by NantOmics in May 2015. From 2007 to 2009, he was Director of Business Development and Interim Head of the Translational Diagnostics Business Unit at Ventana Medical Systems, and subsequently Director of Pharma Operations at Roche, following the $3.4 billion acquisition of Ventana Medical Systems by Roche in 2008. His early career was in oncology drug development and the development of molecular diagnostics for precision medicine.
Jon will lead the company from a base in Maryland, USA, a location which will help OBD to further expand its US presence.
Nick Stephens, Executive Chairman of The RSA Group commented, “It was crucial that we find exactly the right person to take over the helm from the remarkable Christian Hoyer Millar, who has been OBD’s CEO since 2007 and lead its successful admission to trading on AIM in 2016, raising gross proceeds of £20 million. The combination of Jon’s proven experience and ability to scale companies, coupled with his deep expertise in the diagnostics space, are the perfect combination to lead OBD into its next phase of growth and towards its goal to become a global leader in this field.”
“We’re delighted to welcome someone of Jon’s calibre to Oxford BioDynamics. He has a proven ability to grow businesses, and deep expertise in the oncology space, both highly valuable qualities as we move into the next phase of growth,” said Stephen Diggle, Interim Chairman. “I would like to acknowledge the fundamental role that Christian has had and the exceptional contribution he has made in growing Oxford BioDynamics into a successful, public business with a strong balance sheet and vast potential. We are delighted he will continue to play a major role within OBD and I look forward greatly to him working with Jon to grow Oxford BioDynamics into a significant healthcare company,” he added.
Christian Hoyer Millar, current Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioDynamics, added, “Having been part of the founding team of Oxford BioDynamics in 2007, it brings me a great deal of satisfaction to be in a position to hand over to someone of Jon’s quality. As with any business in our sector, the US is the most important market for our product. We would like to thank The RSA Group for truly listening and understanding our requirements, for their advice and efficient communication before, during and after the process, and most importantly for helping us to secure someone of Jon’s calibre.”