Johnny Ek, former GenMark CFO, Joins Specific Diagnostics as Chief Financial Officer

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Specific Diagnostics today announced the appointment of Johnny Ek as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Ek is an industry veteran with over 20 years in public and private corporate financial leadership. Mr. Ek had served since 2019 as the Chief Financial Officer of public company GenMark, overseeing its rapid growth to $200M in annual sales, and the process that led to its purchase by Roche Diagnostics for $1.8B in Q2 of this year. Mr. Ek had previously served as GenMark's VP of Finance and Controller since November 2013. Prior to joining GenMark, Mr. Ek was Vice President and International Controller at Affymetrix and Corporate Controller at eBioscience prior to its sale to Affy. He began his career as a CPA at Ernst and Young, in the audit and advisory practice where he supported the successful initial public offerings of several San Diego life science firms.

"Johnny brings the perfect set of skills and experience to Specific at this dynamic time in our commercial growth," said Dr. Paul A. Rhodes, Specific's CEO. "Beyond his deep finance and accounting expertise, Johnny brings considerable credibility and relationships in the public investor community, as well as hands-on commercial operations experience directly within our product space. As our commercial operation in Europe builds and we move to the US, he will bring the experience gained at GenMark, a $200M company at its sale, as Specific rapidly expands."

"I'm very excited for the unique opportunity to join Specific Diagnostics," said Mr. Ek. "I have witnessed first-hand the significant market demand for rapid diagnostics and the reception of Specific's Reveal rapid AST instrument is no surprise to me. The insights I acquired at GenMark as we brought rapid ID products to market gives me the confidence that the market is very ready for rapid AST. Current European deployments of Reveal instruments position us well for commercial expansion in the US, where we are now moving to clinical studies. Specific's Reveal system is offered at a price-point with cost of goods that will allow us the opportunity to broadly meet a very clear market need around the world.

Mr. Ek holds a B.S. in finance from Brigham Young University, a Masters in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, and is a CPA.

About Specific

Specific Diagnostics has developed in vitro diagnostic systems based upon a unique, patented metabolomic signature technology that enables rapid detection and identification of microorganisms as they grow in culture. Its first commercial application applies this fundamental new capability to the rapid determination of antimicrobial susceptibility directly from positive blood cultures, as well as isolate dilutions. Specific is based in Mountain View, CA. For press inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Media Contact

Jeffrey Holman, Specific Diagnostics, 3176179153, [email protected]

Twitter

SOURCE Specific Diagnostics