October 15, 2018.  (Branford, CT) Richard Birkmeyer, PhD, selected as President and CEO of GeneSpark Diagnostics, Inc.

Richard “Rick” Birkmeyer, PhD, has been chosen as the President and CEO of GeneSpark Diagnostics, Inc.  Before joining GeneSpark Diagnostics, Rick was CEO at CD Diagnostics, Inc. The company developed synovial fluid biomarkers using immunoassay technology which have won numerous awards and are now the gold standard in the orthopedic industry.  The company was acquired by Zimmer Biomet in 2017.

“Richard Birkmeyer is a seasoned executive and an accomplished entrepreneur with a proven track record. We are excited and happy to have him on board to lead the company through this important period for GeneSpark Diagnostics,” said Board Chairman Chris McCleod.

Prior to CD, Rick founded Strategic Diagnostics, Inc. a leading provider of biotechnology-based detection solutions for a broad range of food, water, agricultural, industrial, environmental and life science applications.  As its CEO, Rick grew revenues to $26 million and operated the business profitably.  Rick established and implemented highly successful strategic corporate partnerships with Fortune 100 companies, raised venture capital financing, and completed six acquisitions including utilizing a financial reverse merger in 1996 to create a publicly traded company NASDAQ: (SDIX) and liquidity for SDI’s venture capital investors.

Prior to founding Strategic Diagnostics, Rick was employed by E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, most recently as a Manufacturing Product Manager responsible for production of 26 immunoassays for the clinical diagnostics market. Rick also serves as a general partner for Leading Edge Ventures.

Rick received his B.S. in Biology from the State University of New York, Plattsburgh and his Ph.D. in biochemistry and immunology from the State University of New York, Binghamton. Rick also completed post-doctoral research in immunogenetics at Iowa State University.