Accuri Cytometers Announces Senior Management Transition

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuri Cytometers Inc., a life sciences company marketing innovative bench-top flow cytometer systems, today announced that co-founder and CEO Jennifer Baird has resigned and will be replaced by Jeffrey S. Williams, most recently President and CEO of HandyLab Inc., an Ann Arbor-based molecular diagnostics company acquired by Becton Dickinson for $275 million in November 2009.

"Jennifer Baird has done an outstanding job of taking Accuri from an audacious concept to a successful, high growth company in a few years' time," said George Dunbar, Chairman of the Board of Accuri Cytometers.  "Ms. Baird led the Accuri team that successfully developed and commercialized a powerful new cell analysis flow cytometer system which is revolutionizing major aspects of life science research.  As a result of the rapid expansion of the company, Ms. Baird and the Board of Directors agreed that it was appropriate to bring on a chief executive with extensive experience in growing established life science companies.  We are delighted to have recruited Jeff Williams, a highly qualified candidate with local roots who is well suited to lead Accuri to the next stage."

Accuri, with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan and a European office in the United Kingdom, now employs 80 people worldwide and has users on all seven continents.

Ms. Baird commented, "I have enjoyed immensely the challenges of developing and commercializing Accuri's game-changing flow cytometer system over the last five years.  I'm also very proud of the Accuri team that is responsible for our success, exemplified by the company's outstanding performance in 2009 -- we tripled our sales to more than $10 million last year.  I believe that our employees and shareholders are fortunate to have someone with Jeff Williams' experience at the helm at this exciting time for the company."

Prior to HandyLab, Mr. Williams was President and Chief Executive Officer of Genomic Solutions Inc., an Ann Arbor-based life science instrumentation company.  He led Genomic Solutions through a period of rapid growth culminating in an IPO and eventual merger with Harvard Biosciences, Inc.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Williams held positions of increasing responsibility at several life science companies, including IRIS, Boehringer Mannheim (now part of Hoffmann LaRoche) and the Organon division of Akzo Nobel.   

Mr. Williams noted, "Accuri represents a tremendous opportunity and I very much look forward to working with the Accuri team.  Accuri's flow cytometer systems represent a true breakthrough, bringing the power of this formerly complex and expensive technology to the lab of virtually any scientist in an affordable and easy-to-use format.  The rapid adoption of the company's initial products and our growing worldwide presence make Accuri well positioned for continued rapid growth and near-term profitability.  I look forward to the challenge of continuing to build the company's momentum and helping lead it to further success."  

Mr. Williams received a BS degree summa cum laude from Alma College and an MBA with high distinction from the University of Michigan.

About Accuri Cytometers

Accuri Cytometers, Inc. is a life sciences company developing and marketing revolutionary high performance cell analysis systems designed to bring the power of flow cytometry into the labs of life science researchers everywhere. Reflecting the input of hundreds of researchers, the Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer® is a full-featured bench-top cell and bead analysis system that provides similar capabilities to those of industry-leading flow cytometers in an easy-to-use format and at a fraction of their cost. The Accuri system was engineered from the start to be compact, powerful and user-friendly, while also being affordable by most research laboratories. The Accuri CSampler® adds simple, reliable and user-friendly automation to the Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer System. For more information, please visit www.AccuriCytometers.com.

SOURCE Accuri Cytometers, Inc.