New England Biolabs® Chief Executive Officer Announces Retirement

Jim Ellard stepping down after nearly two decades of growth and scientific advancement

IPSWICH, Mass., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New England Biolabs (NEB®), a pioneer in the field of molecular biology and global supplier of reagents to the life science industry, today announced that its long-time Chief Executive Officer, Jim Ellard, will retire, effective August 15^th, 2022. Ellard, who's been with the company for 39 years, 17 years as CEO, will remain Chairman of the Board. Dr. Salvatore (Sal) Russello, currently NEB's Director of OEM & Customized Solutions, has been appointed as his successor. Russello will become only the third person to lead NEB since it was founded in 1974.

Ellard joined NEB in 1984 and has served as CEO since 2005, when founder, Dr. Donald G. Comb, transitioned into retirement. Under Ellard's leadership, NEB has expanded its product portfolio and technical capabilities to support a wide variety of applications that impact human health, including clinical sequencing, molecular diagnostics and, more recently, the production of DNA and RNA for nucleic acid-based vaccines and molecular therapies. Additionally, the company expanded its worldwide distribution network, which now includes eight subsidiary offices and more than 60 distribution partners around the globe. Ellard's tenure also saw the expansion of production capabilities, ISO 13485 quality certification, and continued emphasis on both basic and applied research.

"When I joined NEB as a summer intern 39 years ago, I never could have imagined the profound impact and emotional connection that I'd develop for this company," stated Ellard. "Simply put, NEB is family to me, and the genuine joy and gratitude I have for Don Comb and every single person who has ever worked here is overwhelming. I'm proud of how we have grown, persevered and evolved. It has been an incredible journey—at times challenging and emotionally draining, but always satisfying, exhilarating and hopeful. As Chairman of the Board, I will remain an active member of the NEB family and help ensure that we remain true to our core values of passion, humility and being genuine."

Ellard continued, "Over the past 15 years, Sal Russello has done a tremendous job establishing long-term relationships with our customers and has helped position NEB as a strategic partner to scientists and entrepreneurs developing groundbreaking new technologies. His business acumen, devotion to NEB, passion for science and leadership experience make him a natural fit to assume the CEO role and position us for continued growth."

Rusello brings more than 20 years of experience in the life sciences to his new role at NEB. He joined the company in 2007, as the Associate Director of Business Development and transitioned to the Director of OEM & Customized Solutions in 2017. Prior to joining NEB, he served as the Director of Reagent Marketing at Caliper Life Sciences, now a part of PerkinElmer, and as Business Development Manager at Cell Signaling Technology.

"I'm humbled by the trust that Jim and the Board have placed in me to uphold the reputation that NEB has earned over the last half century. As CEO, I will ensure that we continue to be guided by a strong sense of purpose to enable research, advance science, value every employee, and grow sustainably. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in NEB's legacy of advancing scientific discovery and thrilled that I can play a part in it."

Established in the mid 1970s, New England Biolabs, Inc. is the industry leader in the discovery, development and production of enzymes and technologies for molecular biology applications. NEB continues to expand its product offerings into areas related to PCR, gene expression, library preparation for next generation sequencing, synthetic biology, glycobiology, epigenetics and RNA analysis. Additionally, NEB is focused on enabling new technologies in key market sectors, including molecular diagnostics, clinical sequencing, and nucleic acid-based therapeutics and vaccines. New England Biolabs is a privately held company, headquartered in Ipswich, MA, USA and has extensive worldwide distribution through a network of exclusive distributors, agents and eight subsidiaries located in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the UK. For more information about New England Biolabs, Inc., visit www.neb.com.

NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS® and NEB® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.

SOURCE New England Biolabs