Neville Jopson, who has been in the position for nearly five years, will remain with the company but the time was right for someone with a ''fresh perspective'' to take over, he said.
Dr Campbell, who received the future business leader award in the 2012 Westpac Otago Chamber of Commerce business awards, said it was exciting to be part of a growing business.
She wanted to see continued growth at AbacusBio, but not if it undermined who it was as a company and what it delivered or compromised the company's culture, she said.
Growth was sought both in New Zealand and internationally, where there were many opportunities, particularly in emerging markets like China where there was real requirement for genetic improvement which was the company's core capability.
At the same time, it also wanted to ''keep New Zealand ahead''.
After completing a science degree in botany at the University of Otago, Dr Campbell embarked on a PhD in cereal biotechnology at Lincoln University and Crop and Food Research.
After completing her PhD, she worked for the University of Southern Queensland and discovered DNA markers for wheat quality and disease-resistance traits.
She returned to New Zealand in 2001 to work as a scientist at Invermay, moving to AbacusBio in 2006 as she wanted to become more commercially focused.
Dr Campbell was passionate about the agribusiness sector and its opportunities.
She encouraged young people to look at it as a serious career path, citing the wide range of opportunities.
At AbacusBio, staff ranged from IT workers through to farm consultants and genetic specialists.
Staff numbers were now almost at 40, along with interns, and encompassed nine nationalities.
Dr Jopson was looking forward to getting back into more science application work, particularly within the Beef and Lamb New Zealand Genetics programme.
He worked at Invermay Research Centre prior to joining AbacusBio in 2001 as a consulting scientist.
He was appointed a director and shareholder in 2006 and became managing director in 2010.
He has received various accolades for his work, including the McMeekan Memorial Award last year for his ''outstanding contribution'' to animal production in New Zealand, and the sheep industry science award at this year's Beef and Lamb New Zealand Sheep Industry Awards.
Reflecting on the past five years at AbacusBio, Dr Jopson said relationships built with companies and organisations such as Alliance Group, DairyNZ, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Beef and Lamb New Zealand Genetics, and New Zealand King Salmon stood out.
