Dr Peter Meintjes will take over the cancer diagnostics company role from longstanding chief executive David Darling in January.
Dr Meintjes, at present living in Boston, is joining Pacific Edge with a background in global diagnostics, biotechnology and commercial leadership.
His most recent role was chief commercial officer at Eurofins-Transplant Genomics, a transplant diagnostics company based in Massachusetts.
In that role, he led the commercialisation of the company’s suite of tests for biomarkers of organ rejection.
Before that, he spent six years with Hungary-based Omixon, a global molecular diagnostics company focused on pre-transplant organ and recipient compatibility testing, in both senior executive roles and chief executive.
Dr Meintjes started his business career in New Zealand with Auckland firm Biomatter after completing his PhD in biological sciences at the University of Auckland in 2008.
In a statement to the NZX yesterday morning, Pacific Edge chairman Chris Gallaher said the company was delighted Dr Meintjes had agreed to join it.
‘‘We are particularly pleased to have been able to attract back to New Zealand, and to Dunedin, a New Zealander who has built an impressive international track record in molecular diagnostics and who has succeeded in the highly competitive US market,’’ Mr Gallaher said.
In the same statement, Dr Meintjes said he was ‘‘excited and delighted’’ to be joining Pacific Edge and returning to New Zealand after a long period working overseas.
‘‘I am looking forward to engaging with the Pacific Edge team, its customers and the loyal investors who have underwritten the achievements of the past few years,’’ he said.
‘‘I am also looking forward to returning home to New Zealand, being close to family and introducing my young family to the great Kiwi lifestyle,’’ he said.
Dr Meintjes will officially take over as chief executive on January 10, when Mr Darling stands down after 18 years in the role.
Mr Darling will continue with the company as a consultant.
