Ribbon Biolabs appoints Jodi Barrientos Chief Executive Officer; Founder Harold De Vladar named an advisor and board member.
Vienna, Austria, December 6, 2023 – Ribbon Biolabs GmbH, the DNA synthesis company, announced today that its Board of Directors had appointed Jodi Barrientos as interim Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Barrientos, who joined the company this year as Chief Business Officer, brings substantial market experience to Ribbon Biolabs, as it moves forward with its commercialization plan. Founder and former CEO Harold de Vladar, Ph.D., will serve as a senior advisor to the company and member of the Board.
Said Roopom Banerjee, Managing Partner of Whiteleaf Advisors, and Executive Chairman of the Board at Ribbon Biolabs, “We are so excited that Ribbon Biolabs has reached an inflection point under Harold’s leadership where commercial leadership is critical to the continued growth of the company. Jodi’s extensive experience positions her well to guide the company forward and scale its commercial activities. We are thrilled that Harold will remain deeply engaged with Ribbon Biolabs as an advisor and board member.”
Added Jodi Barrientos, “Ribbon Biolabs is poised to be a leader in long, complex synthetic DNA and I’m excited to work more closely with the team to advance our commercial plans and scale our company. We are addressing the significant opportunities for delivering tailored solutions through automated synthetic DNA to power the next wave of biotechnology innovation in the market. We have the right people and the proprietary next-generation technology to transform Ribbon Biolabs into a key provider of synthetic molecules, and with our whole team working together, we are well positioned for success.”
A recent accomplishment at Ribbon Biolabs was the successful production of complex, synthetic DNA molecules of 20,000 basepairs, a key milestone well above current industry standards.
Stated Dr. de Vladar, “I am delighted with the progress we have made so far in bringing Ribbon Biolabs from an early-stage start-up to a company on the cusp of commercialization. As Ribbon Biolabs enters its commercial stage, we recognise that strong commercial leadership is needed to accelerate the company’s growth in entering the market. We appreciate the support of our partners and investors who have assisted us through this journey, and share our excitement about our bright future, which could help dramatically accelerate R&D efforts worldwide in the furtherance of scientific innovation aimed at improving health worldwide.”
Prior to joining Ribbon Biolabs as Chief Business Officer this year, Barrientos was Vice President of Commercial Marketing for the Diagnostics Genomics Group at Agilent Technologies, where she leveraged her market knowledge and commercial experience to bring innovative products to the genomics, pathology, and companion diagnostics markets. She led global teams focused on building brand awareness, driving market access, and executing key strategic M&A activities. During her tenure at Agilent, Barrientos also held leadership roles in Commercial Operations and Sales in both clinical and research markets. Before joining Agilent Barrientos served in Global Product Management positions at Qiagen GmbH and Field and Technical Applications at Roche Diagnostics. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Purdue University.
About Ribbon Biolabs
Ribbon Biolabs is a synthetic biology leader driving DNA synthesis beyond the limits of current technologies. With our automated, enzyme-based InfiniSynth® platform, Ribbon Biolabs can provide DNA molecules without size or sequence limitations, at a high level of accuracy and at unprecedented speed. We are pioneering a highly differentiated approach to create value for our partners and for the next wave of innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry.