QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced that Thierry Bernard has been named Chief Executive Officer.
Additionally, a Joint Meeting of the Supervisory Board and the Managing Board has resolved to propose Mr. Bernard, who has been with QIAGEN since 2015, for election as Chief Executive Officer and a Managing Director at the next Annual General Meeting, which is set to take place in June 2020, along with the re-election of Roland Sackers as Chief Financial Officer and a Managing Director. The Joint Meeting further resolved to propose the current members of the Supervisory Board to all stand for re-election: Håkan Björklund, Stéphane Bancel, Metin Colpan, Elaine Mardis, Lawrence Rosen and Elizabeth Tallett.
“Thierry Bernard is an outstanding leader who has performed impressively while guiding QIAGEN through a period of significant change since taking on this role on an interim basis in October 2019,” said Håkan Björklund, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of QIAGEN N.V. “He is a strong and proven leader with extensive industry expertise and deep customer relationships. Most important, he has shown the energy and skill to drive QIAGEN forward and has been a key leader in achieving the agreement for QIAGEN to be acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in a transaction that remains on track for completion in the first half of 2021 and will create a bright future for our trusted QIAGEN brand, employees and product portfolio.”
“It has been an honor to lead QIAGEN on an interim basis, and I would like to thank the Supervisory Board, my colleagues in the Executive Committee, and all of our QIAGENers worldwide. The progress we have made at QIAGEN during a transformational period would not have been possible without the highest level of teamwork,” said Thierry Bernard. “More than ever, QIAGEN has a critical role to play in helping to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to live up to our vision of helping to make improvements in life possible. We are determined to help authorities and medical staff around the world respond quickly to those who are ill and prevent the spread of this disease. I am confident that our teams will rise to this unprecedented challenge.”
Forward Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, launches, regulatory submissions, collaborations, markets, strategy, taxes or operating results, including without limitation its expected net sales, net sales of particular products (including anticipated sales of its QuantiFERON latent TB Test, its portfolio of next generation sequencing solutions and QIAstat-Dx), adjusted net sales, adjusted diluted earnings per share results, product launches (including anticipated launches of digital PCR products, a new version of its QuantiFERON-TB test, QuantiFERON-TB Access, the QIAstat-Dx panel for respiratory conditions and a CE-IVD marked panel for meningitis), placements of QIAsymphony modular PCR instruments, improvements in operating and financial leverage, currency movements against the U.S. dollar, and plans for investment in its portfolio and share repurchase commitments, are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics); variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes; the commercial development of markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors); our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate and protect our products from competitors' products; market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses; and the other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 3 of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Additionally, a Joint Meeting of the Supervisory Board and the Managing Board has resolved to propose Mr. Bernard, who has been with QIAGEN since 2015, for election as Chief Executive Officer and a Managing Director at the next Annual General Meeting, which is set to take place in June 2020, along with the re-election of Roland Sackers as Chief Financial Officer and a Managing Director. The Joint Meeting further resolved to propose the current members of the Supervisory Board to all stand for re-election: Håkan Björklund, Stéphane Bancel, Metin Colpan, Elaine Mardis, Lawrence Rosen and Elizabeth Tallett.
“Thierry Bernard is an outstanding leader who has performed impressively while guiding QIAGEN through a period of significant change since taking on this role on an interim basis in October 2019,” said Håkan Björklund, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of QIAGEN N.V. “He is a strong and proven leader with extensive industry expertise and deep customer relationships. Most important, he has shown the energy and skill to drive QIAGEN forward and has been a key leader in achieving the agreement for QIAGEN to be acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in a transaction that remains on track for completion in the first half of 2021 and will create a bright future for our trusted QIAGEN brand, employees and product portfolio.”
“It has been an honor to lead QIAGEN on an interim basis, and I would like to thank the Supervisory Board, my colleagues in the Executive Committee, and all of our QIAGENers worldwide. The progress we have made at QIAGEN during a transformational period would not have been possible without the highest level of teamwork,” said Thierry Bernard. “More than ever, QIAGEN has a critical role to play in helping to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to live up to our vision of helping to make improvements in life possible. We are determined to help authorities and medical staff around the world respond quickly to those who are ill and prevent the spread of this disease. I am confident that our teams will rise to this unprecedented challenge.”
Forward Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, launches, regulatory submissions, collaborations, markets, strategy, taxes or operating results, including without limitation its expected net sales, net sales of particular products (including anticipated sales of its QuantiFERON latent TB Test, its portfolio of next generation sequencing solutions and QIAstat-Dx), adjusted net sales, adjusted diluted earnings per share results, product launches (including anticipated launches of digital PCR products, a new version of its QuantiFERON-TB test, QuantiFERON-TB Access, the QIAstat-Dx panel for respiratory conditions and a CE-IVD marked panel for meningitis), placements of QIAsymphony modular PCR instruments, improvements in operating and financial leverage, currency movements against the U.S. dollar, and plans for investment in its portfolio and share repurchase commitments, are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics); variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes; the commercial development of markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors); our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate and protect our products from competitors' products; market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses; and the other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 3 of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
