A pioneer in microarray technology and a leader in genomics analysis, Affymetrix now develops and provides innovative technologies that enable multiplex and parallel analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene level, facilitating the rapid translation of results into biology for a better world.

Our extensive portfolio of transitional and clinical solutions enables scientists and clinicians to rapidly translate their research into understanding underlying disease mechanisms, identifying biomarkers for personalized medicine, creating novel molecular diagnostic tests, and improving genetic marker-assisted breeding programs in agriculture for human health and wellness.

We strive to provide leadership and support, partnering with our customers in their quest for answers toward clinical utility and routine use. Our mission is to enable the translation of biological knowledge into routine practice.

Management Team

Frank Witney, Ph.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Frank Witney brings more than 30 years of experience in leadership and innovation in life science research, products, and diagnostic and analytical instruments to Affymetrix. He previously served at Affymetrix as executive vice president and chief commercial officer following Affymetrix' acquisition of Panomics Inc., a quantitative biology company he pioneered for six years as president and chief executive officer. Prior to his return to Affymetrix, Dr. Witney was president and chief executive officer of Dionex Corp., leading this ion and high performance liquid chromatography company to a hugely successful acquisition by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Dr. Witney also served as president and chief operating officer of Packard BioScience, overseeing global operations, research and development, manufacturing, and worldwide sales, achieving rapid growth in revenues and operating profits. When Packard was acquired by PerkinElmer Life Sciences, he became president of PerkinElmer's Drug Discover Tools division, managing the reagent and instrument business units for high-throughput screening, research products, genomics/proteomics and liquid handling automation.

Earlier in his management career, Dr. Witney held a series of positions at Bio-Rad Laboratories, most recently as Group Operations Manager of the Life Science Group, leading efforts to enter rapidly growing markets for proteomic and bioassay technologies.

Dr. Witney was a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health and holds a doctorate in molecular and cell biology from Indiana University.

Timothy Barabe

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Barabe joined Affymetrix in March 2010. He has held a broad range of financial and strategic roles in the life sciences and healthcare industries. From July 2006 to March 2010, Mr. Barabe was Senior Vice President & CFO of Human Genome Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Rockville, Maryland. From September 2005 to June 2006, he was Managing Director of the U.K. at Molnlycke Health Care., a U.K.-based, privately owned surgical supply company, having been its CFO from September 2004 to September 2005. Prior to joining Molnlycke, Mr. Barabe was with Novartis AG from 1982 to 2004 in a succession of senior executive positions in finance, general management, and strategic planning, including CFO of the Sandoz Generics Business Unit (Vienna, Austria), President of the CIBA Vision Corporation Specialty Lens Business Franchise, Group Vice President and CFO of CIBA Vision Corporation, and Director of Corporate Finance, Ciba-Geigy Corporation (subsequently acquired by Novartis AG). Mr. Barabe received his MBA in finance from the University of Chicago and his BBA in finance from the University of Massachusetts. He is a member of the Board of Directors of ArQule, Inc.

David Weber

Executive Vice President, Global Commercial Operations

Mr. Weber heads the Global Commercial Operations team and is responsible for Global Sales, Marketing, Service, and Support. He brings over 30 years of experience in the life science industry. Mr. Weber previously served as President of MomentusBio, a life sciences consulting company, and prior to that as Vice President of the Life Science Practice for The Linus Group, a life sciences marketing firm. Earlier in his career, Mr. Weber was President and CEO of Eksigent Technologies; Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Stratagene; and President, Americas Region, for Amersham Biosciences (GE Healthcare). Mr. Weber is a Henry Rutgers Scholar with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Rutgers University and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He has also served on the Board of the Analytical and Life Science Systems Association (ALSSA).

Siang Chin

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Ms. Chin brings a broad range of legal experience to Affymetrix, having spent, collectively, approximately 20 years in private legal practice and public company management. Ms. Chin joined Affymetrix in 2007. Prior to joining Affymetrix, Ms. Chin practiced law at Shearman & Sterling and Slaughter and May. Ms. Chin received her law degree from the King's College, University of London.

Andrew Last, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President of Genetic Analysis and Clinical Applications Business Unit

Dr. Last has 25 years of global experience in the life science, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and agrochemical industries. In his role as Executive Vice President of Genetic Analysis and Clinical Applications Business Unit, he is responsible for all sales, marketing, and service initiatives. Dr. Last previously served as Vice President, Global Marketing & Strategic Planning at BD Biosciences Cell Analysis and General Manager of the company's Pharmingen Business. He has also held senior management positions at Applied Biosystems and Incyte Genomics. Dr. Last holds a Ph.D. in Agrochemical Specialization and a Master's degree in Bio-Aeronautics from Cranfield University in the UK, and a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Leicester, UK.

George Bers

Senior Vice President, Division Executive

Mr. Bers is the co-leader of the Expression Business Unit and is responsible for Marketing, Sales, and Research and Development of the Panomics Solutions portfolio. Mr. Bers' career in the life sciences industry spans 36 years and includes general management experience in proteomics, genomics and cellular analysis research products, and clinical diagnostics. Mr. Bers has served in senior management positions including Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at Panomics; President of Life Science Research Division and Vice President of Systems Biology Business Center at Beckman Coulter ; Vice President of Business Development at Nanogen; and Vice President, Group Manager of Clinical Diagnostics and Vice President, Group Manager of Molecular Biosystems at Bio-Rad Laboratories. Mr. Bers received his B.A. from Duke University and his M.S. in Biochemistry from Georgetown University. He is also a graduate of the Stanford Business School Executive Management Program and has served on the Board of the Analytical and Life Science Systems Association (ALSSA).

Kevin Cannon, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Expression Business Unit

Dr. Cannon is currently the co-leader of the Expression Business Unit and is responsible for the Affymetrix GeneChip Expression Applications. He previously served as Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Gene Expression. Dr. Cannon brings over 30 years of marketing and management experience in a variety of industry segments including biotechnology, molecular diagnostics, agrochemical research, and consumer packaged goods. Prior to joining Affymetrix in 2010, he was responsible for managing market expansion and growth within the blood screening clinical diagnostics market for Novartis Diagnostics, driving the implementation of nucleic acid assays for blood screening in Brazil, China, Russia, and India. Previously, he worked at Applied Biosystems, where he was responsible for the global launch of a gene expression microarray system and management of RT-PCR instruments, consumables, and assays. Dr. Cannon managed leading products at MDL Information Systems, Incyte Genomics and Monsanto, addressing the needs of the pharmaceutical and agricultural research markets, including drug discovery informatics, software, genomic information databases and agricultural products. Dr. Cannon holds an Executive MBA in marketing from St. Mary's College and a Ph.D. and M.S. in Entomology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received his B.S. in Biology from Frostburg State University.

Don Tartre

Senior Vice President, eBioscience Business Unit

Mr. Tartre has an accomplished track record in profitably guiding and growing research-driven companies in the life sciences, biotechnology, and software sectors for more than 20 years. Mr. Tartre served as President and Chief Executive Officer of eBioscience from September, 2010 until its acquisition by Affymetrix in June, 2012 and also served as Chief Financial Officer since April, 2010. He previously held senior leadership positions at Solera Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SLH), Gen-Probe Inc. (now part of Hologic), and Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now part of Pfizer). Mr. Tartre is a certified public accountant in the state of California (inactive status) and received a B.S. in business administration from the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.

Joe Magro

Vice President, Life Science Reagents Business Unit

Mr. Magro has 15 years of experience in the healthcare and life science industries where he has served in leadership roles across sales, marketing, commercial operations, quality, and training and development. Prior to joining Affymetrix in 2008, Mr. Magro led Sales Operations for the Patient Monitoring business at GE Healthcare. During his 11 years with GE, Mr. Magro held a variety of management roles in sales, driving consistent revenue growth with a focus on customer satisfaction. He earned certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt while improving commercial effectiveness, training Green Belts, and mentoring process improvement projects across the commercial team. Mr. Magro earned his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and holds a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Camellia Ngo

Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Ms. Ngo joined Affymetrix in 2011 to lead the global Human Resources organization. Prior to joining Affymetrix, she served as Vice President of Human Resources at Magma Design Automation from 2000-2012, where she contributed to the company's high growth from pre-IPO to over 1,000 employees globally. Before joining Magma, Ms. Ngo was a Sr. Compensation Consultant at CompAnalysis, and practiced international and employment law. She brings significant organizational development and compensation experience, and focuses on building the company’s competitive people advantage through HR strategies that reinforce a winning culture and inspire Affymetrix employees to excel and contribute to the company's growth. She holds a bachelor's degree in Organizational Development Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. degree from UC Hastings College of the Law.

Directors

Stephen P.A. Fodor, Ph.D.

Affymetrix Founder and Chairman

Stephen P.A. Fodor, Ph.D. is our Founder and Chairman. Dr. Fodor has served as director since 1993. He served as Chief Executive Officer from 1997 to 2008 and as Chairman from 1999 to present. At various times between 1993 and 1997, Dr. Fodor served as President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Fodor was Vice President and Director of Physical Sciences at the Affymax Research Institute from 1989 to 1993. Dr. Fodor is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cellular Research, Inc. and serves as a Trustee of the Carnegie Institution of Science and as a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Fodor also serves on a variety of scientific advisory boards. The Board of Directors selected Dr. Fodor as a director nominee because he is the founder of the Company and our former Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors values Dr. Fodor’s extensive knowledge of the Company and our industry, his scientific vision and his perspective on emerging technologies and markets.

Frank Witney, Ph.D.

Affymetrix President and Chief Executive Officer

Frank Witney, Ph.D. has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director since July 2011. Dr. Witney served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Dionex Corporation from April 2009 to May 2011. Between December 2008 and April 2009, Dr. Witney served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. Previously, Dr. Witney served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Panomics, Inc. from July 2002 to December 2008. The Board of Directors selected Dr. Witney as a director nominee because the Board values Dr. Witney’s industry experience and his perspective as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Nelson C. Chan

Chief Executive Officer (Retired)
Magellan Navigation, Inc.

Nelson C. Chan has served as a director since March 2010 and is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Chan served as Chief Executive Officer of Magellan Navigation, Inc. from 2006 to 2008. From 1992 through 2006, Mr. Chan served in various senior management positions with SanDisk Corporation, including most recently as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Business. Mr. Chan is a member of the Board of Directors of Coinstar, Inc. and Synaptics Incorporated. The Board of Directors selected Mr. Chan as a director nominee because of his substantial experience with public and private companies, both as an executive and as a board member, and his expertise in building profitable technology companies. Mr. Chan also qualifies as a financial expert and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

John D. Diekman, Ph.D.

Managing Partner
5AM Ventures

John D. Diekman, Ph.D., has served as a director since 1992. Dr. Diekman has served as a managing partner of 5AM Ventures, a life sciences investment partnership, since 2002. From June 1998 until 2002, Dr. Diekman served as a managing director of Bay City Capital, a life sciences merchant bank. Dr. Diekman served as Chairman of the Company from 1993 to August 1999 and served as Vice Chairman from August 1999 to December 1999. Dr. Diekman served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company from July 1995 to March 1997. Prior to such time, Dr. Diekman served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Affymax N.V. from 1991 to March 1995 and as Chairman of the Board of Affymax from 1994 to July 1995. The Board of Directors selected Dr. Diekman as a director nominee because of his detailed knowledge of the life science industry. Dr. Diekman’s experience in investments and acquisitions makes him a valuable advisor on issues relating to strategic planning and business development processes. The Board also values Dr. Diekman’s experience serving on the boards of various public and private companies

Gary S. Guthart, Ph.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer
Intuitive Surgical

Gary S. Guthart, Ph.D. has served as a director since May 2009 and is a member of the Compensation Committee. Dr. Guthart has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. since January 2010. Dr. Guthart joined Intuitive Surgical, Inc. in April 1996, became Chief Operating Officer in 2006, and was promoted to President in 2007. Prior to joining Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Dr. Guthart was part of the core team developing foundation technology for computer enhanced-surgery at SRI International (formally Stanford Research Institute). Dr. Guthart serves on the Board of Directors of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. The Board of Directors selected Dr. Guthart as a director nominee because of his experience in the management of complex, high-growth businesses. The Board values Dr. Guthart’s contribution to the Company’s strategic planning and business development efforts and his insights as a member of the Compensation Committee.

Jami Dover Nachtsheim

Corporate Vice President of the Sales and Marketing Group and Director of Worldwide Marketing (Retired)
Intel Corporation

Jami Dover Nachtsheim has served as a director since March 2010 and is the Chairwoman of the Compensation Committee. Ms. Nachtsheim served in a variety of positions with Intel Corporation from 1980 until her retirement in 2000, most recently as Corporate Vice President of the Sales and Marketing Group and Director of Worldwide Marketing. Ms. Nachtsheim is a member of the Board of Directors of FEI Company and The Tech Museum of Innovation. The Board of Directors selected Ms. Nachtsheim as a director nominee because of her extensive experience in bringing high technology products to market and her service as a board member of numerous public and private organizations. The Board values the guidance she provides with respect to market strategies and her contributions as the Chairwoman of the Compensation Committee.

Robert H. Trice, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development (Retired)
Lockheed Martin Corporation

Robert H. Trice, Ph.D. has served as a director since 2006, is the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee. Dr. Trice served as Senior Vice President for Business Development at Lockheed Martin Corporation from October 1998, and assumed additional duties as Senior Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin Corporation from March 2009 until his retirement in January 2011. The Board of Directors selected Dr. Trice as a director nominee because of his broad experience in government relationships (many of our large customers are government institutions) and his extensive background as a business development leader. The Board values his financial literacy and wide-ranging business competencies, which qualify him to serve on the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Robert P. Wayman

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Retired)
Hewlett-Packard Company

Robert P. Wayman has served as a director since 2007, is our lead independent director and a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Wayman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hewlett-Packard Company from 1984 until his retirement in December 2006. Mr. Wayman also served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard Company from February 2005 through March 2005 and served on the Board of Directors of Hewlett-Packard Company from February 2005 to March 2007 and from 1993 to 2002. Mr. Wayman has served as a director of CareFusion Corp. since 2009. The Board of Directors selected Mr. Wayman as a director nominee because of his broad-based financial expertise and business experience. The Board of Directors values Mr. Wayman’s background in finance and company operations, corporate governance and compliance, and the leadership that he has provided as the lead independent director and as a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

 

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Corporate History

Affymetrix' GeneChip® technology was invented in the late 1980's by a team of scientists led by Stephen P.A. Fodor, PhD. The theory behind their work was revolutionary – a notion that semiconductor manufacturing techniques could be united with advances in combinatorial chemistry to build vast amounts of biological data on a small glass chip. This technology became the basis of a new company, Affymetrix, formed as a division of Affymax, N.V. in 1991. Affymetrix began operating independently in 1992. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the Company completed its initial public offering in June 1996.

The Company commenced commercial sales of the GeneChip® system for research use in 1994 and currently sells its products directly to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrichemical, diagnostic and consumer products companies, as well as academic, government, and other non-profit research institutes.

Corporate Overview

Affymetrix, through internal development and acquisitions, provides innovative technologies that enable multiplex and parallel analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene level, facilitating the rapid translation of results into biology for a better world.

The Company's customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, aquaculture, and consumer products companies, as well as, academic, government, and other non-profit research institutes. Our extensive portfolio of transitional and clinical solutions enables scientists and clinicians to rapidly translate their research into understanding underlying disease mechanisms, identifying biomarkers for personalized medicine, creating novel molecular diagnostic tests, and improving genetic marker-assisted breeding programs in agriculture for human health and wellness.

Affymetrix has about 1,100 employees worldwide and maintains sales and distribution operations across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

We strive to provide leadership and support, partnering with our customers in their quest for answers toward clinical utility and routine use. Our mission is to enable the translation of biological knowledge into routine practice.

Acquisitions

eBioscience, Inc.

In June 2012, Affymetrix acquired eBioscience Holding Company, Inc., a privately held San Diego, California-based company that is an industry leader in flow cytometry and immunoassay reagents for immunology and oncology research and diagnostics. eBioscience offers one of the world’s largest selections of antibodies, ELISAs, and proteins for life science research and diagnostics.

Panomics, Inc.

In November 2008, Affymetrix acquired Panomics Inc., a privately held Fremont, California-based company that offers a powerful suite of assay products for a wide variety of low- to mid-plex genetic, protein, and cellular analysis applications.

True Materials Inc.

Affymetrix acquired True Materials Inc., a privately held San Francisco-based company that has developed a technology capable of multiplexing up to 10,000 markers, in July 2008.

USB Corporation

Affymetrix acquired USB Corporation, a privately held Cleveland, Ohio-based company that provides an extensive line of molecular biology and biochemical reagent products, in December 2007. The acquisition included Anatrace, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that provides membrane protein extraction and purification products.

ParAllele BioScience Inc.

Affymetrix acquired ParAllele BioScience, Inc., a privately held provider of highly scalable technology for comprehensive genetic studies, in October 2005.

Neomorphic, Inc.

Affymetrix acquired Neomorphic, Inc., a privately held computational genomics company, in October 2000.

Genetic MicroSystems, Inc.

Affymetrix acquired Genetic MicroSystems, Inc., a privately held Massachusetts instrumentation company specializing in DNA array technology, in February 2000.

Patents

Affymetrix has a variety of U.S. patents issued. To see a current listing, please visit the Affymetrix Licensing Program page on our website.

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