Featured image: Michael Iskra, the company’s interim CEO. Photo: QuidelOrtho
The QuidelOrtho Corp. Board of Directors announced it has terminated Douglas Bryant, president and CEO of QuidelOrtho. Bryant has also resigned from the Board, both effective Feb. 21, 2024.
The company says the decision aims to enhance operational efficiency, drive revenue growth, and deliver shareholder value. To ensure business continuity and effective leadership, the Board formed the Office of the Chief Executive Officer on Feb. 17, 2024. The Office of the CEO is led by Michael Iskra, the company’s executive VP and chief commercial officer; Robert Bujarski, executive VP and chief operating officer; and Joseph Busky, chief financial officer.
In this transition, Iskra has been appointed as the interim CEO, and Bujarski as the interim president, effective Feb. 21, 2024. Both will continue to fulfill their current responsibilities while assuming the additional duties of their new roles. Kenneth F. Buechler, PhD, will remain as Chairman of the Board and will provide guidance to the Office of the CEO, supported by other Board members.
“Now is the time for a change in leadership that can accelerate our initiatives to improve efficiencies, drive growth and increase shareholder value,” says Buechler. “All of us would like to thank Doug for his years of dedication and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
The Board has started a comprehensive search to identify a new CEO, considering both internal and external candidates. There is no change to the company’s financial guidance provided on Feb. 16, 2024. Additionally, the company will postpone its previously announced Investor Day until a later date.
Iskra has over a decade of global executive leadership experience and more than 30 years of experience in the diagnostics and healthcare products and services industries. Iskra brings significant knowledge and expertise across strategy, sales, marketing, operations and general management. Prior to his current role, Iskra was executive VP of commercial excellence and strategy at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Holdings plc from 2020 to 2022.
Robert Bujarski has two decades of enterprise experience at the company spanning the full spectrum of operational, commercial, and legal functions within the diagnostics sector. Bujarski also brings significant knowledge and expertise across strategy, business development and R&D.
Prior to his current role, Bujarski was the Chief Operating Officer of Quidel Corporation from September 2020 to May 2022, where he architected expansions of Quidel’s operational scope and scale.
Further reading: QuidelOrtho Gets FDA Clearance for Multiplex Molecular Platform and Herpes Simplex Virus Assay
