Syniad’s Gemina Appoints Diagnostics Executive Brian First as Chief Executive Officer 

September 6, 2022, Vancouver, British Columbia – Syniad Innovations Inc (“Syniad”) is excited to announce that Gemina Laboratories Ltd.  (“Gemina”) has appointed Brian Firth, (an accomplished industry executive) as the Gemina’s new Chief Executive Officer.  The appointment of Mr. Firth follows a multi-month process initiated by the Board of Gemina and current executive team to identify candidates with specific industry experience and proven capabilities to lead Gemina’s development, as it transitions from a wholly R&D-focused company into a revenue and growth-oriented business. Mr John Davies, Syniad’s CEO, will step down from his role as Gemina’s founding CEO to become Chairman.

Brian Firth brings to Gemina an enviable career focused on health tech, specifically Point-of-Care diagnostics. He is an accomplished executive with extensive international experience in the sector. Brian spent nearly 8 years at Swiss Precision Diagnostics, one of the world’s leading point-of-care diagnostics companies, with operations in more than 50 countries. Swiss Precision Diagnostics is the manufacturer of the globally recognized and market-leading Clearblue family of pregnancy and fertility monitoring point-of-care tests. Brian acted as Managing Director of Swiss Precision Diagnostics’ UK subsidiary before becoming Chief Operating Officer of Swiss Precisions Diagnostic GmbH (the parent company) in Geneva, Switzerland. At Swiss Precision, Brian was responsible for a broad range of business processes including quality management, human resources, regulatory affairs, customer service and research leadership. Swiss Precision is jointly owned by Procter & Gamble and Abbott Laboratories.

Prior to his time at Swiss Precision, Brian was a management consultant for Coopers and Lybrand, working with a blue-chip client roster before he established his own advisory practice focused on health-tech and specialty chemistry businesses, working with companies such as AGFA, Johnson & Johnson, Akzo Nobel and Inverness Medical, where he played a key role in establishing the business that was sold to Johnson & Johnson for $1.3 billion. Subsequently, he founded The Health Works Ltd (a specialist operations consultancy) that was eventually sold to GE Healthcare. His career has also included time in the human wellness market, particularly human performance monitoring for applications in sports medicine and workplace diagnostics.

Commenting on today’s announcement, John Davies, Syniad’s CEO, said, “I am delighted to welcome Brian into his new role; it’s an extraordinary accomplishment to have him join the Gemina team. Brian brings a new level of international sector-relevant experience and strategic acumen to Gemina at this critical stage of its development. He has taken a systematic approach to getting to know Gemina and the significance of Gemina’s technology platform, engaging with the Company methodically since 2021, most recently as a member of the Gemina Advisory Board. Appointing a CEO of Brian’s caliber is a clear signal, not only of the tangible successes that we have registered to date, but of our ambitions for the future. It also speaks to the value that Brian and the rest of the Gemina team believe can be created with our novel chemistry platform for diagnostics.”

Brian Firth added, “What Gemina has achieved in just 2 short years is extraordinary. You come across disruptive chemistry like this maybe once in a lifetime. And the extraordinary element extends to the people they have already attracted – they are absolutely world class. I’m joining a Company that has validated its proprietary chemistry platform, has a team of world class experts on staff, and is on-track to generate its first revenues – all achieved within the last 24 months. My goal now is to transform Gemina into a globally recognised point-of-care technology company. I wouldn’t be here if I thought the goal was unachievable. Over the coming months, I look forward to engaging with the Company’s stakeholders and communicating my vision of how Gemina is going to win in its chosen markets.” 

Learn more at: https://www.geminalabs.com/