TUCSON, Ariz., July 2, 2019 — The Critical Path Institute (C-Path) is pleased to announce that after an extensive search, it has appointed Kristen Swingle as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective July 1, 2019.
Swingle, who previously served as Vice President of Stem Cell Operations for Cord Blood Registry (CBR), a part of California Cryobank Life Sciences, specialized in newborn stem cell collection, processing and cryopreservation, brings nearly two decades’ worth of experience in the medical and molecular sciences industry to bear in her new role as she leads the daily operations of the organization and development and implementation of C-Path’s global strategy and goals.
Kristen Swingle
“We are excited to welcome Kristen to C-Path,” said C-Path President and CEO Joseph Scheeren, PharmD. “She is joining C-Path at an important time for our organization, when we are growing and making incredible progress in numerous areas of critical unmet medical need. I look forward to working with her as we continue to push the boundaries of research in order to bring about innovative tools to expedite the development of treatments and cures for some of the world’s most relentless, rare and devastating diseases and medical conditions.”
Selected as one of the top 500 Arizona Business Leaders for 2017 by Arizona Business Leader publication, one of only five leaders named in the Bioscience category, Swingle began her career as a research and development specialist, but quickly moved into operations roles which highlighted her skills in product development and manufacturing, quality and regulatory affairs management, project and fiscal management, and team leadership.
“The strength of C-Path’s work is in the way multidisciplinary teams from across the pharmaceutical industry, patient organizations, disease foundations, academia and regulatory agencies come together in a neutral environment to achieve a common goal,” said Swingle. “I am equally honored and excited to bring my leadership experience to C-Path as it develops new approaches to advance medical innovation and regulatory science, and I look forward to working with our staff and collaborators in accelerating the path to a healthier world.”
In 2005, Swingle moved to Cord Blood Registry (CBR), in Tucson, Arizona, where she held a variety of positions, culminating in her appointment in 2018 as Vice President, Stem Cell Operations and Tucson Facility. In this role, she oversaw stem cell manufacturing and quality operations and served as the site head for the Tucson facility which houses a stem cell laboratory, cryobank and call center operations. There she led nearly 200 employees across varying business units, including Laboratory and Quality Operations, Inside Sales, Customer Service, Technology, Human Resources and Finance.
Among Swingle’s long list of accomplishments is being named Chairwoman of AZBio Board of Directors in 2018 and serving as the 2017 Chair of the AMAG Women’s Network Steering Committee, with a mission to support the professional development of women within the healthcare industry.
Swingle holds a BS in Biology from Northern Arizona University and Master of Science (MS), Medical Sciences from Texas A&M University.
Swingle succeeds COO Steve Broadbent, MBA, who has held the position since 2012. Under Broadbent’s strategic leadership, C-Path’s revenue, number of employees, and the number of consortia it operates have more than doubled. Broadbent will continue to serve as a C-Path Special Operations Advisor until September to ensure a seamless transition.
About C-Path
Critical Path Institute (C-Path) is an independent, nonprofit organization established in 2005 as a public and private partnership. C-Path’s mission is to catalyze the development of new approaches that advance medical innovation and regulatory science, accelerating the path to a healthier world. An international leader in forming collaborations, C-Path has established numerous global consortia that currently include more than 1,600 scientists from government and regulatory agencies, academia, patient organizations, disease foundations, and dozens of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. C-Path U.S. is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona and C-Path, Ltd. EU is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with additional staff in multiple remote locations. For more information, visit c-path.org and c-path.eu.
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