Aldevron, a global leader in the custom development and manufacture of plasmid DNA, proteins, mRNA and antibodies to the biotech industry, has named Brian Walters, President of its antibody business unit and Tom Foti President of its protein business unit.
Walters is currently Chief Business Officer at its headquarters in Fargo, ND. He will split his time between Freiburg, Germany, home to Aldevron’s antibody business unit, and Fargo. Foti is currently the Vice President and General Manager of Aldevron’s Madison, WI, facility, and will remain at that location.
Both Foti and Walters will continue to report to Michael Chambers, Chief Executive Officer, and will help the company with strategic initiatives to expand and improve how the company supports clients in their gene and cell therapy research.
“Tom has been with Aldevron for 10 years, and Brian for six,” said Chambers. “Each has served our company well and their individual experience and leadership skills are exactly what we need as we continue on our growth trajectory. They will support our team and goals, while never losing sight on what drives Aldevron – providing the highest quality biologics to help solve the world’s greatest health problems.”
Walters has nearly 25 years of experience in economic development innovation and business development, and finance. He is currently leading the manufacturing space expansion efforts of Aldevron’s Freiburg facility that were announced earlier this year. Before joining Aldevron as Chief Financial Officer in 2013, he was Economic Development Director for the city of Winter Springs, Florida; Executive Vice President of Innovation & Business Development for the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Orlando, Florida; and President of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, Fargo.
Walters earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a minor in Mathematics from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, and a Master of Science in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS. Walters lives in Fargo with his wife and two children.
Foti has more than 25 years of biotechnology experience. He started his career with Novagen, serving in both manufacturing and operational roles; moving to Merck KGaA’s bioscience division where he spent 10 years in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility, leading their Global Custom Services Business Unit before moving to Aldevron in 2009. He is currently overseeing the expansion of Aldevron’s Madison site to include a 1,000 L fermenter, among other manufacturing improvements.
Foti earned a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Microbiology from North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, a Master's in Business Administration from Edgewood College, Madison, and a Management Leadership Certificate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston. He serves on the regional board of directors of Thrivent Financial. Foti lives in Madison with his wife and three children.
About Aldevron
Aldevron serves the biotechnology industry with custom production of nucleic acids, proteins, and antibodies. Thousands of clients use Aldevron-produced plasmids, RNA and gene editing enzymes for projects ranging from discovery research to clinical trials to commercial applications. These products are critical raw materials and key components in commercially available drugs and medical devices. Aldevron specializes in GMP manufacturing and is known for inventing the GMP-SourceTM quality system. Company headquarters are in Fargo, North Dakota, with additional facilities in Madison, Wisconsin, and Freiburg, Germany. To learn more, visit www.aldevron.com.
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