Our Team
Experience in bold innovation
We demand more and set new expectations for the standard of healthcare.
Our experienced leaders aim to raise the bar to bring forward a world where genomics truly informs precision oncology for all patients, anywhere.
ArcherDX Executive Leadership Team
Jason Myers is a co-founder of ArcherDX, Inc. and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. With more than 20 years of experience in the biotech industry, Dr. Myers has established a track record of successful technology development and enterprise value creation. Prior to founding ArcherDX, Dr. Myers led cross-functional platform and sequencing application development for Ion Torrent™ where his leadership contributed to the $725 million-dollar acquisition of Ion Torrent™ by Life Technologies in 2010. In addition, Dr. Myers discovered and successfully licensed a first of its kind loss-of-function RNAI screening product to leading molecular chemistry companies including Ambion, Invitrogen, Roche, Stratagene and UBS.
Dr. Myers received his Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology from Stanford University School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Applied Science from Colorado State University.
Josh Stahl is the Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of ArcherDX. Josh joined ArcherDX, Inc. in 2013, guiding the company’s product portfolio first as director of NGS research and development and scientific operations and later as vice president of research and development. In 2016, Josh expanded his role, assuming responsibility for ArcherDX’s operational functions.
Prior to joining ArcherDX, Josh was a scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific where he worked on the company’s gene modulation portfolio developing siRNA and shRNA NGS-based screening methods.
Josh holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from West Virginia University. He attended graduate school at the University of Colorado, Boulder where he earned both a master’s degree in Biochemistry and a Master of Business Administration degree in Entrepreneurship.
Karen joined ArcherDX, Inc. in February 2019 as Executive Vice President of Human Resources. With more than 20 years’ experience leading Human Resource (HR) teams in high-growth companies ranging from venture-backed startups to publicly traded Fortune 500 businesses, Karen Fritschen brings strategic vision and multidisciplinary expertise to ArcherDX. A former Global Vice President of Human Resources, Karen has built high performing global teams and successfully led functional due diligence and integration efforts for multiple acquisitions. Prior to joining Archer, Karen launched Ensemble HR Services Group, Inc., a human resources consultancy supporting high growth businesses in a variety of industries Karen joined ArcherDX, Inc. in February 2019 as Executive Vice President of Human Resources. With more than 20 years’ experience leading Human Resource (HR) teams in high-growth companies ranging from venture-backed startups to publicly traded Fortune 500 businesses, Karen Fritschen brings strategic vision and multidisciplinary expertise to ArcherDX. A former Global Vice President of Human Resources, Karen has built high performing global teams and successfully led functional due diligence and integration efforts for multiple acquisitions.Prior to joining Archer, Karen launched Ensemble HR Services Group, Inc., a human resources consultancy supporting high growth businesses in a variety of industries
Karen attended Regis University and received professional certifications through the Human Resource Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Ryan Walters is the Executive Vice President of Research & Development at ArcherDX. Dr. Walters oversees Assay Development of research and regulated assays utilizing ArcherDX’s AMP™ technology. He is responsible for delivering innovative, high-quality assays for use in oncology, immunology and hereditary conditions. Dr. Walters launched the custom assay development team at ArcherDX in 2015 and developed a scalable solution to rapidly deliver customized assays for use with RNA, DNA or cfDNA.
Dr. Walters holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
Dr. Todd Druley currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for ArcherDX, Inc. Dr. Druley completed a Bachelor’s in Cell and Structural Biology from the University of Illinois in 1994 and his M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the University of Illinois in 2002. From there, he trained in pediatric oncology at Washington University in St. Louis. He established the first regional clinic for children with cancer predisposition as well as oversee the inpatient bone marrow transplant, oncology and hematology services. In 2009, he established a genomic laboratory focused on improving molecular diagnostics in cancer. With funding from the National Cancer Institute and multiple philanthropic organizations, the lab developed a track record of genomic innovation leading to novel physiologic and translational insights, most notably in the field of clonal hematopoiesis.
In 2019, Dr. Druley was inducted into the American Society of Clinical Investigators and serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards for the B+ Foundation and the Kids Shouldn’t Have Cancer Foundation. At ArcherDX, Dr.Druley oversees a Medical Affairs program supporting clinical and translational research that applies new genomic technologies to improve the surveillance, treatment and outcomes of all cancer patients.
Rich Sjogren is the Vice President of Operations at ArcherDX. Rich joined ArcherDX in 2018 by way of the acquisition of Baby Genes, Inc, a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited clinical diagnostic laboratory focused on constitutional genomics. Rich brings over 20 years of experience to his responsibility for the operational elements at ArcherDX, to include procurement, manufacturing, logistics, clinical services, facilities and information systems.
Prior to joining ArcherDX, Rich was the co-founder and President / CEO of Baby Genes, Inc. Before that, Rich was the vice president / general manager of the government line of business at Metron Aviation, a subsidiary of Airbus dedicated to optimizing air and surface traffic for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), major airlines and various international air navigation service providers (ANSPs). Earlier in his career, he was a commissioned military officer supporting the Intelligence Community (IC) developing, deploying and operating state-of-the-art technology platforms to support the warfighter.
Rich holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, CO and a master’s degree in business administration from Auburn University in Auburn, AL.
Ben Carver is General Counsel of ArcherDX, Inc.Ben joined ArcherDX in August 2019. Prior to ArcherDX, Ben served in the legal department of Molson Coors Brewing Company with a focus in growth initiatives and implementing strategic transactions and new expansion opportunities. Before this, Ben advised technology and life sciences companies as an attorney at Cooley LLP and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, PC, where he represented growth companies and their investors in corporate matters and strategic transactions.Ben has guided companies through initial public offerings, acquisitions, and debt and equity financings. He has acted as outside general counsel and advised on board and governance matters, corporate structure, commercial partnerships, and employment and consulting arrangements.
Ben holds a JD from Stanford Law School and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.
Sandra Close brings more than 25 years of diverse experience in health outcomes, diagnostic, medical device, and therapy development to ArcherDX, Inc. having successfully guided more than 20 drugs, biologics and medical devices through domestic and international regulatory approval.
Prior to joining ArcherDX, Sandra served as chief executive officer of GenEngine, a pharmaceutical and diagnostic product industry consulting practice providing clinical development and registration strategies including drug discovery studies, phase I through IV global clinical trials, biomarker and companion diagnostic development and laboratory procedures including validation to regulatory standards (CAP, CLIA, ISO, FDA, EMA, FQS). In addition, Sandra was responsible for building the health outcomes function for Baxter Healthcare/Caremark, leading the research and clinical biomarker functions –including personalized medicine and companion diagnostics –at Eli Lilly and Company and served as the Chief Scientific Officer for Arrogen, an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory with operations in the US and the UK.
Sandra holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, a Master of Science degree from Columbia University, New York and a PhD in Medical and Molecular Genetics from Indiana University, Indianapolis.
Andrea joined ArcherDX in November 2019.
Prior to joining ArcherDX, Andrea was head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications for Array BioPharma, prior to its acquisition by Pfizer Inc. From 2015 to 2018, Andrea built and led the investor relations and communications functions at Novavax, Inc., a publicly traded clinical-stage vaccine company. From 2013 to 2015, Andrea led investor relations and communications programs for a broad range of life sciences, biotech and biopharma companies as part of Russo Partners. Andrea received her Ph.D. in Cell Biology as part of an HHMI-funded, National Academy of Sciences laboratory at the University of Iowa and was a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia University and the University of Arizona. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Rocky Mountain Chapter.
Vice President of Product Management & Marketing
Maggie joined ArcherDX, Inc. in March 2020 as Vice President of Product Management & Marketing.
Maggie is a commercial executive with more than 15 years of expertise in life sciences, genomics and diagnostics. Maggie formerly served as the Vice President of Global Marketing at Bionano Genomics where she led the strategic direction and execution of marketing operations, product management and branding for the company’s proprietary genome imaging technology. Prior to Bionano, she spent more than 7 years at Agilent Technologies, where she played pivotal roles in business development, sales and regional marketing management for the Diagnostics and Genomics Division supporting NGSand cytogenetics workflows, including assays, software and instrumentation,for research and clinical markets. Her career history also includes bench research, coupled with a variety of business development, sales and marketing responsibilities and achievements from such companies as Stratagene, Incyte Genomics, Cogenics, and Advanced Cell Diagnostics.
Maggie holds a Master of Science degree in Molecular Cancer Biology, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a certificate in Genetics, from Duke University.
Jason Haddock joined ArcherDX, Inc. in May 2020 as interim Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Haddock formerly served as Chief Financial Officer of Array BioPharmaInc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, from July 2016 to July 2019 when Array was acquired by Pfizer Inc. Prior to Array, he served as CFO and COO at BERG Health, a privately held Boston biopharmaceutical company from June 2015 to July 2016. From November 2001 to January 2015, he held leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Bristol-Myers Squibb, in a variety of accounting, planning, commercial, analytical and business development capacities for high-growth business units, including Head of Finance for the Worldwide Commercialization and Medical divisions. He has served as CFO and COO for high-growth business units in Asia Pacific, Europe and United States.
Mr. Haddock received a B.S. in Accounting from Illinois State University and EMBA from Washington University in St. Louis –Olin Business School.
ArcherDX Board of Directors
Paul Manning is the Chairman and CEO of PBM Capital. An entrepreneur with thirty years of experience in the healthcare industry, Paul founded PBM Capital in 2010.
Paul is involved in all investment decisions and has served on the Board of Directors for many of PBM Capital’s investments including ArcherDX, Inc.
Paul has successfully founded several companies that developed and distributed prescription and over the counter products to major chains in the US. In 1997, Paul founded PBM Products, which became the largest private label producer of infant formula and baby / toddler food in the world. PBM Products was sold to Perrigo in 2010. Paul served on Perrigo’s Board of Directors after the sale.
Paul is an active member of the University of Virginia community, having served on the Board of UVA Strategic Planning Committee, the Board of UVA Health Foundation, and the Board of the President’s Advisory Committee.
Paul graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a B.S. in Microbiology. Paul was named Virginia Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young in 2002.
Steve Kafka, Ph.D., is a Managing Partner of Section 32 and serves as Executive Chairman of ArcherDx.
A passion for working with exceptional scientists and creative business executives, Steve has helped to build multiple companies that focus on transformative impact for patient care, present rewarding professional opportunities for employees, and deliver outstanding investor returns.
Prior to Section 32, Steve was a venture partner and partner at Third Rock Ventures, where he helped build and served as the initial CEO of Thrive Earlier Detection, a healthcare company that develops early detection tests for multiple types of cancer. Steve is currently also executive chairman of Thrive. Previously, Steve was President and Chief Operating Officer of Foundation Medicine, a company that pioneered comprehensive genomic profiling services for patients with cancer; Foundation Medicine was acquired by Roche in 2018.
Steve has also held executive leadership roles with several biopharmaceutical companies, including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Infinity Pharmaceuticals and Aileron Therapeutics.
Steve holds a Ph.D. degree in political economy and government from Harvard University and a BA degree in economics and political science from Stanford University.
Kyle Lefkoff is the Founder and General Partner of Boulder Ventures. In his 35 years as a venture capitalist, Mr. Lefkoff has invested in 61 Colorado companies.
Mr. Lefkoff founded Array BioPharma in May 1998 with Marv Caruthers and a group of Amgen scientists. Mr. Lefkoff was the Chairman of the Board of Array from its inception through August 2018. In that time, Array developed and human-tested more than twenty kinase inhibitors for cancer, five of which have been approved by the FDA. In July 2019, Array was acquired by Pfizer for $11.8 billion in cash, the largest acquisition of a venture-backed life sciences company in the history of Colorado.
He is also a Director of ArcherDX, CommercialTribe, and Black Bear Energy, all Boulder Ventures portfolio companies.
Mr. Lefkoff received his B.A. in Economics from Vassar College (summa cum laude) in 1981. In 1980, Mr. Lefkoff completed a Fellowship in Economic History at the London School of Economics. In 1985, he completed his MBA in Finance at the University of Chicago.
Mr. Lefkoff is an accomplished mountain guide and is Chairman of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), the curriculum standard for snow and avalanche professionals in the USA.
Jason Ryan serves as a member of the Board of Directors and is the Chair of the Audit Committee for ArcherDX, Inc. He is currently Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Magenta Therapeutics.
Jason Ryan was previously Chief Financial Officer of Foundation Medicine where he helped lead the company from an early stage private company through its initial public offering and subsequent growth to a global commercial organization that was ultimately sold to Roche for $5.3 billion in 2018. He also worked closely with the company’s commercial leadership through several product launches and was deeply involved in Medicare and commercial payor reimbursement strategy and execution. Prior to Foundation Medicine, Jason was at several emerging growth life science companies, and began his career at Deloitte & Touche where he earned a CPA. Jason received his B.S. in Economics from Bates College and his MBA from the Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
Jason Myers is a co-founder of ArcherDX, Inc. and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. With more than 20 years of experience in the biotech industry, Dr. Myers has established a track record of successful technology development and enterprise value creation. Prior to founding ArcherDX, Dr. Myers led cross-functional platform and sequencing application development for Ion Torrent™ where his leadership contributed to the $725 million-dollar acquisition of Ion Torrent™ by Life Technologies in 2010. In addition, Dr. Myers discovered and successfully licensed a first of its kind loss-of-function RNAI screening product to leading molecular chemistry companies including Ambion, Invitrogen, Roche, Stratagene and UBS.
Dr. Myers received his Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology from Stanford University School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Applied Science from Colorado State University.
Marvin Caruthers is a biochemist and Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and serves on the Board of Directors for ArcherDX, Inc. Caruthers was a co-founder of Amgen and Applied Biosystems.
Caruthers earned a B.S. in chemistry at Iowa State University in 1962 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1968 at Northwestern University. He did his postdoctoral work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1973 he was Assistant Professor and in 1980 Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In 1994, Caruthers was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1994. He received the National Medal of Science in 2006, the NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society in 2005 and the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences in 2014. From 1980 to 1981 he was a Guggenheim Fellow. In 2017 he was elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame and also The National Academy of Inventors.