Russell Glass, CEO of Ginger, Joins the Board as Independent Director
New Chief Product Officer and Chief Financial Officer Bring Extensive Health Technology and Genomics Industry Experience
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO – March 31, 2021 – Genome Medical, a digital health company bringing genetics and genomics into everyday care, today announced the appointment of Russell Glass, CEO of on-demand mental health company Ginger, to its Board of Directors as an independent director. In addition, to help guide the company’s ongoing rapid growth, Genome Medical has appointed two key leaders to its executive team: Marco Barcella as chief product officer, and Brandon Poe as chief financial officer.
Genome Medical is accelerating the availability, efficiency and effectiveness of genomic insights as a service. It brings together its comprehensive Genome Care DeliveryTM platform and an unmatched virtual clinical team, including medical geneticists, genetic counselors, pharmacists, primary care MDs and other specialists. The resulting synergy and innovation enable Genome Medical to see more patients quickly than in a traditional clinic setting while also delivering a 5x return on investment in genetic services and reducing the cost of care by up to 75%.1,2
Through Genome Care Delivery, Genome Medical arms physicians and patients with the information and tools they need to make informed, accurate decisions about preventive screening, diagnostic testing and results management to improve patient care. The platform features patient engagement and care navigation; self-directed education and informed consent through Genome Care NavigatorTM; genetic testing review, authorization and ordering; clinical decision support tools and resources; and personalized care planning with medical recommendations based on test results and health history.
Board of Directors Expansion
Glass joins a board led by Genome Medical Co-founder and Chairman Randy Scott, Ph.D., with members and observers representing the company’s co-founders and its strategic investors. Glass, as CEO of Ginger, leads the company with his experience as a technology entrepreneur and a passion for digital mental health, strategy and building great cultures. Prior to Ginger, Glass led products for the marketing solutions group at LinkedIn. He is the founder and former CEO and president of Bizo, a B2B marketing and data platform, which he sold to LinkedIn in 2014.
“It is clear to me as the CEO of a virtual mental health company that genomic medicine is going to be an increasingly critical component of personalized and cost effective care over time,” Glass said. “I’m thrilled to be joining this pioneering team to help scale the speed and impact genomics can have on improving the health and healthcare outcomes of our society.”
“We are excited to have Russ join our Board of Directors,” Scott said. “Russ brings extensive experience in digital health and will be a great addition to our board in helping to drive our vision and business model as the world moves into a new era of genomic medicine.”
Executive Team Additions
Marco Barcella has 20 years of experience turning innovative technologies into successful businesses with wide adoption, including artificial intelligence insights, SaaS and mobile apps. He is passionate about transforming the health care industry and improving patient outcomes, and most recently held strategic product positions at Tiatros and IBM Watson Health. Barcella received his masters of science at the University of Virginia and his MBA at the NYU Stern School of Business (class valedictorian).
Brandon Poe brings more than 20 years of financial experience to Genome Medical across various industries, including life sciences, medical device, consumer electronics and travel. Most recently, he was Vice President of Finance at Illumina, where he led multiple functions during his tenure, including FP&A, treasury and strategic finance, and was previously CFO at Sotera Wireless, a medical device company. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
“I am very pleased to welcome Marco and Brandon to the Genome Medical team and Russ to our board of directors,” said Lisa Alderson, CEO and co-founder of Genome Medical. “This added expertise will help propel our company forward as a leader in efficient, on-demand genomics care and as an innovator in the technology-driven delivery of genomic insights as a service.”
Barcella and Poe join a diverse and robust executive team. Previously, in 2020, Genome Medical appointed Kristin Aschraft as chief operating officer and Minh Merchant as general counsel. Ashcraft was most recently senior vice president of business operations at MyHealthTeams, and she also worked in leadership capacities at DaVita and Counsyl. Merchant has experience in leadership roles at health care companies and labs, including Myriad Genetics (where she was associate general counsel and global head of litigation and employment), Counsyl and McKesson.
About Genome Medical
Genome Medical is a digital health company that is transforming the delivery of genetic and genomics care through telehealth and digital infrastructure innovations. We operate as an independent virtual medical practice, with on-demand genetic expertise, testing recommendations and patient navigation platforms that accelerate the delivery of genomic insights as a service. Genome Medical takes genetic information and transforms it into clinical action and follow-up care to improve health outcomes. Genome Medical supports partners in every stage of genetic health service implementation and delivery — from strategy to technology applications to direct patient care — to widen the reach and impact of precision medicine. The company, which is headquartered in South San Francisco, was recently honored as “The Best Digital Health Company to Work For” by Rock Health, Fenwick & West and Goldman Sachs in their “Top 50 in Digital Health” awards. To learn more, visit genomemedical.com and follow @GenomeMed.
