Maravai LifeSciences Announces Appointment of New Director to the Board

SAN DIEGO, July 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maravai LifeSciences Holdings, Inc. (“Maravai” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MRVI), a global provider of life science reagents and services to researchers and biotech innovators, announced that Robert (“Chip”) Hance has stepped down from the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) effective July 19, 2023, and that Dr. John DeFord has been appointed to the Board effective July 20, 2023.

Mr. Hance, a 25-year veteran in the medical device industry, is set to become the Chairman of the Board of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) and stepped down from the Board in anticipation of the increased time commitment associated with that role. Dr. DeFord, a medical technology expert, was appointed to fill the vacancy.

Dr. DeFord is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of privately-held, South Carolina-based Samothrace Medical Innovations, Inc., which he co-founded in March 2022. Until his retirement in May 2021, Dr. DeFord was the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Becton, Dickinson and Company, a global medical technology company, which he joined in December 2017 in connection with its acquisition of C.R. Bard, Inc. (Bard), where he served as Senior Vice President, science, technology and clinical affairs since June 2007. Dr. DeFord joined Bard in 2004 and served in science and technology roles of increasing responsibility during that time. Prior to joining Bard, Dr. DeFord was Managing Director of Early Stage Partners, a venture capital fund. Before Early Stage Partners, Dr. DeFord was President and Chief Executive Officer of Cook Group, Inc., a privately held medical device manufacturer. He also serves on the Board of Directors of two public corporations, Nordson Corporation, NuVasive, Inc., and also serves on the Board of Directors of privately held Enable Injections, Inc., Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. and GeniPhys, Inc. DeFord graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in electrical and biomedical engineering.

"On behalf of the entire Board, I thank Chip for his valuable perspective and incredible commitment to Maravai over the past six years,” said Carl Hull, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. “His numerous contributions and thoughtful insights have been invaluable, and we are grateful for everything he has done for Maravai."