LEADERSHIP
Ernest A. Knesel, President and CEO
Mr. Knesel was a founder and officer in charge of operations for Biomedical Reference Laboratories, Inc., which started in 1969 and went public in 1979. Mr. Knesel served as Senior Vice President of this business and its successor company Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc. through 1995. During his tenure at Roche, revenue grew to over $1 billion. As Senior Vice President, Mr. Knesel’s responsibilities included strategic planning, laboratory direction, and management of operations, laboratory acquisitions and extensive regional/national organizational development. Mr. Knesel was responsible as the chief scientific officer for laboratory technology selection, innovation and development for all areas of the clinical laboratory. Mr. Knesel has had extensive experience in sales, marketing and has demonstrated an acute awareness of market needs and its priorities. He personally developed and directed a variety of highly successful differentiating niche businesses within Roche Biomedical Laboratories, which merged to create Laboratory Corporation of America in 1995.
In 1989 Mr. Knesel founded Roche Image Analysis Systems (RIAS) as a subsidiary of Roche Biomedical Laboratories and successfully established this company as a leader in automated cytodiagnostics. As the President of RIAS, Mr. Knesel developed a new automated thin‑layer cell preparation to improve the Pap smear and directed technology acquisitions and product development for microscopic cell based image analysis. Mr. Knesel was also founder and first president of AutoCyte, Inc. the successor to RIAS established with venture capital backing in 1996 and taken public in 1997. Mr. Knesel was responsible for planning, direction and oversight of AutoCyte's successful PMA approval and gained significant experience working with the FDA, Office of Device Evaluation in this and related efforts.
Mr. Knesel received a BS in Biology and Medical Technology and an MS in Biochemistry from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
In 1989 Mr. Knesel founded Roche Image Analysis Systems (RIAS) as a subsidiary of Roche Biomedical Laboratories and successfully established this company as a leader in automated cytodiagnostics. As the President of RIAS, Mr. Knesel developed a new automated thin‑layer cell preparation to improve the Pap smear and directed technology acquisitions and product development for microscopic cell based image analysis. Mr. Knesel was also founder and first president of AutoCyte, Inc. the successor to RIAS established with venture capital backing in 1996 and taken public in 1997. Mr. Knesel was responsible for planning, direction and oversight of AutoCyte's successful PMA approval and gained significant experience working with the FDA, Office of Device Evaluation in this and related efforts.
Mr. Knesel received a BS in Biology and Medical Technology and an MS in Biochemistry from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
John Merritt, President of Sales - Division 1
John Merritt has over 35 years of sales, sales management and marketing experience in the healthcare market. John has served as Vice President of Sales for Roche Biomedical Laboratories, (LabCorp.); Roche Image Analysis Systems (TriPath), General Injectables and Vaccines (now Henry Schein, Inc.), BioClinical Concepts, Inc. (now Clinical Data, Inc). Mr. Merritt was one of the founders of BioClinical Concepts in 1997 and successfully led the company for three years as the Vice President of Sales. BioClinical Concepts specialized in physician office laboratory management. Immediately prior to joining SLP, Mr. Merritt worked with Quest Diagnostics, Inc. as Strategic Business Development Manager and started Healthcare Innovative Products and Solutions, LLC, a healthcare software sales and service company.
Mr. Merritt, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology, is married with 4 children.
Mr. Merritt, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology, is married with 4 children.
Bill Waddington, President of Sales - Division 2
Mr. Waddington has extensive experience in diagnostics sales and service. His career began as a medical technologist in central Florida. He joined American Monitor Corporation, a leader in clinical chemistry instrumentation where he quickly grew in a succession of key management roles which culminated in his being the Director of Sales and Operations for all of Europe. Bill’s experience encompassed all aspects of sales, marketing and systems’ and applications support.
Alan Horne, Sr. Vice-President - Lab Operations
Mr. Horne has extensive background and experience as a medical technologist, working in all areas of the diagnostic lab. Alan has an exceptional talent for improvising systems and improving lab economy. He is instrumental in all major lab start-ups for SLP.
Dan Knesel, Sr. Vice-President - Finance and Accounting
Dan has had an extensive career with experience in all aspects of accounting, cost control and staff development in one of the largest international supply and distribution businesses in the world. He is applying the same standards to guiding SLP’s growth.