Former Lieutenant Colonel Joins MRIGlobal After 23-Year Career in the US Army
Jerem Swenddal has joined MRIGlobal as Director of Life Sciences, following 23 years of service in the U.S. Army. In his new role, Swenddal is responsible for directing the planning, budgeting, management, staffing, and execution of all research activities of MRIGlobal’s Life Sciences division. This includes leading some of the institute’s fastest growing capabilities in disease diagnostics, medical research, and pharmaceutical sciences.
“For more than two decades, I had the privilege of leading America’s sons and daughters. Today, I am putting on a different uniform to lead our talented team of scientists in addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges in health and defense,” said Swenddal. While he notes significant differences between the missions of his previous employer and his new one, the ability to continue making a positive global impact remains. “Our Life Sciences research team, laboratories, and equipment are awe-inspiring. When coupled with our engineering and physical sciences teams, we’re especially well-positioned to do outstanding work and continue meeting the unique health and safety challenges MRIGlobal has a history of solving.”
MRIGlobal’s Life Sciences research division has been an important driver of the institute’s growth in recent years. “Our Life Sciences team has conducted extensive work on the rapid development and commercialization of COVID-19 diagnostics, chemical agent countermeasures, and the expansion of our pharmaceutical repository and new biorepository, enabling MRIGlobal to play a critical role in improving human health around the globe,” said Bob Conklin, Vice President of Research Operations, MRIGlobal. “Jerem’s commitment to our mission, quality character, and talent for leading high-performing teams is unmatched and will help further propel this team and the institute into the future. We’re ecstatic that he has joined MRIGlobal and look forward to him leading our Life Sciences team.”
Swenddal, a retired Infantry Lieutenant Colonel, served most recently as a Pre-Command Course and Tactics Instructor, with the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. During his three years in that role, he trained cohorts of future Army senior executives and managers for organizations up to 5,000 personnel in the art and science of organizational leadership, planning, operations, and program management. He also trained, mentored, and certified more than 300 Army senior executives over 19 cohorts. Prior to that, he was the Battalion Commander for the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. In that role, he served as chief executive or director of a 700-person multifunctional organization and deployed the battalion to Afghanistan in 2018. Swenddal earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., followed by his master’s degree in Strategic and Operation Planning from the School for Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He credits utilizing programs including Soldier for Life, Hiring Our Heroes, and American Corporate Partners in his transition to this civilian role.
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