Vanessa Kelchner

Vanessa Kelchner has a diverse work experience spanning several industries. Vanessa currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Operations at Akadeum Life Sciences, Inc., where their responsibilities include overseeing product development, manufacturing, and shipping. Vanessa also provides guidance on budgeting, forecasting, and hiring, as well as implementing process improvements.

Prior to their current role, Kelchner served as Vice President and Interim Vice President of Operations at Akadeum, where they focused on scaling operations, managing the team and products, and implementing process improvements. During this time, they also took on additional responsibilities as the interim R&D lead and interim RUO kit sales lead.

In 2019, Kelchner took on the role of President at 520 Chestnut, LLC. Before that, they worked at Swift Biosciences, Inc. for several years in various roles. As the Director of Operations, they played a crucial role in scaling and managing operations to support revenue targets. Vanessa also achieved ISO 13485 certification and maintained accurate forecasting. Kelchner also served as the Director of Manufacturing, where they positioned the company for ISO 13485 and 21 CFR 820 compliance and ensured accurate forecasting.

Earlier in their career, Kelchner worked at Swift Biosciences as the Product Lifecycle Manager, Product Development Specialist, and Research Associate. In these roles, they focused on growing operations, optimizing manufacturing processes, and developing new products.

Kelchner began their career as an Associate Research Scientist at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where they specialized in high-throughput screening and automation.

Throughout their career, Kelchner has demonstrated a strong ability to scale operations, improve processes, and achieve targets. Vanessa has a strong background in product development, manufacturing, and strategic planning.

Vanessa Kelchner completed their Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh from 1997 to 2001. Vanessa then went on to pursue a Master's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology at Lehigh University, which they obtained from 2005 to 2009.