Richard M. Ivey

Rick was the R&D Leader for the Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Systems Business Research and Development Function for over 20 years. Rick led an R&D team of over 500 engineers and scientists located in 6 worldwide sites, comprised of technology capabilities ranging from infectious disease diagnostic instrumentation and laboratory automation engineering (EE/ME/SW/Systems engineering) to microbiology, molecular biology, immunochemistry, and cytology. Rick was a member of the senior R&D Leadership Team of Becton Dickinson for 20+ years. Throughout his career, Rick worked closely with business leaders to drive new growth opportunities via technology and product development, external collaborative partnerships, technology planning, technology acquisition management, and sourcing of technical and program leadership talent to meet company strategic goals. Diagnostic Systems comprised several BD Market Segment Areas including Molecular Diagnostics, Women’s Health and Cancer, Microbiology, and Point of Care Diagnostics.

As a technology leader, Rick successfully built and led an organization that delivered dozens of new diagnostic platforms, assays, and new technologies for the company including automated blood culture (sepsis detection) systems, TB detection systems, bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility systems, informatics lab middleware software-based systems, microbiology lab automation, and rapid/automated molecular diagnostic systems. Rick personally led technical due diligence for two key acquisitions for BD and established an R&D footprint for BD’s Infectious Diseases business in China. Rick received multiple US and worldwide patents in the field of bacterial sepsis detection and host response.

Rick received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MS in Engineering Science and Administration from The George Washington University where Rick is also a GWU School of Engineering and Applied Science Hall of Fame inductee. Rick formerly served on the Maryland Science Center Board of Trustees.

Rick’s early career included roles as a Project Engineer in Nuclear Power (Virginia Power) and large-scale manufacturing of synthetic fiber at Hoechst-Celanese Corporation.