Critical Path Institute Announces Kristen Swingle as Interim President

Critical Path Institute has announced that its COO, Kristen Swingle, has been appointed Interim President, effective immediately. Kristen succeeds Joseph Scheeren, C-Path’s president and CEO since April 2019. Scheeren cited personal reasons for stepping down after stewarding C-Path through an important time of transformation, which has seen the organization add multiple new programs and its staff more than double.

In addition, the executive committee of the board of directors will form an ‘Office of the Executive Chair,’ serving to provide support and oversight for the general management of C-Path and the uninterrupted continuation of its mission and programs. “The board has the utmost confidence in C-Path’s executive team to seamlessly and successfully operate throughout this transition with a focus to execute and achieve the current goals, objectives and practices of the organization,” said Dr. Tim Franson, chairman of the C-Path Board of Directors.

“Kristen is a recognized leader with insightful experience who will continue to lead C-Path operations; she has proven to be resilient in times of growth and change,” said Jeffrey E. Jacob, founding board member and board executive committee member.  “The board looks forward to working closely with not only Kristen, but also C-Path’s CSO, Dr. Klaus Romero, and the executive team to advance C-Path’s mission to improve the medical product development and regulatory process to benefit patients worldwide.”

“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Joseph for his significant contributions during his tenure,” Franson added. “Over the last two years, he shepherded our strategic growth initiative, helping to position C-Path for greater impact in multiple areas including neuroscience, immunology and hematology, clinical outcome assessments, translational and safety sciences, rare disease and more.”

“This was a difficult decision that I reached after much reflection,” said Scheeren. “It has been a privilege working alongside the passionate and expert team at C-Path. I am proud of all we have accomplished together. I want to thank the team and the board for their support as I transition into the next phase of my career.”

Swingle has served as COO since July 2019 and is a leading voice in the Arizona bioscience community. She brings nearly two decades’ worth of experience in the medical and molecular sciences industry to her COO role as she leads the daily operations and the development and implementation of C-Path’s global strategy. Additionally, she has served as AZ Bio Board of Directors chairwoman for more than three years.

“I am honored to assume the Interim President role during an exciting time of growth and new initiatives for the organization,” Swingle said. “C-Path has such a deep well of experience within its staff, I am confident that the possibilities ahead will be met with the same dynamic energy and excellence from our entire C-Path team. I also wish to extend my gratitude to Joseph for his mentorship and leadership. I wish him the very best going forward.”

C-Path’s Board is carefully deliberating the most advantageous steps for future executive leadership and will announce a plan for a new CEO search once it is established. In the interim, the Board is confident in the Executive Team’s ability to lead and manage the organization.

Critical Path Institute is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is 55% funded by FDA/HHS, totaling $14,575,306, and 45% funded by non-government source(s), totaling $11,916,747. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, FDA/HHS or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit FDA.gov.