Chris Johnson

During my time at Cellular Origins, I have been acting as Technical Lead on an Innovate-UK grant funded program to deliver and develop a modular automated gene therapy manufacturing system in collaboration with The Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC). In this role I have been responsible for setting technical direction, aligning workstreams with strategic technology roadmaps and overseeing the work of multidisciplinary teams to ensure that we deliver a robust, compliant, and commercially viable system. Reporting directly to the CTO, I am also responsible for presenting quarterly project updates to the IUK monitoring office. Additionally, during my time at CO, I have also been acting as Electrical Team Lead and was tasked with growing the electrical team and implementing internal standards and design practices. Part of this role also included setting technical direction for the design approach and architecture of the wider Constellation automated system including functional safety, network architecture and power-distribution.

I joined Lonza at the beginning of 2025 to be part of a newly formed high-throughput and automation (HTP) team as part of an initiative from the business to drive efficiency and productivity by the successful implementation of automated technologies across R&D departments globally. As an SME in the field of laboratory automation it was my role to provide strategic insight as to how robotic automation can be implemented to achieve the company's goal for greater efficiency. Working with external vendors and instrument manufacturers such as Automata, Synthace, Tecan and Unchained Labs I took a leading role in the execution of automation projects for USP, DSP and Analytical applications. Working closely with senior scientists and the bioinformatics teams I also contributed to strategic discussions about the implementation of barcode sample tracking technologies as well as the benefits of the utilisation of LIMS/ELN systems for sample and consumable tracking.

As Engineering Manager at PAA, I was responsible for leading a multidisciplinary engineering department of 25 engineers with four direct reports consisting of the Electrical & Controls Manager, Lead Mechanical Engineer, Lead Integration Engineer and Compliance Engineer. Reporting directly to the Engineering Director, I held overall responsibility for the successful execution of the company's larger automation projects, typically those with an order value exceeding £300,000. In this role I was responsible for technical governance, resource planning, project delivery and commercial performance across the engineering function. Working closely with customers, project teams and senior management, I oversaw project planning, technical specification approval, engineering resource allocation and the execution of Factory Acceptance Tests. I also worked

closely with the sales team to provide engineering estimates for quotations and supported project teams in maintaining project budgets, delivery schedules and customer expectations.