Management Team

Paul Lem, M.D.
Founder
Paul brings to Spartan his diverse background in clinical medicine, molecular biology research, and biotech entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Spartan, Paul was VP Product Management at DNA Genotek, where he led commercialization of the Oragene™ DNA collection device. Prior to that, he raised venture capital and started up Plexagen Diagnostics to commercialize his invention of a universal multiplex PCR technology.

Paul is the winner of the 2010 Premier’s Catalyst Award for “Best Young Innovator.” The $200,000 award recognizes excellence and leadership in innovation in Ontario.

Paul holds a B.Sc. in Human Biology from the University of Toronto and a Medical Degree from the University of Ottawa. He graduated from the inaugural class of Singularity University.

Larry D’Andrea, P.Eng., C.M.C.
CEO
Larry has over 20 years of management and investment banking experience. Before joining Spartan, he was the leader of the Canadian Mergers & Acquisitions practice for Grant Thornton LLP. As co-founder of Alluence Capital Advisors, Larry executed private company deals ranging from $10M to $100M.

Prior to Alluence, Larry was a partner with Ernst & Young. He led multi-million-dollar projects for international companies in Canada, United States, Mexico, Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic, Japan, Singapore, and China. Larry is a Certified Management Consultant and Professional Engineer.

Paul Markell
Chief Operating Officer
Paul has 25 years of experience in product development, manufacturing, quality systems, and financial management. Over his career, he has worked with startups and multinational companies. Past positions include COO at Sciemetric Instruments and Director of Finance & Operations at Gandalf, a division of Mitel.

Jay Rau
Director, Business Development
Jay has over 25 years of experience in biotechnology and molecular diagnostics. At Gentra Systems, Jay spent 13 years building the sales and marketing organization from a startup company to a leader in the DNA purification market. Before joining Spartan, Jay was Business Development Manager at Sequenom, where he marketed products for genotyping, gene expression, methylation, and pre-natal diagnostics.

Derek Glennie, M.A.Sc.
VP Engineering
Derek has over 15 years experience in product development engineering and operations management. He is an expert in developing products and manufacturing them under quality management systems. Prior to joining Spartan, Derek held roles as Senior Manager of Operations at Newport Instruments Canada and Senior Manager of Optical Modules Development at JDS Uniphase. Derek holds a B.Eng. in Engineering Physics from the Technical University of Nova Scotia and an M.A.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto where he specialized in embedded fiber optic sensors.

Chris Harder, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
As one of Spartan’s first employees, Chris has been responsible for assembling and managing the R&D team. He and his team have invented novel methods for rapid thermal cycling, integrated DNA collection and extraction, and fluorescence optical detection. Chris holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Ottawa.

Mark Houghting, C.M.A.
Chief Financial Officer
Mark serves as Spartan’s virtual CFO and is responsible for financial strategy and planning, and implementing financial reporting and controls. Past positions include Director of Finance at Alarmbridge Security Network and Controller at the Via Group of Companies.

Alan Shayanpour
Principal Engineering Advisor
Alan has 25 years of experience in high-technology product development and manufacturing. He is an expert in mechanical and optical engineering. As VP Operations (Components Division) at JDS Uniphase, Alan supervised a team of 4,000 staff delivering 400,000 components per quarter in 8 major product groups. Alan holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Carleton University.

Mark D. Kershey
Senior Business Advisor
Mark has 28 years of experience in high-technology engineering, sales, marketing, and senior management. As the founding President of Spartan Bioscience, Mark helped build the management team and raise early-stage financing for the company. Prior to joining Spartan, he was founder of Magnitude Capital Partners, where he provided management consulting and fundraising assistance to early-stage companies. Past executive positions include Managing Director, Global Sales & Marketing at Nortel Semiconductor and VP Business Development at MOSAID Technologies.