Former AstraZeneca exec takes over as CEO of $660M Fort Myers lab firm

Fort Myers-based cancer-focused genetic testing services firm NeoGenomics made two key announcements earlier in April. It completed a CEO succession plan announced in January and closed an acquisition to buy a New Jersey lab firm. 

Publicly traded NeoGenomics, which bills itself as a “leading provider of oncology diagnostic solutions that enable precision medicine,” had $660.55 million in revenue in 2024. 

On the CEO transition, diagnostics and biopharma executive Tony Zook took over the position from Chris Smith, effective April 1. Zook, on the company’s board since 2023, was most recently a partner with Lucius Partners, a specialized health care consultancy providing financial, strategic, product development and operational insights to emerging biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. Prior to that and some other roles, Zook was a top official at pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, where he held global P&L responsibility for all of AZ's brands and markets, representing over $30 billion in revenues, the company says. 

“Tony has a strong command of the health care landscape and a deep understanding of the opportunities ahead for NeoGenomics,” Board Char Lynn Tetrault says in a statement. “His experience leading commercial and operational teams, combined with his significant connection to our strategy, make him the right leader to drive our next phase of growth and expand access to critical cancer diagnostics.”

Smith, who will serve as an advisor during the transition, the company says, was named CEO in August 2022. The company posted eight consecutive quarters of double-digit revenue growth under his watch, the release states. Smith, in the statement, adds that the company is on its way to a big goal: serving 1 million patients annually by 2028.

On the acquisition, meanwhile, the company says adding New Jersey-based Pathline to its offerings “strengthens its commercial presence in the Northeast U.S. and broadens access to its comprehensive oncology test menu, expands its service capabilities and accelerates growth in molecular and hematology-oncology testing.” The deal for Pathline, founded in 2009, was announced in March and financial terms weren’t disclosed.