Neil Ward serves as PacBio's Vice President and General Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, driving the adoption of advanced long-read sequencing technologies across the region. Before joining PacBio in 2021, Neil distinguished himself during a 13-year career at Illumina as Senior Sales Director for Northern Europe, where he managed partnerships with world-renowned genomics initiatives including UK Biobank, Genomics England, deCODE genetics, and the Estonian Biobank. With a career spanning both technical and commercial roles, Neil has contributed his expertise to leading organizations, including Agilent Technologies, Silicon Genetics, Oxford Biomedica, and Celltech. His unique combination of scientific knowledge and business leadership is built on a strong academic foundation—a Master's degree in Bioinformatics and a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester—positioning him at the intersection of genomic innovation and its practical applications in addressing complex health challenges.