Dyadic International, Inc. ("Dyadic") (OTCQX: DYAI), a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzymes and other proteins, announced today the appointment of Michael Tarnok to the company's Board of Directors. Mr. Tarnok will also serve on the company's audit and compensation committees.
Mr. Tarnok has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry across many key areas including finance, operations and marketing. He is the current Chairman and former Interim CEO of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of therapeutics for renal disease. Prior to joining Keryx in 2007, Mr. Tarnok spent the majority of his career at Pfizer Inc., joining in 1989 as Director of Finance for U.S. Manufacturing. From 2000-2007, he served as Senior Vice President in Pfizer's U.S. Pharmaceuticals Division. Prior to joining Pfizer, he worked primarily in financial disciplines for ITT Rayonier, Inc., Celanese Corporation, and Olivetti Corporation of America. Mr. Tarnok earned an MBA in marketing from New York University and a Bachelors of Science in accounting from St. John's University. He also serves on the Board of the Global Health Counsel, a Washington, D.C.-based NGO.
Mark Emalfarb, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dyadic said, "We are excited for Michael to join the Dyadic board while we continue to execute on our plans to leverage the C1 technology platform, grow our enzyme business and become a fully reporting SEC company. Having led Keryx, a company with a market capitalization over $1 billion, Mr. Tarnok has a proven track record as a forward thinking and accomplished leader. As Dyadic further ventures into new pharmaceutical applications, Mike's wealth of knowledge in drug development, manufacturing, marketing and finance will be invaluable."
Mr. Tarnok added, "I am impressed with the breadth, scope and number of Dyadic's business opportunities in the company's pipeline. The C1 technology platform is already being applied across multiple markets to develop and manufacture enzymes and other proteins to help feed, fuel and heal the world. Dyadic's licensees and collaborators, such as BASF and Abengoa, are global leaders in the industrial enzyme and biofuel markets. The C1 technology also has the potential to breakthrough as a disruptive manufacturing system for large molecule drugs such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutic proteins. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with the Dyadic team as they continue to execute on their strategic plans for growth."
