U of G has appointed the first CEO for the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO). Mario Thomas begins a three-year term April 13.

Thomas has worked in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector for more than 25 years with a focus on business development and commercialization.

Most recently, he was president of Proteocyte Diagnostics Inc., an organization that develops and commercializes novel molecular diagnostics for cancer. He also served as senior vice-president (strategy, programs, partnerships) and managing director of the Ontario Centres of Excellence.

Thomas was the founding chairman of the International Commercialization Alliance, which involves 48 member organizations from 22 countries focused on emerging models in commercialization of research outcomes.

BIO is the global headquarters for discovering, identifying and cataloguing species worldwide using DNA barcoding technology through its role in co-ordinating the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project, which involves more than 1,000 researchers in 25 countries.

More than 100 scientists, technicians, informaticians and 30 graduate students work at BIO.