Richard J Freeman

Richard Freeman, PhD

Senior Scientific Sales Consultant

Walnut Creek, CA, USA•richard@cervus.consulting•LinkedIn

Senior Scientific Sales Consultant with PhD in molecular microbiology, focused on the use of qPCR to measure bacterial gene expression, and over ten years of experience driving revenue growth and market expansion in the life sciences and cultivated meat industries. Demonstrated track record of scaling revenue 25x and securing multi-million dollar contracts by developing targeted commercial strategies for novel cell technologies.

Professional Experience

  • →Managing Western US territory for SomaLogic proteomics and KREX antibody profiling technologies following Illumina's acquisition, supporting academic, clinical, and biotech customers.
  • →Building robust territory pipeline from ground up across drug discovery, biomarker discovery, and basic research applications.
  • →Rapidly mastering novel proteomics platforms to effectively communicate value propositions to diverse customer segments including pharma, academic institutions, and clinical labs.
  • →Establishing key relationships with decision-makers across the Western US to drive adoption of proteomics technologies in research and clinical settings.
  • →Achieving early revenue performance targets while simultaneously building foundation for long-term territory growth and customer success.
  • →Supporting customers in leveraging high-throughput proteomics for applications ranging from target identification to disease biomarker discovery.
  • →Secured first clients for multiple companies, facilitating their entry into the market and establishing a foundation for future growth.
  • →Launched five novel products over the past two years, expanding clients' product portfolios and opening new revenue streams.
  • →Developed personalized outreach campaigns that enhanced client acquisition efforts, contributing to successful market penetration.
  • →Conducted in-depth market research and analysis, providing clients with actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
  • →Collaborated closely with client executives to align business objectives and drive operational efficiency.
  • →Serves as Sales Mentor for multiple organizations including Big Idea Ventures, Good Food Institute, and Catalonia Trade & Investment Board, supporting the next generation of biotech entrepreneurs.
  • →Drove revenue growth from $2,000 to $400,000 annual sales by developing and executing a targeted commercial strategy for iPS cell lines.
  • →Secured contracts projected to be worth $10-25M within two to five years by establishing and nurturing key industry partnerships.
  • →Accelerated client acquisition by building a pipeline from zero to multiple companies, including signing the first commercial contract within 12 months.
  • →Transformed the company's focus by authoring a comprehensive white paper, shifting strategy toward cultivated meat proteins and positioning the company for future growth.
  • →Generated all company revenue through the successful commercialization of cell culture products, contributing to overall business expansion.
  • →Conducted commercial analyses that identified non-viable projects, enabling resource reallocation to more profitable ventures and increasing operational efficiency.
  • →Managed a $700,000 regional portfolio, achieving consistent quota growth by strengthening relationships with existing accounts.
  • →Team expert for qPCR instrumentation and reagent sales, providing technical and sales support for complex qPCR sales.
  • →Introduced Roche's products into two major cancer research laboratories, including a panel under review by NHS England.
  • →Worked as part of a cross-functional internal team for a multi million dollar NHS tender for molecular diagnostics.
  • →Created and implemented a territory plan to grow Revenues for the Roche qPCR and NGS portfolios that hit and exceeded growth targets for 2019.
  • →Managed a territory with sales target exceeding $33M, consistently meeting and exceeding quota attainment.
  • →Supported account managers and other team members as the go to resource for complex life science sales including capex.
  • →Transformed a major water company's quality control laboratory from purchasing basic supplies to a fully equipped qPCR lab, moving all testing to Thermo Fisher kits. This success was later presented at the 2018 European Sales Conference.
  • →Provided comprehensive training on Arcis extraction kits to sales teams and customers, enhancing product knowledge and usage.
  • →Delivered advanced training on biologics to a team of account managers, resulting in increased life sciences revenue across the region.
  • →Cloned genes into bacterial strains to improve fermentation performance of industrial Clostridium species.
  • →Established an internal plasmid library, enhancing cloning efficiency and facilitating genetic engineering efforts.
  • →Performed gene cloning into and from thermophilic bacteria, exploring novel applications and expanding strain optimization capabilities.

Education

HW

Title: "Molecular Analysis of starch utilization in solventogenic Clostridium". PhD research centered on quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis of bacterial gene expression, specifically examining starch metabolism operons across varied carbon sources. Developed and standardized advanced qPCR methodologies that were subsequently adopted by Heriot-Watt University's qPCR Core Facility as their standard protocols.

UA

BSc (Hons) in Microbiology

Sep 2006 - May 2010
University of AberdeenAberdeen, UK

Skills & Expertise

Commercial Skills

  • →Business development
  • →Territory planning and management
  • →Market research and analysis
  • →Sales strategy and execution
  • →Targeted outreach
  • →Client relationship management

Scientific Expertise

  • →Molecular biology techniques (qPCR, cloning)
  • →Industrial strain development
  • →Gene expression analysis

Technical Skills

  • →Data analysis
  • →Workflow automation
  • →Prompt engineering for AI applications

Industry Knowledge

  • →Life sciences
  • →Proteomics
  • →Cell technologies
  • →Bioprocess development
  • →Genomics