23andMe Appoints Three New Independent Directors to Board

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 23andMe Holding Co. (Nasdaq: ME) (the “Company” or “23andMe”), a leading human genetics and preventive health company, today announced the appointments of Andre Fernandez, Jim Frankola, and Mark Jensen, three accomplished and experienced executives, as independent members of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective on October 28, 2024. Each of Mr. Fernandez, Mr. Frankola, and Mr. Jensen have been appointed to serve as members of the Board’s Audit Committee and Compensation Committee, with Mr. Fernandez serving as the Chair of the Audit Committee and Mr. Jensen serving as the Chair of the Compensation Committee. In addition, Mr. Jensen has been appointed to serve as the Board’s Lead Independent Director.

The Board will now consist of the three new independent directors and Anne Wojcicki, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, and Chair of the Board.

“The new independent directors look forward to working closely with Anne Wojcicki and the Company’s management team to best position 23andMe for the future,” said Mr. Jensen. “23andMe has a great brand, and the Company remains firmly committed to its mission of helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. We are ready to dig in and act with urgency to get the Company on a path for long-term success.”

Ms. Wojcicki added, “I am excited to welcome these three experienced directors to the 23andMe Board, and looking forward to working with them.”

Mr. Jensen has substantial financial and corporate governance experience, having served as an advisor and board member in various companies in the technology sector. Prior to his retirement in 2012, Mr. Jensen was an executive at Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”), where he served as U.S. Managing Partner-Audit and Enterprise Risk Services, Technology Industry and U.S. Managing Partner-Venture Capital Services Group. Before Deloitte, Mr. Jensen was the Chief Financial Officer at Redleaf Group, as well as an executive at the accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP, where he was the Managing Partner of the Silicon Valley Office and led the company’s Global Technology Industry Practice. Mr. Jensen currently serves on the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: LSCC).