New leadership will drive expansion and innovation to improve access to chemical compounds and accelerate global drug discovery and development.
RIGA, LATVIA (3 SEPTEMBER, 2024) – Molport, the compound sourcing specialist, announces the appointment of Diana Zelencova-Gopejenko, Ph.D. as CEO, from 2nd September 2024. The appointment replaces co-founder and CEO Imants Zudans, Ph.D. after a 17-year tenure. Under new leadership, Molport plans to both expand its current offering and introduce new, tailored MedChem tools to meet the needs of its customer base.
New Leadership to Drive Innovation and Expansion
Zelencova-Gopejenko joins the company as an expert in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, perfectly placed to deeply understand the needs of chemists and drive innovation of new products and services. In line with Molport’s dedication to prioritizing the diverse chemical compound needs of scientists and researchers, Zelencova-Gopejenko’s unique first-hand experience, fresh approach and future-focused outlook made her the unanimous choice from among several strong candidates to lead the company in its ongoing mission to turn a complex, fragmented R&D chemical market into an easy-to-access, data-driven global marketplace.
Focus on Enhancing Drug Discovery Solutions
She commented, “I am honored to take up the mantle of CEO at Molport. As an expert in medicinal chemistry, my focus will be on enhancing our support for the drug discovery process through innovative solutions. We will expand our chemical space and introduce new services tailored to researcher’s needs, such as customizable data sets, pre-filtered compound libraries, and assay-ready pre-plated formulations. To further accelerate R&D, we will also expand our successful services for the fast-delivery of building blocks, ensuring that our customers have quick access to essential components for the synthesis of new chemical compounds.”
Since 2006, Molport has grown from strength to strength under Zudans’ leadership. The company has developed a unique, intelligent platform that gives users easy access to the global compound marketplace in one place—delivering simpler compound sourcing to millions of scientists worldwide. By connecting over 70 large and, importantly, small suppliers to scientists—alongside transparent information, availability and pricing—this centralized approach unlocks much greater diversity and availability of chemicals, increasing access to these key products. Users of the platform have smart ways to search, order and receive vital compounds for their projects, along with first-class customer support.
Continuing a Legacy of Excellence
Zudans reflected, “Leading Molport has been a journey of daring greatly, growth, and real contribution to accelerating drug discovery worldwide. We started this company from scratch and built it into a global leader—I’m so proud of what this exceptionally experienced and passionate team has achieved. I’m incredibly grateful to our clients, especially those early believers who stuck with us and shaped our path with their candid feedback. As Diana takes the reins, I have every confidence that Molport will keep doing extraordinary things, keep innovating, and keep delivering the real-world solutions that chemists and drug discovery scientists need to simplify compound purchasing and advance their fields.”
As the company looks to develop its services under new leadership, Zelencova-Gopejenko is keen to reinforce the importance of Molport’s core values—prioritizing customers’ needs, collaboration, integrity and quality—along with the dedication, expertise and collaborative spirit of its people. “It’s a privilege to work alongside such a talented and passionate team” she affirmed. “I’m committed to upholding the core values created by Imants’ unwavering leadership, and to use them as a foundation for this exciting period of future growth and development. I’m looking forward to working for, and with, our customers as we create new solutions to help them further their research aims.”
