Christopher K. McLeod

Throughout his career, Christopher McLeod has demonstrated expertise in growing companies through strategic collaborations, innovative marketing, and new product development. Currently, McLeod is a managing partner at Elm Street Ventures, where he nurtures new ventures as an investor and advisor. He is a corporate director of three early-stage life science companies.

In 2012, McLeod co-founded AxioMx, Inc., serving as president and CEO. AxioMx created technology to quickly develop custom antibodies for use in research and diagnostics. AxioMx was acquired by Abcam, plc in 2015.

McLeod served as president and chief executive officer of 454 Life Sciences from February 2005 through September 2011, where he led the development, manufacturing and marketing of the company’s innovative DNA sequencing products, which are used in research laboratories worldwide. 454 Life Sciences was acquired by Roche Diagnostics in 2007. Previously, McLeod was executive vice president of CuraGen Corporation from November 1999, responsible for bioinformatics, strategic business development and collaborative research, including the establishment of strategic partnerships with Abgenix, Bayer, Seattle Genetics and TopoTarget A/S.

Prior to joining CuraGen, McLeod was chief executive officer of Havas Interactive (formerly Cendant Software), a leading international software developer with such leading brands as Blizzard, Serra and Knowledge Adventure, whose annual revenues increased in excess of 60 percent to over $500 million during his two-year tenure.  Previously, McLeod served as executive vice president and director at CUC International, where he was president of the CompuCard division, marketing affinity membership programs with partners including Citibank, Sears, Bank One and Chase.

McLeod earned his B.S. magna cum laude with a dual major in economics and engineering and applied science from Yale University and his M.S. in management from the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. McLeod serves as a trustee of Sacred Heart University; is on the CT Yankee Council, Boy Scouts of America Executive Board and the MIT Sloan School of Management Executive Board; and has acted as a mentor with the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute.