Atomo Diagnostics appoints US-based interim CEO as leadership shifts to core commercial markets
Atomo Diagnostics (ASX: AT1) has announced that Managing Director and CEO John Kelly will step down from both his director and CEO roles effective 19 August 2026, with US-based Dr Cheri Walker appointed interim CEO, effective immediately.
The Board framed the transition as a repositioning of executive leadership closer to the Company’s core commercial markets, now concentrated in the United States and Europe. The move reflects Atomo’s evolving international commercial footprint as it scales its presence overseas.
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A co-founder departs after 15-plus years
John Kelly’s departure marks the end of a foundational chapter for the Company he helped establish. As a co-founder, Kelly was central to developing Atomo’s core technology, launching its initial award-winning HIV product, securing the ASX listing, and building its international commercial platform.
The Board framed the change as a planned strategic transition, thanking Kelly for his contribution in building the Company from inception to its current international scale. His key legacy achievements include:
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Co-founding Atomo and developing the core technology
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Launching the initial award-winning HIV self-testing product
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Securing the Company’s ASX listing
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Establishing the international commercial platform
Kelly has agreed to support Dr Walker during the transition to ensure continuity of leadership and the transfer of knowledge, relationships and strategic priorities. The Company has agreed to pay Kelly an additional 3 months’ salary for this support, plus 14 weeks’ salary on the cessation of his employment as CEO.
John Kelly, Outgoing Managing Director & CEO
“With novel tests for Syphilis and Liver function developed and now moving towards commercialisation, I remain excited by the company’s future and offer my support and assistance to Dr. Cheri Walker as she steps into the role to deliver the next stage of our commercial growth across global markets.”
Introducing interim CEO Dr Cheri Walker
Dr Cheri Walker steps into the interim CEO role with existing familiarity of both Atomo and the diagnostics market. She has served on the Board of Directors since 2022 and as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the past year, and has now become an executive director.
Walker is a senior executive and entrepreneur with more than 25 years’ experience working with public and private life science and diagnostic companies. Her US base reflects the Board’s intention to better align executive leadership with the Company’s primary commercial markets.
Her relevant expertise spans several areas:
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Financial markets experience as a stock analyst
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Commercial execution to meet aggressive growth targets
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Investor relations, strategy, licensing and M&A
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IVD/IVDR/MDR/MDSAP/ISO13485 quality systems
The key terms of Dr Walker’s arrangement, as set out in Appendix 1 of the announcement, are summarised below.
| Position | Basis & Term | Total Remuneration | Monthly | Termination (by Dr Walker) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interim CEO | Consulting, 6-month fixed term (extendable) | A$222,500 (initial term) | A$37,083 | 90 days’ written notice |
Dr Walker’s Non-Executive Director remuneration fees will continue unchanged, separate from the interim CEO consulting arrangement.
Why the leadership shift matters for investors
The leadership change reflects a broader evolution in Atomo’s requirements as it moves from a technical and development focus to a more commercial and sales-driven emphasis, scaling its presence in international markets, particularly in the US.
According to the Company, the next phase of growth is to build a diagnostic company with a strong and compelling pipeline of its own proprietary products for professional and consumer use, growing from its current focus on being the technology inside other diagnostic companies’ products.
The Board has stated that Dr Walker’s experience commercialising life science and diagnostic products in the US and Europe positions her well to lead the Company through this next phase of growth. This represents positioning for growth rather than a guaranteed outcome.
Patrick Cook, Non-Executive Chair
“The Company is now entering its next phase of commercial growth, with an increased focus on commercial execution and scaling its market opportunities internationally.”
Understanding Atomo’s business model
Atomo is a diagnostics technology company whose devices power rapid and self-testing products. Its technology has helped establish HIV self-testing in a number of countries, including Australia, with products the Company describes as increasingly recognised as delivering “best in class” performance in market.
The distinction at the heart of the current strategy is between being the “technology inside” other companies’ products and owning a proprietary product pipeline. A shift toward proprietary products, such as the novel Syphilis and Liver function tests now moving towards commercialisation, could matter for future revenue capture. A commercially-focused leader is intended to support this evolution.
The FDA CLIA waiver for FebriDx, secured earlier in 2026, expanded the US addressable market for that product by an estimated 15 times by enabling deployment in pharmacies and urgent care settings, providing a concrete example of the commercial scale now on the table in Atomo’s primary market.
What happens next
The Board will commence a formal global search process to appoint a permanent CEO in due course. Dr Walker’s interim term runs an initial six months from 19 August 2026, extendable for further six-month periods by mutual agreement.
Key immediate steps include:
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John Kelly steps down as director and CEO, effective 19 August 2026
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Dr Cheri Walker appointed interim CEO, effective immediately
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Kelly to support Dr Walker through the transition period
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Formal global search for a permanent CEO to commence in due course
The transition positions Atomo to focus on commercial execution and international scaling as it advances its proprietary product pipeline toward commercialisation.
The liver function test licensing deal, secured through 2044 with a pharmaceutical company already conducting a 20,000-cassette US drug trial evaluation, is among the proprietary pipeline assets that the incoming leadership will be tasked with advancing toward commercialisation.
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