Deirdre Olynick

Director, Strategy and Operations at Zymergen, Inc.

Deirdre Olynick is a strategic and innovative professional who excels in uniting people and bringing big ideas to life. With over a decade of experience in materials R&D, Deirdre has transitioned into the drug discovery and health care industry, where she is dedicated to driving transformations for impactful results.

Deirdre's journey included significant contributions to the Accelerating Therapeutics for Opportunities in Medicine (ATOM) consortium at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of ATOM, she played a key role in revolutionizing drug discovery processes by integrating high-performance computing, diverse biological data, and cutting-edge biotechnologies to expedite therapeutic developments and enhance patient outcomes.

Prior to her role at ATOM, Deirdre spent 11 years at the Molecular Foundry, where she spearheaded the facility's evolution from a startup to a leading research community. Her efforts attracted prominent businesses like Seagate, Intel, and Oxford Instruments, as well as startups in various fields. Deirdre's initiatives included leading a program that shaped the semiconductor lithography industry's material design strategies by fostering collaboration between Berkeley Lab and industry stakeholders.

In addition to her professional achievements, Deirdre values family and has successfully raised two children with her husband, showcasing her skills in strategic planning, detail orientation, and humor.

Deirdre's educational background is impressive, with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Entrepreneurial Management from the University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, a Bachelor's degree in Engineering with summa cum laude honors from North Carolina State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Currently, Deirdre serves as the Director of Strategy and Operations at Zymergen, Inc., where she continues to leverage her expertise in driving organizational growth and success.