New York, June 2026 – Nicholas joins 28Bio from Sygnature Discovery, where he served as Vice President, EU/ROW Business Development. He takes up this newly created SVP of Sales role at 28Bio, a cutting-edge neurotechnology company that harnesses tissue engineering, neural interfacing, and artificial intelligence to grow human brain models at scale, redefining how the industry predicts drug effectiveness.
The search presented a unique challenge, requiring a deep understanding of the neuroscience and drug discovery market and the ability to identify leadership capable of selling complex scientific technology into global pharmaceutical and biotech organizations. Nicholas’s appointment marks a significant milestone as 28Bio continues to scale its commercial footprint.
The search was led by Metric’s Head of Business Development, Dean Bagnall.
Of the process, Nicholas Ayers commented: “Working with Dean was a pleasure. As a candidate he was in regular contact to update me on the process and represented the client well with clarity on next steps and areas they wished to explore further before moving to making an offer. I have come across many search executives in my career, and he is at the top. He understands both sides of the recruitment process and how important it is to have the company professionally represented for all role levels and provide a great candidate experience.”
Speaking of the placement, Jeff Karlson, Director of HR at 28Bio, commented: “Always a pleasure to work with Dean. He is consistently focused and deeply engaged in the recruiting process, ensuring all parties stay aligned and moving forward efficiently. Having him lead our SVP of Sales search was instrumental in bringing in the right candidate for a role that is critical to hitting our ambitious sales goals and building the foundation for how we scale. Getting this hire right mattered enormously, and Dean delivered.”
On the partnership, Dean commented: “28Bio is doing something genuinely groundbreaking in the neurotechnology space, and finding the right commercial leader to carry that story into global pharma and biotech was a search that demanded real precision. Nicholas’s background and his ability to sell complex scientific solutions at the highest level made him the standout candidate from the outset. It was a privilege to work alongside Jeff and the team at 28Bio on such a critical hire, and I have no doubt that Nicholas will have an enormous impact as they continue to scale.”
About Metric
Metric is a New York-founded executive and specialty recruitment firm, recognized by the Financial Times as one of the fastest growing companies. Partnering with some of the world’s most innovative businesses, Metric builds high-performing global teams across Life Sciences, Infrastructure, Engineering, and Data Centers.
Through Metric Exec, the firm delivers C-suite and board-level appointments across its sectors, from high-growth businesses to investor-backed portfolios. Metric is backed by Southfield Capital and operates from seven offices across the US and UK.
