DENNIS CALLEWAERT:
 
DENNIS CALLEWAERT




 
 
 
 
 
Founder and President, Oxford Biomedical Research in Oxford, Michigan. Callewaert, a professor of chemistry and the former director of the Center for Biomedical Research at Oakland University, founded the company in 1994, one of four biotechnology companies he has started. Oxford Biomedical Research has licensed several key technologies and performs research and development through grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health. Callewaert’s work has appeared in more than 70 research publications, and he holds several patents. Prior to Oxford, Callewaert was the co-founder of the Michigan Biotechnology Association (now MichBio), a consultant in the clinical pathology department at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, and president of Proteins International in Rochester Hills. Callewaert and Oxford Biomedical have been recognized with the Commercialization Assistance Program award from the National Institutes of Health, the Commercialization Success award from the MEDC, and the Research Career Development award from the National Cancer Institute. He was named a special fellow of the Leukemia Society of America. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from what is now the University of Detroit Mercy and his PhD in chemistry/biochemistry from Wayne State University.


WHERE BORN: "Detroit."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "Thinking way back, Leroy Hood, the founder of Applied Biosystems and Amgen, now director of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. He’s an academic who started companies and believes in volunteer work; a really ethical, moral guy."

LAST BOOK READ: "I read mostly fiction. Now and Then by Robert Parker."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Driven, collegial, high level of ethics, and workaholic."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "In general, in the life science tools industry where Oxford Biomedical works, we’re in the middle of a lot of consolidation. I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing. There’s still a bunch of small companies around. We still think there’s a lot more flexibility with being small."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "iMac."

FAVORITE PLACE: "My home. I live out in the country. My favorite low-tech gadget is a backhoe front-end loader."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "Woodworking and landscaping."

FAVORITE FOOD: "Chicken Kiev would certainly rate high. My wife is a gourmet cook."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "Back in college, I earned some of my tuition with a pool cue. I went to the University of Detroit, and it was frowned upon there. My other hidden talent is that I made my father a pool table. He’s since passed away and now it’s in my basement."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "I’m less interested in money and building an empire; I want to be remembered as a good friend and a role model for my children and my employees."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.