From US Air Force to Biomedical Lab Expert
Never has the path-breaking work of James Brian Clark been more significant than in the post-pandemic world. As a seasoned Biomedical Lab Expert, Brian has been at the forefront of cutting-edge LabTech developments in the past decade. A retired Biomedical Laboratory Officer (US Air Force) and credentialed Laboratory Scientist, he is currently the COO at GC LabTech, Texas, USA.
Changing or shifting the paradigm has been a hallmark of Brian’s career, constantly identifying the need to improve or refine operations and processes. A key component of his strategic planning is to develop and implement efficiencies that lower costs and reduce completion times without compromising the quality of the output, whether it is a product or service.
A native of Texas, Brian enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1993. He earned an Associate Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology from the Community College of the Air Force; Bachelor of Science; Masters’ Degrees in Business Administration and Human Resources Management; and is currently pursuing his Doctorate.
In 2005, Brian was commissioned into the US Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps as a Biomedical Laboratory Officer, wherein began his exciting journey in the world of laboratory leadership. In 2012, he Honorably Retired from Active-Duty Military Service, following which he served as Regional Blood Bank Manager – Baptist Health System, Texas, and Director of Donor Services – South Texas Blood & Tissue Center.
In 2016, he joined GC LabTech as Director of Operations and was promoted to COO in 2022. GC LabTech is an international subsidiary of GC Biopharma of South Korea. As a seasoned Laboratory and Operations professional, Brian had the unique opportunity to create and launch a plasma donor testing laboratory from scratch!
With just corporate filing documentation, Brian envisioned GC LabTech as a future-oriented laboratory, building it with lean practices, multiple efficiencies, technology, and forward-leaning strategies. He gathered experts in Laboratory Operations, Quality Assurance, and Medical Logistics to swiftly execute the vision of creating a world-class laboratory producing high-quality results with minimal resources.
In record time, GCLT surpassed multiple milestones such as CAP & ISO15189 accreditation, successful US-FDA, Korean Ministry of Food & Drug Safety, European Medicines Agency Good Manufacturing Practice inspections, along with numerous manufacturing and supplier qualification audits.
As GCLT matured, an additional opportunity arose to partner with a US-based Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) entity for IgE Allergy testing using Dried Blood Spot collections, extending world-class laboratory services to patients and customers at home. Recognizing the growth potential of the D2C movement, Brian positioned GC LabTech as a front-runner in this area of home testing.
This superior expertise and business acumen has won Brian awards and recognitions throughout his career. In the past one year itself, he was recognised by 2022 Health2.0 Conference – Outstanding Leadership Award; the Marquis Who’s Who® biographical listings in America; the Top Professional Series; was the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement inductee; and is to be featured in an upcoming edition of Marquis Millennium Magazine.
While he finds personal recognition most humbling, Brian tends to gravitate towards the accomplishments of his team. GC LabTech has been recognized as the ‘Best Laboratory in San Antonio’ for two years straight (2022 and 2023), and their Customer Satisfaction remains unparalleled. “These are the awards that motivate me. Seeing our team and organization accelerate is the most rewarding aspect of leadership,” says Brian.
One of Brian’s passions is being an innovative and attentive leader. A great team is essential for success through competent delegation and timely execution. Understanding ideas or feedback from both internal and external sources fosters innovations and the courage to be bold in the vision, strong in the execution, and humble in its success.
Brian applies the same collaborative approach in his personal life. He attributes his success to his family, in particular his wife Tanya, who provided a strong foundation to build a professional career upon.
Listing his key principles of leadership, Brian says, “Be a humble, servant leader. Be teachable: know when to listen, observe, and engage. Recognize and respect the paradigm, but don’t be afraid to change it when necessary. Lead by motivation and encouragement rather than force or consequence. Remember your family and loved ones, nurture those relationships.”
Furthermore, Brian shares, “I keep one motivating mantra close to my heart, shared by one of my former commanders: ‘Execution is the Chariot of Genius’.”
Simply put, anyone can come up with great ideas, but execution is another story. Those that can execute, whether individually or as a team, they’re the ones to watch out for!
