The Faces of Luminex: Chad Powell, Sales
We consistently strive to deliver the best customer experience possible, and since our sales team is one of our customers’ first points of contact, it’s essential that they’re passionate about the industry we serve. Chad Powell, Senior Molecular Business Manager, partners with clinical labs, hospitals, and other healthcare providers, ensuring they know how much we value them. The Atlanta-area resident joined Luminex in 2018, holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from DePaul University, and is currently working toward an MBA from Kennesaw State University.
[thumbnail]
Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?
A: We partner with different hospitals and labs to offer new ideas and solutions to better assist with patient care. We work closely with customers daily to meet their expectations and needs, and to make sure we’re addressing anything new that comes up. We also work with Field Service Engineers and Applications Specialists to provide the best experience we can.
Q: Where were you before?
A: Before Luminex, I was in a similar role at Thermo Fisher Scientific, working in diagnostics with hospitals and research facilities.
Q: What drew you to Luminex?
A: At the time, I had mostly worked for large corporations. They were great, but I wanted to join a smaller company with a more entrepreneurial feel. I’m also really interested in cutting-edge technology, and Luminex was the perfect fit. With unique molecular diagnostic products, and as a midsize company, it was a place where I felt like people’s contributions would go a little further. I’m happy I made the switch.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Luminex?
A: The people and customers I work with. Our team in the southeast is very collaborative and we’re constantly talking to each other. I feel like I learn something new every day. On a professional and personal level, I think I’ve grown more here than anywhere else.
Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?
A: Cerebral palsy. My daughter was diagnosed with a very mild form of it from having a stroke at birth, and she has to go to therapy weekly. Seeing how other families with more severe cases have been affected really hits close to home.
Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?
A: When I was 17 or 18, I lived in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and I used to set up concerts for local bands. I thought I’d wind up in music management.
Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?
A: My wife and I are creating a charity to help raise money for families to afford different orthotics and braces for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. They can get really expensive—thousands of dollars per brace—and kids grow so fast you have to buy new ones fairly often. In the past couple of years, I’ve done runs to raise money or donated to other fundraisers, but now we want to do our own thing and have more control over where the money goes. The working name of our charity is the Birdie Foundation, after my daughter’s nickname.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?
A: Since we just moved into a new neighborhood, our favorite thing right now is just exploring our neighborhood and city—meeting the neighbors, going to the pool, and trying out different restaurants.
At Luminex, we’re a team of talented individuals helping change the world by improving healthcare and quality of life for all. We work tirelessly to empower our team to collaborate, connect, and solve problems in new and innovative ways. If you’re interested in joining us, check out our latest job postings at: https://www.luminexcorp.com/open-positions/.