SANTA CLARA, Calif.–Affymetrix Inc. (Nasdaq:AFFX) today announced the addition of John F. (Rick) Runkel to its management team as Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

“Rick has been a successful lawyer for 25 years and brings a wealth of experience to our leadership team,” said Kevin King, president of Affymetrix. “We are very pleased to add Rick and look forward to his contributions in developing and implementing our corporate legal strategy.”

Prior to joining Affymetrix, Runkel served as senior vice president and general counsel at Intuitive Surgical Inc, a leader in surgical robotics. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of business development, general counsel and corporate secretary at VISX Inc., a leader in laser vision correction technology. In addition, Runkel spent 17 years practicing law at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton LLP, where he was managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office.

“Affymetrix is a company that continues to revolutionize life by powering genetic breakthroughs and enabling individuals to benefit from their own DNA,” said Runkel. “I look forward to being a part of such a quality organization with one of the industry’s strongest IP portfolios.”

Runkel received his law and undergraduate degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles.

About Affymetrix:

Affymetrix GeneChip® microarray technology is the industry-standard tool for analyzing complex genetic information. After inventing microarray technology in the late 1980s, Affymetrix scientists have been dedicated to developing innovative products that provide researchers with a more complete view of the genome. These products continue to accelerate genetic research and enable scientists to develop diagnostics and tailor treatments for individual patients by identifying and measuring the genetic information associated with complex diseases.

Today, Affymetrix technology is used by the world’s top pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government and not-for-profit research institutes. More than 1,700 systems have been shipped around the world and more than 14,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published using the technology.

Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., and has manufacturing facilities in Sacramento, Calif., Cleveland, Ohio, and Singapore. The company has about 1,100 employees worldwide and maintains sales and distribution operations across Europe and Asia. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit the company’s website at www.affymetrix.com.