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0000724004
0000724004
2026-03-03
2026-03-03
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 3, 2026
MESA LABORATORIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Colorado
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
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0-11740
(Commission File Number)
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84-0872291
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
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12100 WEST SIXTH AVENUE,
LAKEWOOD, Colorado
(Address of principal executive offices)
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80228
(Zip Code)
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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 303-987-8000
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
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☐
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of each class
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Trading Symbol
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Name of each exchange on which
registered
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Common Stock, no par value
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MLAB
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The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
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Item 5.02
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Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
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CEO Departure
On March 3, 2026, Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (“Mesa” or the “Company”) initiated a leadership transition pursuant to which Gary Owens will depart as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective on or about April 13, 2026 (the “Transition Date”). Mr. Owens' separation from the Company is not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices. The terms of Mr. Owens’ separation are in the process of being determined.
CEO Appointment; Director Appointment
In connection with Mr. Owens’ departure, the Board has appointed Dr. Siddhartha Kadia to serve as the Company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective on or about April 13, 2026 (the “Effective Date”). Dr. Kadia’s appointment was made after a comprehensive external search conducted by the Board as part of its CEO succession process and long-term leadership strategy. The Board has also approved the appointment of Dr. Kadia as a member of the Board, effective as of the Effective Date.
Dr. Kadia, age 56, is an experienced executive with over 20 years in the life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology sectors. Since January 2025, Dr. Kadia has served as Chief Executive Officer of Calibre Scientific, a diversified global provider of life science reagents, tools, instruments, and other consumables to the lab research, diagnostics and biopharmaceutical communities. From March 2022 to August 2023, he served as Chief Executive Officer of PhenomeX and its predecessor Berkeley Lights until its acquisition by Bruker Corporation. From 2014 to 2018, he served as Chief Executive Officer of EAG Laboratories. From 2005 to 2014, he served in various roles at Life Technologies (formerly Invitrogen Corporation), including President of the company’s Life Sciences Division, until the company was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr. Kadia began his career at consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, where he worked from 2001 to 2005. Dr. Kadia holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was honored with the David Israel Macht Award for Excellence in Research, and a Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University.
There are no family relationships between Dr. Kadia and any director or executive officer of the Company, and there are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Kadia and any other persons pursuant to which he was selected as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In addition, there are no related party transactions between Dr. Kadia and the Company that require disclosure pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
In connection with the appointment of Dr. Kadia as President and Chief Executive Officer, he and the Company have entered into an Employment Agreement, effective as of March 3, 2026 (the “Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which Dr. Kadia will receive an annual base salary of $850,000, which may be increased from time to time by the Compensation Committee of the Board. He will be eligible to participate in the Company’s annual executive cash incentive plan, with the opportunity to receive an annual cash bonus equal to at least 100% of his annual base salary, pursuant to the terms and conditions of such plan and subject to the achievement of performance targets set by the Compensation Committee of the Board. Upon the commencement of his employment, Dr. Kadia will be entitled to an equity award consisting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) with an estimated value of $3.0 million and performance share units (“PSUs”) with an estimated target value of $3.0 million, each to be granted at the times and to cover a target number of shares as set forth in the Employment Agreement. The RSUs shall vest and be earned in equal 1/3rd increments on the first three anniversaries of their grant date, contingent on Dr. Kadia’s continued employment through each anniversary date. The PSUs shall have a potential payout between 0% and 200% of the target number of shares based on achievement of one or more metrics determined by the Compensation Committee, and will vest and be earned contingent on Dr. Kadia’s continued employment through the third anniversary of their grant date. Dr. Kadia will be eligible to receive additional equity awards from time to time as determined by the Compensation Committee consistent with Mesa’s compensation practices. The Employment Agreement contains customary severance and other terms.
The foregoing description of the Employment Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Employment Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 7.01 REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE
On March 9, 2026, the Company issued a news release announcing the foregoing updates. A copy of the news release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information furnished in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto shall not be deemed to be filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
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10.1
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Employment Agreement, dated as of March 3, 2026, by and among Mesa Laboratories, Inc. and Siddhartha Kadia
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99.1
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News release, dated March 9, 2026
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104
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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DATE: March 9, 2026
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Mesa Laboratories, Inc.
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(Registrant)
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BY:
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/s/ John Sakys
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John Sakys
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Chief Financial Officer
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Exhibit 99.1
Mesa Laboratories Announces CEO Transition and Appointment of Siddhartha Kadia as President and CEO
Lakewood, Colorado — March 9, 2026 — Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: MLAB) (“Mesa” or “the Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of life science tools and critical quality control solutions, today announced that Gary Owens will step down as President and CEO on April 12, 2026, and will enable a smooth leadership transition.
“Gary has served as Mesa’s CEO since 2017, leading Mesa through a period of significant growth, expansion into new markets, the maturation of the company’s foundation, and the implementation of The Mesa Way business system,” said John Sullivan, Chair of the Board. “We are grateful for his leadership and wish him continued success.”
To lead the Company’s next chapter, the Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Siddhartha Kadia as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 13, 2026. Dr. Kadia will also join the Board.
Dr. Sullivan added, “Siddhartha is a proven global executive with deep experience scaling life sciences businesses. His track record of commercializing innovative technologies and leading complex organizations makes him the right leader for Mesa’s next chapter.”
Dr. Kadia most recently served as CEO of Calibre Scientific and previously led PhenomeX (formerly Berkeley Lights). Earlier, he was President and CEO of EAG Laboratories, which expanded significantly before being acquired by Eurofins Scientific. He also served as President of Life Sciences at Life Technologies, overseeing a $2 billion global business, and held senior leadership roles in Japan, Greater China, and led the e‑commerce business. He began his career at McKinsey & Company in the healthcare practice.
Dr. Kadia has served on the boards of several public life sciences companies, including NuVasive, Volcano Corporation, Newport Corporation, Horizon Discovery Group, Berkeley Lights, and IsoPlexis. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, an M.S. from Rutgers University, and a B.E. from L.D. College of Engineering, Gujarat University.
“I am honored to join Mesa at this important time,” said Dr. Kadia, “I look forward to working with the talented team to build on the Company’s strong foundation and continue delivering long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders.”
About Mesa Laboratories, Inc.
Mesa is a global leader in the design and manufacture of life science tools and critical quality control solutions for regulated applications in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and medical device industries. Mesa offers products and services to help our customers ensure product integrity, increase patient and worker safety, and improve the quality of life throughout the world.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain information that constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and present expectations or projections. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to leadership, strategic matters and future results. Generally, the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “may,” “target,” “project,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements are based upon current information and expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those estimated or anticipated as a result of these risks and unknowns or other risks and uncertainties. For additional information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties that could affect these statements, and our business, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2025, as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, to provide any updates, or to reflect the occurrence of future events.
CONTACT: John Sakys; CFO of Mesa Laboratories, Inc., +1-303-987-8000
For more information about the Company, please visit its website at www.mesalabs.com
