Abaxis, Inc. CEO, Clint Severson, Joins ABL Organization

Santa Ana, CA — August 1, 2009 — Clint Severson, Chairman, President and CEO of Abaxis, Inc., has joined the Adaptive Business Leaders Organization (ABL). As part of California’s leading vertical-industry Chief Executives’ Organization, ABL Members provide one another with executive leadership coaching through its confidential, professionally-facilitated, peer-CEO Advisory Board Round Tables, executive learning workshops, network of CEO peers, and expert resources.

Abaxis, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABAX) develops, manufactures and markets point-of-care blood analysis systems that provide test results in less than 12 minutes with the precision and accuracy equivalent to a clinical laboratory analyzer. Founded in 1989, Abaxis’ portable blood analysis systems can be used in any human or veterinary patient-care setting to provide clinicians with rapid blood constituent measurements. The system consists of a compact, 5.1 kilogram (11.2 pounds), portable analyzer and a series of single-use plastic discs, called reagent discs, that contain all the chemicals required to perform a panel of up to 14 tests on human patients – and up to 13 tests on animal patients. The system can be operated with minimal training and performs multiple routine tests on whole blood, serum or plasma samples.

Clint has over 30 years of experience in the medical diagnostics industry. He has been President and CEO of Abaxis since June 1996, Chairman of the Board since May 1998, and a Director since June 1996. Earlier, from 1989 to 1996, he was President and CEO of MAST Immunosystems, Inc.

In 2007, Clint received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Forbes Magazine. He has been Non-Executive Director of Trinity Biotech plc since November 2008, and a Director of CytoCore, Inc. since November 2006. He also serves as Director of IntelliDx, Inc. and has been a Director of LXN Corporation since October 2000. Clint lives in Palo Alto, where his hobbies include hiking and real estate -- and he loves investing.

About the Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL) Organization
ABL supports the needs of its Member CEOs by providing a place for top-level executives to draw on the experience, knowledge and skill sets of their peers in a vertical industry, personal advisory board – “multi-coach approach” – setting.

The core component of the CEO Membership experience is the group Round Table meeting. Members meet once a month for a half-day with a group of peer CEOs, Presidents, COOs and Division General Managers from non-competing companies, all from the same industry (healthcare, technology or medical device), in a trusted and confidential board room-like setting, which allows ABL Members to tackle topics and enhance their decision making and business performance. Topics include: developing and honing new business strategies and best practices, new lines of business, “A-players” on the management team, and an effective board of directors, as well as understanding trends in new markets, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and other “hot” topics brought to the Round Tables by the Members themselves.

ABL Members also gather several times a year at workshops and conferences to exchange ideas and connect with other chief executives beyond their own CEO peer groups. In effect, ABL Members serve as one another’s business coaches within the Round Tables and are encouraged to connect and leverage their co-Member peers’ particular skills and expertise for additional leadership coaching, one-on-one, outside of their monthly group meeting. In addition, each Round Table’s Facilitator also serves as an objective business advisor, offering executive and industry insights and advice.

ABL's Chief Executive Leadership Development Round Table program is currently offered in California's Greater Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco and Santa Clara County areas. More information about the ABL Organization can be found at http://www.abl.org.