Board & Senior Management
Dr Peter French
Chair
Dr Peter French is a leader in the Australian biotechnology industry with more than 40 years’ experience in both academic and commercial executive roles in the life sciences industry. Peter is also Chair of Innlaz Ltd (ASX:INL) and was the 2022 Entrepreneur-in-Residence, UNSW 10X Founders. He has founded or co-founded many companies and successfully listed Benitec Biopharma Ltd on the US stock exchange (NASDAQ:BNTC).
Mr Peter Wong
Director, Beroni Group
Mr Peter Wong is a Chartered Accountant with more than 30 years’ financial services' experience in the UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and Australia. Peter started his professional career with Deloitte England and PWC Hong Kong, and later held senior positions in Citibank, HK Stock Exchange, HK Telecom, Hong Leong Group (Malaysia) and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. He has served as a director or CFO of several listed companies in Australia.
Ms Lisa Nelson
Director, UNSW
Lisa Nelson has over 35 years of experience within both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. A leader in her field, Lisa is the CEO of Scientia Clinical Research: the first purpose built, early phase clinical trial facility in NSW. Integral to this success is Lisa’s knowledge and experience in setting up and managing globally recognised Phase I units in other states, creating new business opportunities, developing key client relationships and keeping abreast of developments in early phase drug and device research. The US and China are a prime focus. Lisa has a very broad and insightful perspective on what is happening in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology world today.
Mr Jacky Zhang
Chief Executive Officer, Beroni Group
Mr Jacky Zhang is the Founder, Chair and MD of Beroni Group. Jacky’s expertise includes Head of Human Resources, R&D Project Manager, CEO Asia Pacific, and Executive Director for companies based in China and the UK. He has a special interest in collaborating with global research institutions on bioscience and clinical R&D, as well as technology transfer and new product development. He has been instrumental in developing Beroni since its inception and has helped Beroni win many accolades and recognition awards from the Chinese government.
Mr Hai Huang
Director, Beroni Group
Mr Hai Huang founded Tianjin Beroni Biotechnology Co. Ltd. Hai has worked for global top 500 companies for 15 years and has been responsible for commodity import and export, and international and domestic trade business. He has extensive international trade experience and more than 10 years’ experience in business franchising and e-commerce planning, implementation and team-building.
Dr Stephen Palmer
Director, UNSW
Dr Stephen Palmer is engaged in the development of collaborative innovation and industry engagement opportunities for the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct (RHIP), including all prospective partnerships involving health-related translational research, biotechnology commercialisation and industry collaboration. Steve has extensive experience in molecular biology and biochemistry, preclinical drug development strategies, IP management and technology transfer.
Mr Vincent Ruffles
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Vincent Ruffles has over 25 years’ international clinical operations and product development experience living and working in Australia, the UK, and Switzerland. His background includes positions within multinational and start-up biotechnology companies as well as for CROs, working across a multitude of therapeutic areas, managing all aspects of the drug development life cycle, and leading cross-functional teams.
Mr Guy Robertson
Chief Financial Officer
Mr Guy Robertson has extensive experience as a finance executive in Australia and Asia across a broad range of industries. Following a career with the Jardine Matheson group as a senior executive in insurance, commercial real estate and retail industries, Guy established Integrated CFO Solutions providing Director, Company Secretarial and Accounting Services to SME’s.
Prof. Phil Hogg
Chief Scientific Officer
Prof Phil Hogg is the biochemist who co-created PENAO. Prof Hogg graduated with a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Queensland in 1987. Following post-doctoral training in the USA and Sweden he returned to Sydney as a NHMRC RD Wright Fellow. He was the inaugural director of the Lowy Cancer Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and is now director of the ACRF Centenary Cancer Research Centre and Honorary Professor in the University of Sydney Clinical Trials Centre. He has won several awards for his research that focuses on a fundamental chemical modification of proteins he discovered. This research led to the design and synthesis of the proprietary molecules being developed by PENAO Pty Ltd as novel small molecule cancer therapeutics.