An Australian stem cell and regenerative medicine company

Board Of Directors

Dr Geoff Brooke

Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Dr Brooke joined the Cynata Board in May 2019.  He founded GBS Venture Partners in 1996 and has more than 20 years’ venture capital experience. Geoff was formally President of Medvest Inc., a US-based early-stage venture capital group he founded with Johnson & Johnson. Geoff's experience includes company formation and acquisitions, as well as public listings on the NYSE, NASDAQ and ASX exchanges. He is a non-executive director of Acrux Limited (ASX:ACR), Chairman of Actinogen Medical Limited (ASX: ACW) and has been a founder, executive and director of private and public companies. From 2009 until 2015, he was an independent director of the Victoria Workcover Authority. Dr. Geoff Brooke is licensed in clinical medicine by the Medical Board of Victoria, Australia and his post-graduate work was in anaesthetics and intensive care. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery from the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Masters of Business Administration from IMEDE (now IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Dr Ross Macdonald

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Dr Macdonald has over 20 years’ experience and a track record of success in pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses. His career history includes positions as Chief Executive Officer of Hatchtech Pty Ltd, Vice President of Business Development for Sinclair Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a UK-based specialty pharmaceuticals company, Vice President of Business Development for Connetics Corporation (Palo Alto, CA), and Vice President, Corporate Development for Stiefel Laboratories Inc, the largest independent dermatology company in the world and acquired by Glaxo Smith Kline in 2009 for £2.25b. Dr Macdonald has also served as Vice President of Research and Development of F H Faulding & Co Ltd and CEO of Living Cell Technologies Ltd.  His other positions have included non-executive director roles at iSonea Ltd, Telesso Technologies Ltd, Hatchtech Pty Ltd and Relevare Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Dr Macdonald currently serves as a member of the Investment Committee of UniSeed Management Pty Ltd. Dr Macdonald holds a PhD in Biochemistry, Monash University, a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, Swinburne University, and he is a member of the Licensing Executives Society.

Dr Paul Wotton

Independent Director

Dr. Wotton joined Cynata’s Board of Directors in June, 2016. He was previously President and CEO of Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCAT) joining the company in July 2014 and managing it through a take-over by Astellas Pharma, Inc., in a US$379 million all cash transaction. Prior to Ocata, Dr. Wotton had served as President and CEO of Antares Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: ATRS), since October, 2008. Prior to joining Antares, Dr. Wotton was the CEO of Topigen Pharmaceuticals and prior to Topigen, he was the Global Head of Business Development of SkyePharma PLC. Earlier in his career he held senior level positions at Eurand International BV, Penwest Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Laboratories and Merck, Sharp and Dohme. Dr. Wotton is a member of the board of Vericel Corporation, a US company developing autologous cellular therapies and also past Chairman of the Emerging Companies Advisory Board of BIOTEC Canada. Dr. Wotton received his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Nottingham and an MBA from Kingston Business School. In 2014 he was named New Jersey EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Life Sciences.

Dr Stewart Washer

Non-Executive Director

Stewart has 25 years of CEO and ASX Board experience in medical technology and biotech companies.

He is currently the Chairman of Emyria Ltd (ASX:EMD), creating new cannabinoid and psychedelic drugs for mental health and other diseases, Chairman of Orthocell Ltd (ASX:OCC), a regenerative medicine company dedicated to providing innovative treatments for people suffering from nerve and tendon injuries and Director of Botanix Ltd (ASX:BOT), with a pipeline of clinical trial stage dermatology drugs.

Stewart was previously the CEO of Calzada Ltd (ASX:PNV), the founding CEO of Phylogica Ltd (ASX:PYC) and before this, he was CEO of Celentis and managed the commercialisation of research from AgResearch in New Zealand with 650 Scientists and $130m revenues. This included a number of nutraceutical products. He was also a founder of a NZ$120m New Zealand based life science fund and Venture Partner with the Swiss based Inventages Nestlé Fund. He was an Investment Director with Bioscience Managers.

Stewart has held a number of Board positions in the past including Founding Chairman of Hatchtech Pty Ltd that sold in 2015 for A$279m, Director of iCeutica Pty Ltd that sold to a US Pharma and a Director of AusBiotech Ltd, the Federal industry body. He was also a Senator with Murdoch University. 

Ms Janine Rolfe

Independent Director

Ms Rolfe joined the Cynata Board in September 2022 and brings over two decades’ of legal, governance and management experience across multiple sectors, including highly regulated industries and complex global businesses.  Before recently transitioning as a professional non-executive director, Janine’s last executive position was General Counsel & Company Secretary of Link Administration Holdings Limited (Link Group).  Prior to that, Janine founded Company Matters Pty Limited and worked both in-house (Qantas Airways Limited) and in private practice (Mallesons Stephen Jaques, now King & Wood Mallesons), across a diverse and distinguished career.  Janine is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Cloudwerx Holdings Pty Limited and a Board Member of the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority, NSW Government.  Janine has held a number of Board positions in the past including with Property Exchange Australia Limited (PEXA), the Qantas Foundation Trustee, and Bothar Boring Pty Limited.  Janine is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and received a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Sydney.

Dr Darryl Maher

Independent Director

Dr Maher joined the Cynata Board in June 2020 following over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry as a senior R&D Executive at CSL Limited.  His most recent position was Vice President of R&D and Medical Affairs at CSL Behring Australia where he was responsible for the development of multiple successful drug products from initiation through clinical development and ultimately to commercialisation.   Dr Maher undertook medical training, qualified as a specialist haematologist and completed a PhD before commencing his career in the pharmaceutical industry.  He was a former President of the Australian Pharmaceutical Physicians Association and a director of Vaccine Solutions.  He earned his Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery from the University of Melbourne, Australia and undertook his PhD at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.  He is a retired Fellow of both the Royal Australian College of Physicians and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia.

Mr Peter Webse

Company Secretary

Mr Webse has over 28 years’ company secretarial experience and is a director of Governance Corporate Pty Ltd, a company specialising in providing company secretarial, corporate governance and corporate advisory services.