ALEX DING (BComm, LLB UNSW, LLM USyd)
Non-executive Chairman
Alex was a partner at two leading Australian law firms, and is a recognised expert in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and general corporate and governance law. He has advised many large ASX, LSE and US listed companies, foreign government controlled entities and substantial private companies and funds on acquisitions, divestments, corporate finance transactions, joint venture arrangements, restructurings, corporate governance and disputes strategy. He has been named on The Best Lawyers in Australia list, and has over 25 years of experience as a corporate lawyer.
TIM GROGAN (LLB, BSc – Chemistry)
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Tim brings more than 30 years’ experience and expertise to Bio-Gene, with a successful track record of delivering growth in the agtech, food and human health sectors. Tim has deep multi-disciplinary experience in the management of new product development, commercialisation, capital raising and corporate governance.
As a hands-on leader, Tim has held several key executive roles, specialising in product development and expanding business partnerships. As CEO of SIRA Pty Ltd, Tim led the commercial development of technologies to produce new types of healthier sugar. Prior to this, Tim was the CEO of Dimerix BioScience Pty Ltd, a venture capital-funded medicinal drug discovery and development company, where he managed the development of a novel treatment for diabetic nephropathy and the company completed three substantial pharmaceutical partnering deals within 12 months and significantly expanded its investor base.
Tim also has extensive listed company experience, including with pharmaceutical development company, Starpharma (ASX:SPL), where he worked to steer it through the IPO process and establishing several commercial relationships globally.
Most recently, Tim has been consulting to companies in the health and medical technology sectors in Australia, providing strategic, government and regulatory advice.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in chemistry, from the University of Melbourne.
ANDREW GUTHRIE (B. AgSci (Hons), GAICD)
Non-executive Director
Andrew has dedicated his career to agriculture and worked for 32 years with one of the world’s leading agriculture companies, Syngenta, and predecessor companies around the world. After building his early career in sales, marketing and supply chain roles in Australian agriculture, Andrew spent 20 years working internationally with assignments in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and China. He gained significant experience in diverse cultural environments that require broad leadership skills. Andrew spent most of his senior leadership years with Syngenta in Asia, as Regional Director for Asia Pacific, before he was promoted to lead Syngenta’s multi-billion dollar business in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
During his career, Andrew led business growth in developed and emerging markets by creating country operating businesses with the right culture, capability, people and business strategies to access attractive market segments that constituted tens of millions of grower customers in some countries. Andrew has a strong understanding of corporate governance and the risk management required to successfully grow business in emerging markets.
Andrew was part of Syngenta’s Global Crop Protection Leadership team that was responsible for business strategy that leveraged Syngenta’s extensive research and development capability to invent, gain regulatory approval and launch new products, including insecticides, to agricultural markets globally.
In 2019 he retired from executive management roles and now acts as a company director and mentor.
CHRIS RAMSEY (BRuSc UNE Armidale, GradDip Agribusiness Monash Uni)
Non-executive Director
Chris has over 30 years experience in the agricultural sector across business start up, development, marketing and broader agronomy. He has held leadership roles in Bayer, BASF and Nufarm among others, operating in both technical and managerial roles. Chris brings with him significant experience across customer engagement and product marketing and has a history of partnership development and sourcing after having spent the earlier years of his career in technical agricultural roles. Chris currently acts as non-executive director of North West Phosphate, a phosphate exploration and production business and principal director of a boutique agribusiness consulting firm. Chris holds a BSc (Honours) in Rural Sciences and a GradDip in Agribusiness
PETER MAY (BAppSc (Rural Technology) (Hons), MBA, GAICD, AFAIM)
Executive Director Research and Development
Peter has over 20 years’ experience in the Australian and international crop protection markets with companies Incitec, Orica and Crop Care Australasia (now part of Nufarm). His various roles included business management of pesticide products, export sales and toll formulation operations. During this period Peter developed extensive experience in international crop protection markets.
In 2001, he founded Xavca Pty Ltd, providing marketing and consultancy services to companies such as Syngenta, Sorex (now part of BASF), Babolna Bioenvironmental (Hungary) and Proplan Plant Protection (Spain). In 2008 Peter joined BioProspect Limited (ASX: BPO) as Chief Executive Officer and subsequently was appointed Non-Executive Director and then Non-Executive Chairman. In 2012 Peter joined Xenex Associates, a UK-based international consultancy company, as a Senior Associate, working on market development projects in Asia/Oceania.
Peter is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), a member of the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA) and the Mosquito Control Association of Australia (MCAA). Peter holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Rural Technology) (First Class Honours) from the University of Queensland and an MBA from the Queensland University of Technology.
ROGER MCPHERSON (B.Bus, CPA, GAICD)
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
Roger has more than 30 years’ experience in senior finance roles in a wide variety of industries. His early career included working with a chartered accounting practice and two years with the Australian Taxation Office.
Roger was previously CFO and Company Secretary for Bio-Gene for six years and has returned on an interim basis while the Company secures a permanent replacement. Roger has worked for a number of SMEs both listed and unlisted including Patrys Limited, TPI Enterprises Ltd and eChoice Home Loans. In these roles he was responsible for all financial affairs and corporate administration as well as assisting in investor relations activities. He has over 20 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical experience.
In addition to his role with Bio-Gene, Roger also provides CFO and Company Secretarial services to other listed and unlisted entities.
Roger has a B. Bus (Accounting) – Curtin University, is a member of CPA Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
DR. JAMES WADE (BSc, MSc, PhD)
Program Manager
James was educated in the UK, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science (University of Salford, UK) and a Master’s degree (with distinction) in Molecular Parasitology and Entomology (University of Manchester, UK). This training provided a strong understanding of contemporary studies relating to research into the immunological and molecular aspects of selected parasites and vector/parasite relationships. A specific emphasis was placed on the epidemiology and control of vectors of known economic importance and their impacts on the public, animal and agricultural sectors.
After completing a PhD in cell and developmental biology in 2008, James was employed as a Science and Technology Program Manager for a world leading European-based agribusiness holding company (EW-Group). In this role he was responsible for a global program of collaborative research projects which aimed to improve company process efficiencies.
In 2015 James joined a subsidiary of the EW-Group (Aviagen Ltd) as Research/Technical Development Manager (an EW-Group owned company). Here he assisted in leading a broad range of research initiatives aimed at improving the understanding of Aviagen’s products, processes, and developing best-practice advice for customers. This involved cross cultural and geographical collaborations with private industry, leading academic institutions and government organisations. This role saw James gain further experience in the coordination multiple cross disciplinary research projects in order to develop new technologies and methods that would add value to the Aviagen business. As part of this role he was responsible for the management of company trials infrastructure, the management, analysis and interpretation of product and research and development trials run internally or in external facilities across Europe. This role delivered multiple research outputs and technical support internally to the company, customer and wider audiences.
James was appointed as Program Manager for R&D within Bio-Gene in December 2018.
SARAH DRIESSENS (BSc, MSc)
Global Regulatory Affairs Lead
Sarah was educated in Belgium obtaining a Master’s degree (with distinction) in Agricultural engineering focus biotechnology (Free University Brussels). After completing her Masters, Sarah worked for more then 10 years at the world leading Agri company Monsanto (and subsequently Bayer after the Monsanto acquisition). Her main areas of focus were product registration for agricultural and consumer products across major geographic jurisdictions. She gained invaluable knowledge and experience working with key stakeholders (including regulators and industry associations) and achieved notable success, especially in the European regulatory system. Sarah has worked cross functional and has broad experience in working closely together with R&D, legal, manufacturing, supply and sales teams.
In early 2021 Sarah joined Pelsis a global pest control technology company as Head of Regulatory, with a focus on leading and coaching a team in developing and implementing regulatory strategies for biocide consumer and professional products. In late 2021, Sarah relocated with her family permanently to Brisbane, Australia.
Sarah brings an advanced level of technical and regulatory expertise that will enable Bio-Gene to manage the registration process of Flavocide™ and Qcide™ as efficiently as possible. Her experience with different regulatory bodies around the world is invaluable, and her command of multiple languages ensures good communication between Bio-Gene, our commercial partners, our registration study providers, and the various government regulatory bodies.
Sarah was appointed as Head of Regulatory affairs within Bio-Gene in February 2022.
