Directors & Management

 


Dr David King

Chairman

   
 

Dr David King brings a depth of corporate governance, capital markets and listed company board experience to Cellmid. He has previously held positions as Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in a number of private and listed companies.

An expert in high growth companies Dr King has a track record in starting business ventures and developing them into attractive investment and/or take-over targets. His experience in successful start-up businesses has been instrumental in CDY’s recent acquisition of the midkine intellectual property portfolio.

Dr King is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and the Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (Chartered Professional, Management) and holds degrees in physics and geophysics and a PhD in Seismology from the Australian National University.

 
 
 
Ms Maria Halasz

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

   
 

Maria Halasz has been involved with biotechnology companies for 17 years; initially working in executive positions in biotechnology firms, then managing investment funds and later holding senior positions in corporate finance specialising in life sciences.

Prior to joining Cellmid Ms Halasz had been an adviser to an independent sector based research firm in life sciences and managed Direct Capital Group Pty Ltd, a specialist biotechnology fund. She has also been a venture partner at the Emerging Technology Fund of venture capital firm Allen & Buckeridge.

Since taking over as Chief Executive and Managing Director of Cellmid Ms Halasz has led the restructure of the business, the acquisition of the midkine intellectual property portfolio and the recapitalisation of the company.

Ms Halasz is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a science degree in Microbiology and an MBA.

 
 
 
Mr Robin Beaumont

Non-Executive Director

   
 

Mr Robin Beaumont is a senior strategic adviser and experienced public company director. He was Chairman of Arana Therapeutics Limited, a listed biotechnology company, until the company’s recent takeover by Cephalon Inc., and was a director of antibody engineering company Evogenix Limited until its merger with Peptech Limited to form Arana Therapeutics in 2007. His life science industry experience also includes previous roles as Chairman of Select Vaccines Limited, Chairman of the Cooperative Research Centre for Diagnostics and non-executive director of GroPep Limited.

Mr Beaumont was Managing Director of the Advent venture capital group until 1998 and represented Advent’s interests as a director of Primary Health Care, Benchmark Mutual Hospital Group, The Preston Group, Tower Technology and the Ayers Rock Resort Company. He is also a former non-executive director of Ruralco Limited. Prior to joining Advent, Mr Beaumont had more than ten years of strategy consulting experience, after holding senior management positions in a large listed company.

 


 
 
Mr Darren Jones

Head of Product Development

   
 

Darren Jones has worked in the Australian biotechnology industry for over 10 years, with particular responsibilities for developing promising therapeutic antibody candidates from discovery, screening, preclinical testing and humanising through to clinical trials.

In addition to his considerable technical expertise in all aspects of the development of antibody therapeutics, he has extensive expertise in intellectual property management and strategic business planning.

Prior to working in the biotechnology sector Mr Jones worked as a research scientist at the University of Technology and at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney in the fields of  immunology, cancer and HIV.

Darren has a BSc from the University of Sydney and a MSc degree from the University of Technology, Sydney.

 
 
 
Mr Nicholas Falzon

Company Secretary & Financial Controller

   
 

Nicholas Falzon has been working with Cellmid for over four years and was appointed as Financial Controller and Company Secretary on the 6th October 2010.

As a partner at Lawler Partners Nicholas works with a number of listed and unlisted companies advising them on all aspects of their financial management. His special area is R & D Tax Concessions and he has been successful in applying for substantial tax offsets for Cellmid in the past.

In addition to his tax expertise Nicholas adds value to Cellmid through his extensive business management, corporate finance and compliance related experience.