Opening new avenues for Australian biopharmaceutical industry development
With extensive experience in cutting-edge scientific research, business development and drug manufacturing, our team is paving the way for Australian biopharmaceuticals.
Meet our Board
Mark Williams (BComm, LLB (Hons)
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
Appointed to the role of CEO following the passing of Co-Founder, Dr Wayne Finlayson in 2023. Mark joined Servatus as Executive Director (Chief Financial Officer) in 2018.
Mark has extensive experience in investment banking, having spent 20 years with Macquarie Bank in Sydney, London and South America. His expertise covers areas such as risk, structured lending, governance, commodities & equities markets, and management.
In 2001, Mark set up Macquarie’s off-shore risk function in London. From 2004 to 2014, Mark was based in Sao Paulo, Brazil as office and local country head. Mark, as an Executive Director, was responsible for Macquarie’s Brazilian commodity platform, including management of a number of the bank’s largest global commodity clients.
Hugh Alsop — BSc, MBA
Non-Executive Director
Hugh is an accomplished biotech executive with over 22 years of experience in drug development for global markets, pharmaceutical commercialization, international business development and partnering, general management and profit accountability. He is the founding CEO of Kinoxis Therapeutics Pty Ltd, formed to develop a range of novel therapeutics for the treatment of substance use disorders and other central nervous system disorders.
Hugh was also CEO of Hatchtech Pty Ltd, an Australian company developing a novel technology for the control of invertebrate pests, such as head lice. In 2015, the company signed a multi-country commercialization agreement for Xeglyze™ with integrated pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (NYSE: RDY).
Hugh has also worked in executive positions for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies: Acrux Limited, Phosphagencis Ltd, Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Mayne Pharma, and Faulding Pharmaceuticals. Hugh was Director of Business Development at Acrux when the company licensed their product Axiron to Eli Lilly for AUD$335 million in milestones plus royalties.
Rodney Loone — B.Bus, FCA
Non-Executive Director
Rodney is an experienced Chartered Accountant in public practice having consulted and worked closely with medical practices, radiology and allied service areas plus other professional groups and industries such as distribution and manufacturing.
During his Chartered Accounting career Rodney was a Partner or Principal for 35 years and Managing Partner or CEO for 15 of those years with Garrotts MGI, Investor Group, WHK and Crowe Howarth covering areas such as taxation, business advisory, financial planning and finance broking. He is currently the Chair of WHA Group International Pty Ltd. He brings a broad range of skills to Servatus. Rodney holds a Batchelor of Business from the University of Tasmania and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Eilis Quinn — Bsc, MSc, MA
Non-Executive Director
Eilis is a senior commercial professional with strong leadership experience in the healthcare industry including diverse global markets and therapeutic areas and a solid track record of building and leading commercial strategy and teams. She is currently General Manager of the Australia-New Zealand branch of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, an international pharmaceutical company specializing in oncology and neuroscience.
Eilis’ previous role was Senior Director of the Global Pipeline Division for Vertex Pharmaceuticals based in Boston, where she co-led the global business strategy through assessment of global market opportunities. Before this, Eilis was Managing Director for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Australia and New Zealand.
Eilis has also held a variety of senior roles in other global biotechnology companies and has managed product launches in Europe, CEE, Middle East and APAC regions.
Prof. Uwe Buecheler — BSc, MSc, PhD.
Non-Executive Director
Professor Buecheler has more than 30 years experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He is Senior Advisor to the Board of Managing Directors and Senior Vice President of the Biopharma Business Unit at Boehringer Ingelheim.
He has held senior roles across regulatory affairs, CMC/GMP development, biosafety, and quality. He led an expansion of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Global Operations in the US and China, pioneered 1st Biologics MAH approval in Shanghai, and has led/contributed to major expansion projects in aseptic processing and microbial manufacturing. Throughout his career, he has overseen more than 30 biologics launches, including more than five Top-20 global biopharmaceuticals.
Prior to joining Boehringer Ingelheim he worked at Roche Pharmaceuticals. He was awarded Professorship at the University of Ulm, and is Chairman of the Biopharma Cluster South Germany and is Member of several (Bio-) Pharmaceutical Industry Associations including the international leadership forum of ISPE.
Hamish George — BCom, CA, GIA(Cert)
Company Secretary
Hamish is a Chartered Accountant and has extensive experience in providing financial advice, company secretarial and CFO services to life science businesses ranging from ASX listed entities to Not-for-Profit organisations. Hamish is CFO and Company Secretary for a number of ASX listed companies and is CFO and Company Secretary for MTPConnect, Australia’s Growth Centre for the medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals sector. Hamish holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, a Diploma in Financial Planning from Kaplan Professional, a Masters Degree in Professional Accounting from RMIT and a Certificate in Governance Practice from the Governance Institute of Australia.
Our Founders
Dr Wayne Finlayson — BSc (Hons), PhD
Founding CEO - Vale Sep 2023
Wayne was a visionary and well-respected scientist, who will leave a positive, resounding mark on the development of science and new medicines, both in Australia and globally.
Wayne founded Servatus in 2012 alongside fellow scientist Dr Wolf Hanisch. Early in his career, Wayne was Executive Director of NASDAQ listed Infergene. In 1990, Wayne founded Progen Pharmaceuticals and was Managing Director and CEO. After leaving Progen Pharmaceuticals, he acted as a consultant until 2009, providing technology investment advice to clients. During this period he held various positions (including large investment firms in the USA), with responsibility for ensuring readiness of investee companies for public listing or other investment.
Prior to his successful career, Wayne completed a PhD in Organic Chemistry from La Trobe University, and was a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, in the USA.
Dr Wolf Hanisch — BSc, PhD
Founder and Former Director - Vale Sep 2019
Dr Wolf Hanisch and Dr Wayne Finlayson founded Servatus in 2012 and established operations in 2013. Together, Wayne and Wolf built Servatus into a solid business with multiple operational areas, including drug development, manufacturing and consumer products, leveraging their cutting-edge discoveries in the areas of live microbial biotherapeutics and engineered proteins.
Dr Hanisch completed his PhD at the prestigious University College London. He was awarded a full scholarship under the Royal Commission of Exhibition of 1851 Presented at Buckingham Palace by Prince Phillip. He was also a Member of the New York Academy of Science, Life Member of the American institute of Chemical Engineers, and a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors
Meet our Management Team
Teresa Walker — BSc (Hons) Chem
Chief Operating Officer
Teresa brings over 20 years of expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing, with a strong focus on quality control, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs. She holds a First-Class Honours degree in Chemistry (BSc) from the University of Nottingham, UK. In 2001, Teresa relocated to Australia to join Mayne Pharma, where she played a pivotal role in developing and validating scientific methodologies for injectable oncology and oncology support drugs, including antibiotics and opioid pain relief pharmaceuticals. Teresa's career advanced as she led a team of senior scientists in R&D method development and validation at Sigma Healthcare. She then expanded her expertise in quality assurance, taking key roles at TSI Pharmaceuticals and Medifarm. Throughout her career, Teresa has become highly skilled in establishing pharmaceutical quality management systems and securing regulatory licensing in new and emerging biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Now, as COO of Servatus, Teresa is leveraging her extensive managerial and technical background to drive operational success and support the company’s growth in innovative therapeutics.
Dr. Samantha Coulson — BHSc, PhD
Clinical Team Manager / Head of Clinical Research
Dr Coulson brings extensive knowledge of the human microbiome, inflammatory diseases, and use of bacteria as therapeutic drugs. With a PhD in Medicine from the University of Queensland, Samantha has a diverse background in the Biotechnology Industry with in-depth knowledge and experience in designing, initiating, conducting, and collaborating on multidisciplinary human clinical trial projects involving autoimmune, inflammatory and infectious diseases. Samantha’s current role within Servatus is to manage the clinical trial pipeline, ensuring Servatus’ human clinical trial projects meet the designated timelines from conception to initiation and completion. Working closely with our Principal Investigators, Samantha ensures meticulous detail in the design of Servatus’ clinical trials; supported by a skilled and dedicated clinical research team.
Kylie Ralston — BSc (Hons)
Cell Biology Team Manager / Head of Cell Biology
Kylie is a cell biologist with more than 20 years’ experience across the academic, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors.
In 2013, she joined Patheon Biologics (formerly DSM biologics and now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) where she worked in downstream bioprocessing and quality control. In 2007, Kylie joined an early-stage biotechnology company, developing biotherapeutics for autoimmune conditions, working on the lead candidate molecule and expanding its intellectual property coverage.
Previously, Kylie worked for 10 years in research at the University of Newcastle on a variety of projects, including cancer research, inflammation and atherosclerosis.
Kylie holds a BSc (Hons) in biological sciences from the University of Newcastle. She is author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications.
Nicolas Pichon — BSc., MSc.
Head of Bioprocessing & Production
Nicolas’s is a bioprocess engineer, specialising in Research and Development in the biotechnology industry.
Previously, Nicolas worked as a Downstream Bioprocess Scientist at Patheon Biologics (part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) in Australia. Nicolas is experienced in both fermentation bioprocessing management. He was instrumental in developing an APVMA accredited bacterial laboratory-based and production platform for the development and manufacture of probiotics and enzymes for the feedstock industry.
Nicolas has a Bioengineering degree and strong technical knowledge of both the biotechnology industry and the latest bioprocessing technologies.
Meet Our Advisory Board
Prof. Gerald Holtmann — MD, PHD, MBA, FRACP, FRCP, FAHMS.
Principal Investigator (Ulcerative colitis; IBS-C)
Prof. Holtmann is Director of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Queensland and Associate Dean Clinical for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland. He also serves as Director on the Board of the West Moreton Hospital and the Gallipoli Foundation. Before that he was Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and General Medicine at the Royal Adelaide Hospital with a joint appointment as Professor of Medicine at the University of Adelaide.
Prof Holtmann completed his Clinical Training in Medicine and Gastroenterology at the University Hospital Essen, Germany with a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London), the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. In addition to his training in Medicine and Gastroenterology he completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of South Australia.
Dr. Jessica Allegretti — M.D., M.P.H., FACG. Associate Prof. (Harvard Medical School); Director Clinical Research.
Principal Investigator (IBD, Crohns, Ulcerative colitis)
Dr Allegretti is the Associate Director of the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA, where she built and leads the Clinical Trials Program. She also founded the hospital’s Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Program and continues to serve as the Program’s Director. She also now serves as the Director of Clinical Research for the Division of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Allegretti is a gastroenterologist and physician dedicated to discovering and developing innovative microbiome therapeutics and novel treatments for inflammatory bowel disease. She was awarded the IBD Rising Star Award by the New Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation her first year on staff. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for OpenBiome, the largest not-for-profit stool bank, and is the Clinical Development Lead for the Massachusetts-Host Microbiome Center.
Dr. Patricia Williams — BSc, MSc, PhD.
FDA Consultant
Dr Williams is a pharmaceutical executive with over 35 years of experience in drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and contract service industries. Dr. Williams is currently the President & CEO of IND Directions, LLC, a drug development consulting and service company located in Northern Virginia. Dr. Williams was the founder, co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of Summit Drug Development Services, LLC, a drug development service company in Rockville, Maryland for five years. She has established a number of innovative safety assessment and drug development programs in her career and has held various management positions at Bristol-Myers, Eli Lilly, American Cyanamid, BioChem Therapeutic, Inc., Glycomed, Inc./Ligand Pharmaceuticals, TherImmune Research/Gene Logic Corp and SRA Life Sciences.
Paul Field — BA (Hons), MA, FAICD
Business Development Consultant
Paul Field is supporting Servatus to engage with potential partners for its SVT-IC469 Helicobacter pylori program. He has over 25 years of business development experience across a range of therapeutic areas, and a deep network in the global biopharmaceutical industry. His current roles include corporate advisory positions at Imunexus, Alsonex, Marinova, and the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP) headquartered in Geneva. He was previously the life sciences specialist at Austrade, the Australian Government’s investment promotion agency, where he facilitated foreign direct investment into Australian research in infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer and other therapeutic areas. Paul has served on a number of Boards, and he is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).
Dr. Joy Cavagnaro — PhD, DABT, ATS, RAC, FRAPS
FDA & Regulatory Consultant
Dr Cavagnaro is the President of Access BIO where she consults on science-based preclinical development strategies for novel drug, biologics and device combinations. With a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of North Carolina, her career spans academia, the CRO and biotechnology industries, and government. During her tenure at CBER/FDA she was appointed to the SBRS and served as FDA’s safety topic lead and rapporteur for “ICH S6.” In 2011 she received SOT’s Biotechnology Specialty Section First Career Achievement Award and in 2019 the Society’s Arnold J. Lehman Award recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to risk assessment and/or the regulation of chemical agents, including pharmaceuticals. She was Founder and Chair of the leadership committee of BioSafe, an expert preclinical science committee within BIO. She was Chair of the Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Committee and Translational Science & Product Development Committee of the ASGCT.
Dr Michael Freeman — MD., MBBS.
Principal Investigator (Dermatological conditions)
Dr Michael Freeman is the principal Dermatologist at The Skin Centre, specialising in Cosmetic and Laser Dermatology. Originally graduating from The University of Queensland in 1979, he has more than 30 years’ experience in the medical field. In addition to his position at The Skin Centre, Dr Freeman is the Director of Dermatology at the Gold Coast Hospital and is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Bond University.
While a Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, he is also a member of the Skin and Cancer Foundation of Queensland and an international member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Dr Freeman holds several more credits to his name, including lead investigator in more than a dozen clinical trials, and educator for other Dermatologists in the use of specialised lasers.
Prof. Peter Nash — MD., MBBS.
Principal Investigator (Rheumatoid arthritis)
Professor Nash is recognised as a research leader in the area of rheumatology. His research interests include metabolic bone disease and novel therapeutics. He is a teacher and clinical researcher at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University and the Department of Medicine at the University of Queensland. Professor Nash is also a Director of the Rheumatology Research Unit, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Professor Nash is a former member of the Therapeutics Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society. He has Chaired the Professional Affairs Committee and Therapeutics Committee of the Australian Rheumatology Association and continues to serve on its Scientific Advisory Committee. He remains on the International Steering Committee for the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA). Professor Nash’s group at the Rheumatology Research Unit have been involved with clinical trials concerning all modern targeted biologic therapies and osteoporosis therapies.