Medical Advisory Board
Dr Marc Russo
Chief Medical Adviser
MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA
Nick Woolf
Chief Executive Officer
MA (Oxon) FCCA GAICD GCM
Nick is an accomplished leader and executive in life sciences with over 25 years of experience in industry, equity research and investment banking. Extensive cross-functional expertise in operational and financial management, strategic planning, business development, investor relations, cross-border M&A and capital raising.
Before being appointed CEO of AusCann, Nick held several senior industry roles previously, including CEO of Perth-based biotech company, Proteolytics; Chief Business Officer of SUDA Pharmaceuticals (ASX:SUD); Chief Financial Officer of Phylogica (ASX:PYC); and Chief Business Officer of UK-based biopharmaceutical company, Oxford BioMedica (LSE:OXB). He began his career as a healthcare investment banker and was formerly head of European biotech equity research at ABN Amro.
Nick is a Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants; a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; holds a Graduate Certificate in Management (with Distinction) from the Australian Institute of Business; and has a BA (Hons) and MA in Chemistry from Oxford University.
Quentin has over 25 years’ experience in the finance and management sector and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Quentin started as a Tax Advisory Manager with a major accounting firm before moving to a medium tier accounting firm as a Partner. He then chose to move into commerce as the CFO and Company Secretary of an ASX listed company operating in the forestry/ agriculture industry and then moved into an operational role as General Manager of Operations & Corporate Services. Quentin has also held non-executive director roles within several companies.
Krista Bates
Non-Executive Director
Krista brings over 18 years of expertise in the legal market. She is currently a Partner at leading Western Australian law firm Lavan specialising in Corporate law and is Head of Mining & Resources. Krista has led transactions with deal values ranging from $20,000 to $4.5 billion across multiple sectors advising a diverse base of private and listed companies, private equity funds, governments and individuals, nationally and internationally.
Max Johnston
Chairman and Non-Executive Director
Max is a highly regarded health care industry director with a broad range of executive and pharmaceutical experience. He is currently a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of ASX-listed companies BARD1 Life Sciences, PolyNovo, CannPal Animal Therapeutics and Medical Developments International. Max previously held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson Pacific, a division of the world’s largest medical, pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company for 11 years.
Bruce McHarrie
Non-Executive Director
Bruce is a highly experienced senior executive and independent company director with a background in the life sciences industry focussed on finance, operations, governance, business and investment management, and strategic planning.
In addition to AusCann, Bruce is a non-executive director of Adherium Limited, an ASX listed digital health technology company and he is a Special Adviser to BioScience Managers Pty Ltd, an international healthcare investment firm that finances and enables innovative science and technology with the potential to transform healthcare.
Bruce previously served as the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Operations and Director of Strategic Projects with the Telethon Kids Institute in Western Australia. Prior to joining the Institute, Bruce was based in London as an Assistant Director at Rothschild Asset Management in the Bioscience Unit, a life sciences private equity group investing in early stage biotechnology, healthcare and agribusiness companies. He co-founded two Institute spin-outs including publicly listed drug discovery company, Phylogica Limited, and has held a number of other non-executive director positions in biotechnology and not-for-profit healthcare organisations.
Chris Mews
Non-Executive Director
Chris is an experienced non-executive director with over 20 years in the financial services sector, having held senior positions in finance, corporate secretarial and compliance in listed and unlisted companies. Chris is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of Merchant Group Pty Ltd, a Perth based financial services firm that provides funds management and corporate finance services, with investment experience both in Australia and internationally in the medical cannabis sector. Prior to Merchant Group, he was the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of listed biotech Company Polynovo Limited (ASX:PNV), and is currently Company Secretary and Non-Executive Director of VPCL Limited (ASX:VPC).
Susan Hunter
Company Secretary
Susan has over 20 years’ experience in the corporate finance industry. She is founder and managing director of consulting firm Hunter Corporate Pty Ltd, which specialises in the provision of corporate governance and company secretarial advice to ASX listed companies, and has previously held senior management roles at Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Bankwest, both in Perth and Sydney.
Dr Melinda Thompson
Director of Research and Regulatory Affairs
Melinda holds a doctorate in biochemistry with postdoctoral research experience in molecular biology. She has over ten years’ experience, and has held several senior roles, in research and development management, with a focus on governance frameworks and operational processes, including the development of bespoke research management systems, contractual frameworks and risk assessment of research activities, including clinical trials.
Sheena Emslie
Chief Operating Officer
Sheena has more than 16 years’ experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, with over 8 years in management roles. She has worked in both sterile & non-sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing with extensive experience in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) under the regulations of the ICH, PIC/S and audited by TGA, FDA, WHO & SAHPRA.
Sheena has also held roles in both a Clinical Research Organisation & Bioanalytical Laboratory under Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.
Her skills are project and operational management, Quality Control, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), GMP, GCP and Quality Assurance.
Dr Marc Russo
MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA
Dr Marc Russo is a well-regarded specialist in pain medicine and is the Medical Director of Hunter Pain Specialists established in 1999 (Australia’s first multidisciplinary private pain clinic)
He is the President Elect International Neuromodulation Society, Examiner for Faculty of Pain Medicine Australian New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) and serves on 5 other committees within the Faculty.
He is an Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Hong Kong and Conjoint Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle NSW. He has 51 national and international Publications and is Principal Investigator on 66 Clinical trials.
Dr Russo also brings experience in treating patients with cannabinoid-based medicines and related clinical trials.
Carla Pennini
Director, Medical Affairs
Carla has 12 years’ experience across a variety of positions and therapeutic areas of the Pharmaceutical industry, including Chronic Pain, unregistered medication, registered schedule 8 and over the counter value chains.
Carla has an extensive nursing career and spent more than 5 years in the area of infectious diseases, oncology and neurology in paediatrics as well as 6 years in acute and non-acute aged care management and currently still practices nursing in palliative care and rehabilitation.
Carla has been involved in successful launches of a registered S8 product and OTC products and has been involved in the execution and success of aged care health accreditations within the public and private health sector.