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Living Cell Technologies Limited

Board and Management Team

The Board of Directors

Mr Simon O'Loughlin (Chairman)
Dr Robert Caspari (Chief Executive Officer, Independent Director)
Dr Paul Tan (Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director)
Mr David Collinson (Non-Executive Director)
Professor Robert Elliott (Medical Director)
Dr David Brookes (Independent Director)
Mr Laurie Hunter (Independent Director)

Scientific Panel

Dr John Court (MBBS, FRACP, Chairman)
Professor Robert Seamark (BAgSc, PhD)
Professor Riccardo Calafiore

Management Team

Dr Robert Caspari (CEO)
Dr Paul Tan (COO)
Mr Richard Justice (CFO)
Professor Robert Bartlett Elliott (Medical Director)
Mr Nicholas Geddes (Company Secretary)
Dr Julia Hill (Interim General Manager)
Dr Olga Garkavenko (Divisional Manager)
Dr Livia Escobar (Divisional Manager Cell Production)
Dr Stephen Skinner (Divisional Manager, Neurosciences)
Dr A Ferguson (Veterinarian)



The Board of Directors

Mr Simon O'Loughlin, Chairman

Corporate and commercial solicitor with extensive experience in the formation, structuring and listing of small to medium enterprises. Mr O'Loughlin is based in Adelaide, Australia.

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Dr Robert Caspari , Chief Executive Officer, Independent Director

Dr Robert Caspari was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Living Cell Technologies on 29 July, 2008. He is a physician with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He has led clinical groups at international pharmaceutical companies and has worked in product manager and medical affairs roles. Dr. Caspari has also had significant clinical experience with diabetes.

More recently, Dr. Caspari has held senior positions at US-based biotechnology companies. He was Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Myogen Inc., and is currently President and CEO of Aurogen Inc., a drug development company focused on neurological disorders.

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Dr Paul Tan , Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director

Dr Paul Tan was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Living Cell Technologies on 29 July, 2008. Previously LCT Managing Director of NZ Operations, he has had wide experience on all aspects of assessment and selection of products for commercialization, expansion of intellectual property, product development and managing critical paths, timelines and establishing and managing international partnerships. Dr Tan is a member of the Management Committee of the Auckland branch of NZBio, and sits on the Ministry of Health Interim Expert Committee for Xenotransplantation.

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Mr David Collinson, Non-Executive Director

Experienced in government manufacturing advocacy, business management and capital raising, Mr Collinson co-founded LCT in 1987 and is based in New Zealand.

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Professor Robert Elliott, Medical Director

A world leader in diabetes and autoimmune related research, Professor Elliott co-founded LCT in 1987. He was Foundation Professor, Department of Paediatrics at the University of Auckland and is an Emeritus Professor of child health research.

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Dr David Brookes , Independent Director

Dr Brookes has received a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Adelaide University and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. He currently works as a general medical practitioner and has extensive experience in rural Australia, especially in paediatric and procedural practice. His involvement in the biotechnology sector started in the mid 1990's, as an analyst for broking firm Taylor Collison Ltd. He is also currently Chairman of Innovance Ltd (listed on the Newcastle stock exchange).

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Mr Laurie Hunter, Independent Director

Based in San Francisco, Mr Hunter founded Hunter Capital LLC which provides corporate and financial services to developing companies. He brings significant experience in financial and commercial matters to the Board.

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Scientific Panel

The Scientific Committee has been formed and is responsible for review and reporting to the Board of:

The Scientific Committee is chaired by an independent adviser to the Board. The CEO is not a member of the Scientific Committee.

Dr John Court, MBBS, FRACP, Chairman

  • Consultant in Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
  • Past Director of Diabetes Services, Adolescent Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

    Professor Robert Seamark, BAgSc, PhD

  • Consultant in commercialization of medical, veterinary and environmental technologies
  • Past director of national Cooperative Research Centre for Biological Control of Pest Animals and Chair of Advisory Board of Flinders Medical Research Institure, Adelaide, Australia

    Professor Riccardo Calafiore
    Professor in Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy.

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    Management Team

    Dr Robert Caspari , CEO

    Dr Robert Caspari was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Living Cell Technologies on 29 July, 2008. He is a physician with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He has led clinical groups at international pharmaceutical companies and has worked in product manager and medical affairs roles. Dr. Caspari has also had significant clinical experience with diabetes.

    More recently, Dr. Caspari has held senior positions at US-based biotechnology companies. He was Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Myogen Inc., and is currently President and CEO of Aurogen Inc., a drug development company focused on neurological disorders.

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    Dr Paul Tan , COO

    Dr. Tan has had wide experience on all aspects of assessment and selection of products for commercialisation, expansion of intellectual property, product development and managing critical paths, timelines and establishing and managing international partnership.

    Dr Tan was previously Chief Executive Officer of CenTec Ltd and founding Deputy Director and Head of Health Division at Genesis Research & Development Corporation Limited. Dr Tan has been research fellow, associate professor in immunology and a physician rheumatologist and worked in Canada, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand. He holds patents relating to the therapeutic uses of microbial products. He is also a member of the Management Committee of the Auckland branch of the biotechnology organisation NZBio, and sits on the Ministry of Health Interim Expert Committee for Xenotransplantation.

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    Mr Richard Justice, CFO

    Mr Justice is a qualified accountant, with post graduate business management qualifications and extensive experience in the financial and operational management of high growth organisations.

    Prior to joining LCT, Mr Justice was a Director and CEO (and before this was COO and CFO) of a major South Pacific IT company, which was headquartered in New Zealand, being listed initially on the ASE and later the TSE in Canada, before securing a main board NASDAQ listing (one of the few New Zealand based businesses to have accomplished this).

    During the period of rapid growth, Mr Justice led the NASDAQ listing process for the company and assisted in both the capital raising program in Canada and the United States, as well the raising of debt funding in Australasia

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    Professor Robert Bartlett Elliott, Medical Director

    Professor Elliott trained as a Paediatrician at Adelaide University. He moved to New Zealand in 1970 to become the Foundation Professor, Department of Paediatrics at the University of Auckland.

    Professor Elliott co-founded LCT. He is an Emeritus Professor of Child Health research, Professor of Paediatrics and a world leader in diabetes research. Professor Elliott is on the board of the New Zealand Child Health Foundation and the Wings Trust (a NZ trust for the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse). He is also patron of the NZ Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 1999 he was awarded a CNZM (a Companion of the New Zealand order of merit) for services to the community

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    Mr Nicholas Geddes, Company Secretary

    Mr Geddes is a member of the National Council of Chartered Secretaries Australia. His previous experience as a Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary includes investment banking, development and venture capital in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

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    Dr Julia Hill, Interim General Manager

    Julia has a PhD in Cell Biology and worked in the US as a post-doctoral scientist for several years before returning to Australia to complete an MBA.

    Over the past 8 years Julia has gained extensive experience in commercialisation of biotechnology. She has held positions within Research Institutes, start-up companies and Investment groups.

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    Dr Olga Garkavenko, Divisional Manager
    Advanced Cell Materials and Head of Virology
    Strategic design of cell biology research using advanced molecular biology tests for cell growth and differentiation. Dr Garkavenko holds a master of science MS (honours) in biochemistry from Kiev State University and has a PhD in from the Ukrainian Academy of Science at the institute of Oncology (Kiev, Ukraine).

    Nominated as International Scientist and International Health Professional for the year for 2004 by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, Dr Garkavenko is a member of the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, American Society of Microbiology, International Transplantation Society and International Xenotransplantation Association. In 1987, as Head of the Biomedical Research Department at the International Humanitarian Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of the Chernobyl Disaster, Dr Garkavenko initiated research programmes focused on diagnostic immune deficiencies in children.

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    Dr Livia Escobar, Divisional Manager Cell Production
    Advanced techniques for cell production and encapsulation. Dr Escobar holds a medical degree MD, a bachelor in human biology and a diploma in paediatrics from the University of Chile and has worked in the field of cell transplant technology since 1987.

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    Dr Stephen Skinner, Divisional Manager, Neurosciences
    Dr Skinner joined LCT from AgResearch, New Zealand and before that was in the Department of Paediatrics at Auckland University. He has spent several years in North America, at Harvard, Stanford and Toronto Universities and at Syntex Pharmaceuticals.

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    Dr A Ferguson, Veterinarian
    Responsible for the management and health of special purpose pathogen-free pigs, and production of high quality porcine cells for LCT research and development programmes.

    Dr Ferguson is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the New Zealand and British Veterinary Associations.

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    updated 29th July, 2008


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