Mr John Stanhope AM Chairman (BComm, FCPA, FCA, FAICD, FAIM, FAHRI) Expand John Stanhope’s career at Telstra Corporation spanned 45 years, and his last position before retirement was that of Chief Financial Officer and Group Managing Director (2003-2011), as well as executive director of the Telstra Board (2009-2011). John’s experience has covered many areas including finance, treasury, taxation, risk management and assurance, investor relations, corporate security and investigations, directorships on various boards of Telstra Corporation’s national and international subsidiary companies, and membership of industry and government committees. John was Chairman of Australia Post from 2012-2019. He is the Chancellor of Deakin University, Chairman of the Port of Melbourne, Chairman of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Chair of the Australian Business Reporting Leaders Forum (BRLF) and Chairman of the Advisory council G100 and Non-Executive Director of AGL Energy Limited (Chair of Audit & Compliance Committee). John is also a Fellow of a number of professional societies including the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and the Australian Institute of Management. In June 2016, John was made a member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia, recognising his “significant service to the financial and national communications sectors through a range of leadership roles”.
Mr John Bryson Deputy Chairman (BEng (Mech), MBA (Melb), Visiting Fellow MIT, MAICD) Expand John Bryson has over 35 years’ experience in the finance industry. He was an Equity Owner/Director of JB Were and had various senior executive roles including Group General Manager, Group Retail Manager and Director Corporate Finance. Since 2003 he has been an active Board member of listed and unlisted companies, CEO of a large charitable foundation and undertaken a number of consulting roles. John is also a Non-Executive Director of First Samuel Limited. John was previously Non-Executive Director of Praemium Ltd and Choisuel Limited. "As one of the longest serving Board members of the Bionics institute it has been a great pleasure to contribute to is progress over many years. Although a small medical institute, compare with other Institutes worldwide, it has consistently punched well “above its weight” by maintaining a singular focus in its area of expertise. This is particularly instructive at a time when large and broad has been the trend in medical institutes. Through the Board we have endeavoured to maintained a balance perspective of providing professional rigour and guidance at the business and governance level and at the same time allowing the institute the freedom to singularly focus on what it is trying to achieve - improving peoples lives by applying a multidisciplinary scientific approach to its research and clinical solutions. Although this approach is now a common and much talked about concept, it is easy to forget 36 years ago when the Institute was established it was far from an accepted practise in medical research. Retaining the highest standards of research, ethics and financial discipline has always been the aim of the Institute and its Board. A standard set by Professor Graeme Clark from the Institutes inception in 1983 and maintained by the Directors of the Institute since. The thought of being a small contributor to the evolution and growth by contributing at the Board and committee levels over these many years has provided enjoyment and rewards for me which are not possible to achieve in a more commercially focussed environment." - John Bryson
Mr Brian Jamieson Treasurer (FCA, FAICD) Expand Brian Jamieson has over 30 years of experience providing advice and audit services to a diverse range of companies. Together with his services as a chairman and director at other companies, Mr. Jamieson provides leadership, global management, accounting and regulatory advice. He was Managing Partner of Minter Ellison Melbourne from 2002 to 2005. Prior to joining Minter Ellison he was Chief Executive at KPMG from 1998 to 2000, Managing Partner of KPMG Melbourne and Southern Regions from 1993 to 1998, and Chairman of KPMG Melbourne from 2001 to 2002. He was also a KPMG Board member in Australia, and a member of the USA Management Committee. Prior to joining KPMG he was Managing Partner of Touche Ross & Co. Brian was previously Chairman of Mesoblast Limited and Chairman of Sigma Healthcare Limited. Brian is a non-executive Director of Highfield Resources Limited and IODM Ltd and an advisor to Steritech Pty Ltd. Brian is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mr Charles Bagot Director (LLB (Hons), FAICD) Expand Charles Bagot is a commercial lawyer. He was a partner of Piper Alderman Lawyers and served in a number of leadership roles including as the firm’s Chair and Head of its Corporate Division. He is experienced in the fields of mergers, acquisitions and privatisations as well as corporate governance. He also had interests in the mining and resources industry, the commercialisation of intellectual property and in resolving company and board disputes. He remains a consultant to Piper Alderman. Charles was a member of the Council of the University of Adelaide and Chair of its Finance Committee until 2014. He is a Director of investment company Kalymna Pty Ltd. Charles formerly served as a Director of the Australian Submarine Company, and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was also Chair of the Ingleby Australia Trust, an agribusiness investor.
Mr Phil Binns Director (PGDip Bus/Marketing, MBA, GAICD) Expand Philip Binns has over 30 years’ experience in the innovation intense scientific instrument industry and today manages a global division within Agilent Technologies which includes centres of excellence in Research & Development, Marketing and Manufacturing in Australia, Japan, Italy, UK, Malaysia and the USA. Philip joined the Spectroscopy Division of Varian, Inc. in 1994, after beginning his career in the mining and minerals industry. He has held management positions in product marketing, development, and sales and operations. In 2004 Philip was appointed Managing Director of Varian Australia and General Manager of Varian’s Asia Pacific operations. In 2010 with the acquisition of Varian by Agilent Technologies, Philip was appointed to the role of Vice President and General Manager of the company’s global Spectroscopy Solutions Division. In 2008 Philip was appointed by the Federal government to chair the Future Industry Innovation Council and in 2012 served on the Prime Minister’s Manufacturing Task Force. He is currently Chairman of Epi-Minder Pty Ltd, Board adviser to Nura Pty Ltd, and is a National Councillor for the Australian Industry Group.
A/Prof Stella Clark AM Director (PhD (Melb), GAICD) Expand After gaining a PhD in 1984, Stella Clark had a distinguished career in diabetes research before moving into research management. Stella has served as: Chief Executive Officer of the Bio21 Cluster, Victoria’s leading health sciences/biotechnology cluster; Chief Executive Officer of Obesity Australia; General Manager, School of Graduate Studies, University of Melbourne; and Scientific Executive Officer, Baker Medical Research Institute. She has been President of the Australian Society for Medical Research, and of the Australasian Research Management Society; a Member of NHMRC Council; a Member of the Leadership Victoria Board; and a Director of the BioMelbourne Network. Stella is an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital and a Graduate of the AICD Company Director’s Course. She currently runs her own consulting business, Stella Connect Pty Ltd. Stella sits on the Board of The Garnet Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation and of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function. In 2019 Stella became a Member of the prestigious Order of Australia, Meritorious and Military award for her significant service to medical research as an advocate for improved standards. "My role as a Director of BI has given me insight into the many new discoveries being made in the area of medical bionics at the Institute and the ways these are being taken forwards to develop products and applications that will help people with a range of serious health issues. I also enjoy interacting with all members of BI staff who are extremely dedicated and skilled in what they do." - Stella Clark
Mr Roger Gillespie OAM Director Expand Roger Gillespie OAM is co-founder and Chairman of Baker’s Delight, the largest national chain of bakeries in Australia with over 700 bakeries operating throughout Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for both Swinburne University of Technology’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE) and the Franchising Council of Australia. Roger has been named ‘Citizen of the Year’ for the City of Boroondara and was granted an Order of Australia for his tireless work within the community. Roger served as President of the Australian Retailers Association for 10 years ending February 2018. Roger is a director of a number of private companies.
Ms Christina Hardy Director (BBus-Comm, LLB, MBA, GAICD) Expand Christina is General Counsel and Company Secretary at Opal Aged Care in Sydney. Previously Christina headed Business Development and Legal Affairs at the Garvan Institute overseeing legal affairs and commercialisation in diverse fields ranging from drug and diagnostics development to software and bioinformatics tools used in clinical genomics. Christina was the Bionic Institute’s representative on the Bionic Vision Australia board for four years. Christina’s background includes corporate and commercial law (in-house counsel and in private practice) in Australia, the UK and Asia with a technology focus. Earlier in her career she spent several years working in politics and in public relations. Commercialising and translating technology into healthcare is a key focus area. "I have benefited personally from advances in medical technologies such as those being developed by the Institute and so for me, contributing to the Institute at the board level means I can be part of ensuring others can also benefit in the future. The talent and commitment I see across all aspects of the Institute and in my fellow directors is truly inspiring" - Christina Hardy
Mr Ken Jefferd Director (BSc (Hons), GAICD) Expand Ken is passionate about building and growing innovative businesses driven by science, engineering and technology. Ken’s current roles at the University of Melbourne are Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (RIC) and Director of UM Commercialisation Ltd and UoM International Holdings where he is focused on growing the research business globally, developing external partnerships, streamlining operations and increasing innovation through the translation and commercialisation of knowledge and intellectual property. He graduated from Cardiff University with a first-class degree in applied chemistry before spending 20 years in global executive leadership roles for BP based in the UK, New York, California and Melbourne. More recently Ken was MD of the private-equity owned hrl: technology group, a specialist engineering and testing business operating nationally and across SE Asia, before joining its board of directors as a Non-Executive Director in 2017. Ken is also a Non-Executive Director of BioCurate and a Council Member of the Australian British Chamber of Commerce. "Since joining the Board, I’ve been deeply impressed with the quality of research, innovation and the desire to make a real difference to people’s health on an international scale by successfully partnering with global biomedical companies. BI has a clear strategy and a dedicated, diverse Board." - Ken Jefferd
Prof Field Rickards Director (BSc, MEd(Manc), PhD) Expand Field Rickards was Dean of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne for 13 years from 2004 to 2017 and continues at the University of Melbourne as a Professorial Fellow with the title Dean Emeritus. Prior to this appointment he was President of the Academic Board and Pro Vice-Chancellor. He joined the Faculty of Education in 1989 from the Department of Otolaryngology in the Faculty of Medicine, having been first appointed to the University of Melbourne as lecturer in 1973 to lead Australia’s first post-graduate training in audiology in 1974. He was appointed to Professor of Education of the Hearing-Impaired in 1994. From 1994 to 2000 he served as Head of Department. He has been a member of various Faculty, Academic Board, University and University Council Committees and was Deputy Dean of the School of Graduate studies (1999-2001). He was a member of the Hearing CRC Ltd Board 2014-2020.
Mr John Simpson Director (BA (Melb), FPRIA, MAICD) Expand John Simpson’s career in the Australian energy sector saw him work with Shell Australia and Shell International over a period of more than 20 years. He was director of Corporate Affairs and senior corporate adviser to successive Shell CEOs. He became a Director of Shell Australia in 2002. John was Deputy Chairman of the National Science and Technology Centre dedicated to the better communication of science. He has been a Director of some 12 organisations including Scotch College, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and food redistribution charity, SecondBite. John is currently a Member of Council of Monash University, a Fellow of the Centre for Strategy & Governance and, as a trained journalist and broadcaster, is a contributor to The Australian and several online platforms including The Spectator and The Conversation. He is committed to national efforts to improve communication of science and technology and the performance of STEM subjects in Australian schools. "I am optimistic about the capacity of technology to address some of humankind’s most challenging problems which is why I enjoy my association with the Bionics Institute. The Institute brings together some of the most talented researchers and technicians to tackle human health challenges. The work of the Institute will matter more and more as we adapt to an ageing population, and the health issues associated with ageing." - John Simpson
Dr Sherryl Wagstaff Director (MBBS, FRACS, MBA, GAICD) Expand Sherryl Wagstaff has been an Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon for 20 years. She subspecialised in Neurotology following a year in Cambridge UK. For 10 of these years she was Department head and Clinical Director of the Otolaryngology Unit at Eastern Health. During this time she also assumed the role of Director of ENT Surgical training in Victoria and has been Medical Director at Epworth Eastern hospital for the past four years. She completed an MBA at the University of Melbourne and was previously on the Board of the Foundation for Surgery, the philanthropic arm of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She is a non-executive director of the private audiological company Neurosensory Pty Ltd She has an honorary research position with the Bionics Institute in hearing regeneration utilising neurotransmitters.