ASX healthcare leaders wear many hats in interconnected sector

In the interconnected ASX healthcare sector it can be common for leaders to be involved in multiple companies and organisations.

These ASX healthcare leaders are valued for their experience and success. Pic: Getty Images

• ASX healthcare leaders are often involved in multiple companies or organisations 

• Syntara CEO Gary Philips believes seasoned executives can help develop the sector in Australia

• Dimerix CEO and MD Dr Nina Webster has two other key positions supporting fellow biotechs

In the interconnected ASX healthcare sector it can be common for leaders to be involved in multiple companies and organisations, whether that is in management or on board positions.

Morgans senior healthcare analyst Scott Power told Stockhead leadership skills and strategic thinking could make executives valuable to other companies, particularly in advisory or governance roles.

"For a lot of these leaders its about giving back and advising," Power said.

"It's a pretty small ecosystem in Australia and if a leader can help another company navigate clinical pathways and regulatory processes then a lot are more than happy to go onto advisory boards or boards directly and provide that input."

Here are some of the ASX healthcare leaders working to bring success and support multiple organisations.

Syntara CEO brings experience to cancer treatment research

Gary Phillips is the CEO of clinical stage drug development company Syntara (ASX:SNT), which is primarily focused on blood related cancers. But he is also a non-executive director of Arovella Therapeutics (ASX:ALA), which is developing its iNKT cell therapy platform to treat cancer.

Phillips has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry in Europe, Asia and Australia including with some of the biggest pharmaceutical names such as Swiss-headquartered Novartis.

"The biotech sector in Australia is relatively small but we operate in very much a global marketplace," he told Stockhead.

"The role of Australian biotech is often to innovate, take risks, research and develop early stage drugs which can be picked up by global players as we take them forward.

"People like me who have both experience in interacting and doing deals with those big global pharmaceutical companies can add back and help develop the sector in Australia."

Dimerix leader supporting early stage funding, R&D

Dr Nina Webster is the CEO and managing director of Dimerix (ASX:DXB), which in mid-CY25 is due to report the second interim results of its ACTION3 global phase III trial of lead drug DMX-200 to treat rare kidney disease focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

Webster is also the non-executive chair of SYNthesis BioVentures, which manages a fund focused on early stage therapeutics, investing in projects from discovery through to preclinical proof of concept and IND-enabling studies.

She is also a non-executive director of Linear Clinical Research, which was founded by the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Western Australia and has clinics focused on first-in-human and first-in patient studies across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

"Australia has a fantastic ecosystem for innovation, however has always struggled in translating that to commercialisation, and this is where individuals that have done this can really support the industry, by feeding back that knowledge and experience," Webster told Stockhead.

"I have been fortunate throughout my career to have been part of several innovations that we have successfully taken through development and ultimately to market globally.

"It is my pleasure to be in a position to help support and grow other businesses that have fantastic science, and guide them through the development process towards commercial success."

Microba chairman – From gut health to soil health

Brisbane-based Pasquale Rombola is also involved in multiple companies. Rombola is the chairman of Microba Life Sciences (ASX:MAP), which has technology for measuring the gut microbiome chairman.

He has also leant his skills to privately owned soil health company Advantage Agriculture, where he is the executive chairman, and was on the board of hearing health technology company Audeara (ASX:AUA) from 2021 to 2023.

Race Oncology CEO joins Tryptamine board

Race Oncology (ASX:RAC) CEO and managing director Dr Daniel Tillett is a seasoned investor and advocate of Australia's health and biotech sector, recently becoming a cornerstone investor of Tryptamine Therapeutics (ASX:TYP) and joining its board as a non-executive director.

He is the founder of Australian biotech Nucleics, which is focused on development of software tools that improve DNA sequencing and genomics.

Tryptamine said Tillett holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UNSW and welcomed his nearly 30 years’ experience in the biotechnology sector. The company said he would assist with ongoing development of its clinical trial strategy and commercialisation opportunities.

Tillett said he was "honoured" to be involved in Tryptamine as it worked to accelerate development of its novel IV-infused psilocin formulation TRP-8803.

"Psilocin has a long history of utility in serious psychiatric disease, but it has lacked a viable delivery method that is safe and controllable for patients and clinicians," he said.

"The ability to precisely dose psilocin and safely induce the required neuroplasticity state to affect long-term benefit is a potential game changer for patients who have few or no other treatment options."

ImpediMed chairwoman also holds other board posts

Christine Emmanuel-Donnelly, the highly credentialed chairwoman of medical devices company ImpediMed (ASX:IPD), also holds two other board roles with ASX-listed healthcare companies.

Emmanuel-Donnelly is a non-executive director at both wound care company PolyNovo (ASX:PNV) and pain management play Medical Developments International (ASX:MVP). 

With a background in the intellectual property field as a patent and trademarks attorney for more than 20 years, she is also on the board of label and licensing agency for visual artists Seminal.

"It is a privilege to be able to work across the healthcare sector, focusing on medical devices and being able to cross pollinate ideas, strategies, what has worked, and importantly what hasn’t worked," Emmanuel-Donnelly told Stockhead.

At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Dimerix and Race Oncology are Stockhead advertisers, the companies did not sponsor this article.

Originally published as ASX healthcare leaders wear many hats in interconnected sector