Mr Thian Chew
Executive Chair and CEO
Mr Chew was previously an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs (Hong Kong and New York), responsible for the firm’s proprietary investments, including growth capital, private equity and special situations.
He also currently sits on Stanford Medicine’s Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE) Advisory Board where he helps shape and advance CARE’s mission of enhancing the health of Asians and Asian Americans globally.
Other previous roles include Consultant Project Manager to Morgan Stanley and a number of positions at KPMG across the Asia-Pacific region, including Director at KPMG Consulting (Singapore and Sydney).
Mr Chew holds an MBA from the Wharton School (Palmer Scholar); an MA from the Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania; and a Bachelor of Information Systems from Monash University. Mr Chew is an Adjunct Professor at Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Schools of Business and Life Sciences and previously qualified as a chartered accountant.
Alan Yamashita
Non-Executive Director
Mr Yamashita is a highly experienced corporate consultant and investment professional, with over 40 years’ experience in investment management, investment banking and alternative investment throughout the APAC region.
From 1999 to 2005, Mr Yamashita was President and CEO of Search Investment Group and founding CEO and CIO of Search Alternative Investment Ltd (SAIL), a major private global hedge fund and private equity investment practice headquartered in Asia.
Prior to Search Investments Group, Mr Yamashita was Managing Director and Head of Asia Capital Markets for Merrill Lynch from 1996 to 1998.
Mr Yamashita is currently Managing Partner at Polar Ventures and has held numerous positions as a 16-year veteran of Goldman Sachs and an advisor to various companies, including Plantation Timber Partners, Wuhan; Duty Free Shoppers, Asia; TVSN, Shanghai; and Mizuho Alternative Investments LLC.
Alistair Bennallack
Non-Executive Director
Mr Bennallack has over 30 years’ experience in business management and finance, strategic development, risk and compliance, international business, leadership and relationship management.
Mr Bennallack is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Village Roadshow Theme Parks Asia and Head of Risk at Village Roadshow Ltd with the primary executive responsibility for conceptualising, executing and delivering Village Roadshow’s expansion into China and Asia.
He is a former member of the Village Roadshow Ltd Executive Committee, current member of the Village Roadshow Theme Parks Executive Committee and current member of all Village Roadshow Ltd’s Management and Risk Committees.
His previous roles have included Chief Financial Officer of Village Roadshow Ltd and General Manager Business Affairs of Village Roadshow Corporation Pty Ltd (controlling shareholder of Village Roadshow Ltd).
Mr Bennallack is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and has a Graduate Diploma in Wine Business. He is also the former President and Board Member of The Gawler Foundation.
Rob Merriel
Non-Executive Director
Mr Merriel brings deep healthcare sector experience and strong commercial expertise to the Board of Invion.
He is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) with over 35 years of experience working in medical research (Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Baker Institute), large public healthcare services (Melbourne Health and Southern Health) and commercial organisations (Pacific Dunlop and Deloitte Consulting).
He is currently on the Boards of two biotechnology start-up companies, he has been a Director of two Venture Capital Funds and a Director and Company Secretary of several biotechnology focused medical research institute spin-off companies.
Mr Merriel was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Commercialisation Officer and Company Secretary of the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in May 2014, positions he continues to hold today. The Hudson is an independent, not-for-profit medical research institute, based in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton in Victoria, Australia. The Institute hosts approximately 450 researchers, postgraduate students and support staff.
Mr Merriel has been the Hudson Institute’s lead in attracting three separate multi-million-dollar investments supporting the translation of discovery science into potential new therapies for patients. These investments were from Roche Pharmaceuticals, a Boston-based venture capital fund and an Australian venture capital fund. Mr Merriel also has detailed knowledge of the Australian government and philanthropic grant funding scheme landscape.
Melanie Leydin
CFO
Ms Melanie Leydin graduated from Swinburne University in 1997, became a Chartered Accountant in 1999 and since February 2000 has been the principal of chartered accounting firm, Leydin Freyer.
Ms Leydin has over 25 years’ experience in the accounting profession and has extensive experience in relation to public company responsibilities, including ASX and ASIC compliance, control and implementation of corporate governance, statutory financial reporting, reorganisation of Companies and shareholder relations and is a director and company secretary for a number of entities listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Claire Newstead-Sinclair
Company Secretary
Claire holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and is a member of the institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand and a certified member of the Governance Institute of Australia.
She is an experienced finance professional with over 15 years’ experience in senior financial roles within public and private entities across biotechnology, insurance and public practice sectors, including 9+ years ASX listed company secretary experience.
Claire has worked for both small and large companies, her most recent roles prior to joining Leydin Freyer being Director of Finance, Legal & HR and Company Secretary for Cogstate Limited.