Robert Klupacs joined Circadian in August 2005 and was appointed Managing Director in March 2008. He is an intellectual property expert and entrepreneur with an extensive history of launching and managing successful ventures in the biotechnology industry. Robert was the driving force behind the founding of Vegenics Pty Ltd, Circadian’s major subsidiary. Prior to joining Circadian, he was founder and Chief Executive Officer of ES Cell International Pte Ltd (ESI), based in Singapore, a world leader in the development of human embryonic stem cell technology. From 1999 to 2001, he was Chief Operating Officer of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development, where he founded six start-up companies. Prior to that he was employed by Amrad Corporation Limited (since acquired by CSL) from 1988 until 1999, where he was Director of Intellectual Property and a member of the executive team. He holds a BSc(Hons) from Monash University in Pharmacology and is a registered Australian patent attorney. He is Chairman of Syngene Limited (42% owned by Circadian) and is a member of the Pharmaceuticals Industry Council.
Board of Directors
Dominique Fisher was appointed a non-executive director of Circadian in September 2005. She became Chairman of the Board in the subsequent month and is a member of the Company’s Audit and Risk Committee. She has extensive business experience in the corporate area, including the commercialisation of new technologies. Ms Fisher is Principal and Executive Director of EC Strategies Pty Ltd, which advises local and offshore companies on technology strategies and major commercial transactions. She is Chairman of Sky Technologies Pty Ltd, Managing Director of Helix Digital Pty Ltd and is Executive Chairman of CareerLounge Pty Ltd. Her past appointments have included a non-executive director of Pacific Brands Limited and membership of its Audit and Risk Committee, Councillor of the Australia Council of the Arts, and Chairman of its Dance Board, Insurance Australia Group Limited (IA G), member of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Victoria, NR MA, the Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House and member of the ICT Advisory Board, advising the Federal Government on key issues affecting the development of the information technology and communications sector.
Don Clarke was appointed a non-executive director of Circadian in September 2005. He is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. He has been a partner of the law firm Minter Ellison since 1988, having joined that firm in 1980. Mr Clarke has a broad commercial practice (involving predominantly ASX listed companies in the SME sector and larger private companies) and experience across a broad sector of industries. He is also a non-executive director of ASX listed companies Webjet Limited (appointed as a director in January 2008 and Deputy Chairman in April 2011) and Phosphagenics Limited, and a former director of Calzada Limited (formerly Metabolic Pharmaceuticals Limited).
Tina McMeckan was appointed a non-executive director of Circadian in January 2008 and is Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee. Her specific skills are in the commercialisation of science and technology and the energy sector. Ms McMeckan is presently Chairman of the Centre for Eye Research Australia and a Director of CRC for Spatial Information, SP AusNet Limited, Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute and Metlink Pty Ltd. She is a past member of the Funds Management Committee of the AusIndustry Research and Development Board and has held senior investment management positions with the Australian Industry Development Corporation and Amrad Corporation Ltd (acquired by CSL Limited) focusing on capital raisings for innovation-based ventures. She also has extensive board expertise in public and private utility infrastructure, including power production, networks and retailing business in the gas and electricity industries. She was formerly the Chairman of NanoVentures Australia Ltd and a member of the National Board of Norton Rose law firm. Her other appointments as a director have included United Energy, Snowy Hydro Trading, the Westar and Kinetik Energy Group, Victorian Power Exchange, Vision Cooperative Research Centre, Solaris Power and the formerly listed company Alinta Limited (October 2003 to August 2007).
Dr Errol Malta was appointed a non-executive director of Circadian on 20 August 2009. He is also chairman of the Company’s Product Development Review Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee. Dr Malta has more than 20 years‘ experience in drug-development within the pharmaceutical industry, including more than 10 years with Amgen Inc, the world’s largest independent biotechnology company. In his role as Product Development Team Leader, Dr Malta was responsible for five successful new-molecule IND submissions to FDA and other regulatory agencies, subsequent Phase I/II programs, and numerous Phase III and IV trials. He has been a consultant to over 20 biotechnology companies in early phase product development in Australia and the United States. Dr Malta has held previous director positions in the Australian biotechnology sector with Alchemia Ltd, Avexa Ltd, NeuProtect Pty Ltd, NexPep Pty Ltd, Promics Ltd and Cortical Pty Ltd. He is a PhD graduate of the University of Melbourne and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.