Four new Board Directors announced for Medicines Australia

3 February 2022: Medicines Australia is delighted to announce four new members to its Board of Directors; Adam Roach (BeiGene AUS Pty Ltd), Ashraf Al-Ouf (Bayer Australia Limited), Kylie Bromley (Biogen Australia Pty Ltd), and Patrick Desbiens (GSK Australia Pty Ltd).

Chair of Medicines Australia, Dr Anna Lavelle, welcomed the new Directors and paid tribute to the significant breadth of experience and knowledge these senior leaders bring to the Medicines Australia Board.

“The outstanding knowledge and capabilities within the Board will be further strengthened by the considerable leadership expertise and strategic skills of the new Directors. I look forward to working with these exemplary industry leaders who have passion and conviction for the industry and most importantly, for Australian patients,” said Dr Lavelle.

“The time is right for bold reforms and Medicines Australia and its Board are up to the challenge. The new Board Directors will all play an integral part in ensuring that Australians have access to the new medicines, vaccines and treatments they need, when they need them,” she said.

The appointment of the new Board members follows a formal election process, with nine nominees for the four vacancies.

CEO of Medicines Australia, Elizabeth de Somer thanked all those who took part.

“The significant interest in joining the Board and the closeness of the results, is a powerful sign of the industry’s willingness to make lasting changes for the benefit of Australian patients,” said Ms de Somer.

“Medicines Australia has a busy year ahead with the implementation of our Strategic Agreement, the upcoming HTA (Health Technology Assessment) Review and a new Minister for Health following the Federal Election. The experience of the new Directors will be a tremendous asset to our Board, and I look forward to working with them to deliver significant outcomes for patients and the industry in 2022,” she added.

Chair, Dr Lavelle reiterated her thanks to recent and outgoing Board members including Deputy Chair Liz Chatwin (AstraZeneca), Christi Kelsey (GSK), Leah Goodman (Merck) and Michael Azrak (MSD) for their significant contributions to the Medicines Australia Board, the biopharmaceutical industry and the Australian community.

“It has been an honour to work closely alongside Liz, Christi, Leah and Michael. Their commitment and determination have made a real difference to the health of Australians. We now welcome our new Directors Adam, Ashraf, Kylie and Patrick who will help us write the next chapter of our journey”, she said.

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For media enquiries and interview opportunities, please contact:
Chrystianna Moran – 0424 995 118 / chrystianna.moran@medicinesaustralia.com.au