Speaker Biography
Ian Nisbet, BSc, PhD, MAICD
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Xenome
Ian joined Xenome as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in January 2008, following on from an extensive career in biotechnology in Australia and the United States. He is a founder and partner in the biotechnology consulting company, Afandin Pty Ltd. In his consulting capacity, he has worked closely with a number of biotechnology companies, including ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Ltd (in the role of VP Oncology). Ian currently serves as a director of three biotechnology companies – Verva Pharmaceuticals Ltd (chairman), Velacor Pty Ltd (non-executive director), and Ambri Ltd (non-executive director).
Prior to establishing his consulting business, Ian served as the CEO and Managing Director of Meditech Research Ltd, previously a publicly-traded Australian biotechnology company (ASX:MTR) and now a majority-owned subsidiary of Alchemia Ltd (ASX:ACL). In addition to leading the merger with Alchemia, Ian was the key driver behind Meditech’s development and commercialisation strategies for its platform drug delivery technology.
Prior to joining Meditech Ian worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA (NASDAQ:MLNM) for almost seven years in a variety of senior positions, mostly related to product in-licensing and mergers and acquisitions. Ian’s last position with Millennium was Senior Director, Oncology Alliance Management and Business Development. In this role Ian was responsible for managing the global VELCADE® strategic alliance between Millennium and the J&J family of companies, as well as having responsibility for in- and out-licensing activities. Previously Ian had been Product Leader for VELCADE®, where he led the team that was responsible for obtaining FDA approval and launching this novel oncology drug in the US in May 2003. In 2001 Ian led the diligence team for Millennium’s acquisition of COR Therapeutics, Inc and then went on to lead the merger integration team and become the interim site manager for Millennium San Francisco (the ex-COR site).
Before joining Millennium, Ian worked for the Australian pharmaceutical company CSL Ltd for more than 17 years. At CSL Ian held a number of different scientific and management positions, the last being Director, Planning and Coordination. In that position Ian was responsible for the development, implementation and management of project management at CSL, together with direct management of a number of CSL’s external relationships.
Ian received his B.Sc. in microbiology and biochemistry from the University of Melbourne and his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Monash University. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program from the Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.