Our People.
Board of Directors
Mr Willem Blijdorp
Non-executive Chair, Funda
Mr Blijdorp is an internationally recognised entrepreneur who has helped build the B&S Group, one of the largest global trading houses, in a period spanning three decades. Mr Blijdorp has led B&S’s growth, with the Dutch group focused on specialty distribution services to difficult to serve markets. The B&S Group has global reach and is a leader in its market sector.
Formerly B&S Group’s CEO, Mr Blijdorp now serves on its Supervisory Board and is a majority shareholder, focussing on the Group’s development and expansion strategy. He led and oversaw the Group’s initial public offering on Euronext Amsterdam in March 2018.
In 2014 Mr Blijdorp was recognised for his expertise in merger and acquisitions and commercial leadership as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Netherlands, and runner-up in its European Union awards.
Since becoming a director of CLINUVEL in 2015, Mr Blijdorp has provided a valuable contribution to setting the Group’s long-term strategy for product commercialisation, growth, and plans to further diversify CLINUVEL.
Committee membership: Chair of the Remuneration Committee, Chair of the Nomination Committee, member of the Audit and Risk Committee
Current Directorships and other interests: Director, B&S International NV.Director, B&S International NV
Dr Philippe Wolgen
Chief Executive Officer, MBA, MD
Under Dr Wolgen’s leadership since late 2005, a long-term strategy for CLINUVEL was devised. The lead product SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg) was reformulated, its medical application identified, European marketing authorisation was obtained in 2014 and distributed in the European Economic Area from June 2016.
Dr Wolgen oversaw the submission of the scientific dossier to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under a New Drug Application, which was approved in October 2019. First treatment of US patients commenced in April 2020. SCENESSE® is the first melanocortin drug to have completed a clinical trial program and obtain marketing authorisation in two major markets.
Dr Wolgen has been instrumental in the Company’s corporate turnaround, rebuilding a share register of long-term professional and institutional investors. He led CLINUVEL to attract more than AU$110 million in investments, his international contacts and network contribute to the strategic support CLINUVEL enjoys globally.
Under his tenure a business model was adopted to develop and launch SCENESSE®, guiding the Group through a complex pharmaceutical product development program. His overall business execution and exact financial management is viewed as exemplary within the life sciences industry and the funding strategy he led is considered unique within the sector.
Dr Wolgen is currently leading the Group’s expansion, with an immediate focus on the US and the further development of the product pipeline for various market segments. His focus has been to establish a professional management team to execute the corporate objectives set and prepare the next generation of managers.
Dr Wolgen’s long track record speaks to a strongly focussed, competitive and conscientious professional who is known to persevere in meeting challenging business objectives. He holds an MBA from Columbia University, NY. Trained as a craniofacial surgeon, Dr Wolgen obtained his MD from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Current Directorships and other interests: None.
Mrs Brenda Shanahan, AO
Non-executive Director, BComm, FAICD, ASIA
Mrs Shanahan is a pioneer in the Australian finance community. The first female stockbroker, Mrs Shanahan has also spent more than two decades working and investing in medical R&D and commercialisation. She is currently a non-executive director of Phoslock Environmental Technologies Ltd (ASX: PET). Mrs Shanahan is also a non-executive director of DMP Asset Management Ltd and SG Hiscock Ltd, a director of the Kimberly Foundation of Australia Ltd, and Chair of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery in Melbourne.
Previously Mrs Shanahan was a member of the Australian Stock Exchange and an executive director of a stockbroking firm, a fund management company, and an actuarial company. Until 2017, she was Chair of St Vincent’s Medical Research Institute and a non executive director of Challenger Limited (ASX: CGF). Mrs Shanahan was formerly Chair of Challenger Listed Investments Ltd, the reporting entity for four ASX listed firms and formerly a non-executive director of Bell Financial Group (ASX: BFG). Mrs Shanahan also has served on and chaired various Audit and Risk Committees throughout her career, including Challenger Financial Services Group Ltd, Bell Financial Group, Victoria University, JM Financial Group Ltd, SA Water, AWB International Ltd, BT Financial Group and V/Line Passenger. She is the current Chair of the Audit Committee for Phoslock Environmental Technologies Ltd (ASX: PET).
Mrs Shanahan joined CLINUVEL in 2007 and was Non-Executive Chair of the Board from late 2007 until July 2010. Her depth of experience across global markets and medical research provides significant value to the current Board and Group.
Committee membership: Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, member of the Nomination Committee.
Current Directorships and other interests: Chair of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery, Melbourne; Director of SG Hiscock Ltd; Director of DMP Asset Management Ltd; Director of Kimberly Foundation of Australia Ltd.
Dr Karen Agersborg
Non-executive Director, MD
Dr Agersborg is a Clinical Endocrinologist with diverse and extensive practice experience in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, USA. She is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism. Her career has included, inpatient, outpatient and hospitalist positions across a number of prominent medical institutions. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine, teaching medical students and residents. Previously, Dr. Agersborg had an extensive career in managing commercial sales and distribution at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (formerly Ayerst Laboratories).
Dr Agersborg is a Fellow of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology and a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists.
Dr Agersborg has played an integral role in setting and overseeing the CLINUVEL Group’s US commercial strategy, resulting in the US FDA’s approval of SCENESSE® in October 2019 and the subsequent launch in 2020.
A member of the Remuneration Committee and the Nomination Committee, her knowledge on hormonal therapies and melanocortins add a unique skillset to the Board.
Mrs Susan Smith
Non-executive Director, Dipl ClinRisk
Mrs Smith manages an established consultancy business, providing advisory services to a range of healthcare organisations, investors and boards of directors and in 2021 formed SSJ Partnership Ltd, a consultancy specialising in providing regulatory governance support in the healthcare sector.
Mrs Smith has led a distinguished career, serving for 14 years as Chief Executive Officer of The Princess Grace Hospital, London, and 11 years as the Chief Executive Officer of The Portland Hospital for Women and Children, London. Mrs Smith’s specific expertise is in the implementation of operational strategies within complex and acute care environments, and in the interaction with healthcare authorities and UK regulators. Her most recent role was as the Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Doctors Federation, a membership organisation representing practicing physicians within the UK independent healthcare sector.
Her past experience is now successfully translating into a diverse portfolio with non-executive director appointments. She is Board Chair of The Evewell Group Ltd which operates fully integrated medical centres of excellence dedicated to caring for, and protecting, all aspects of fertility and gynaecological health. She also sits on the Advisory Board for SweetTree Home Care Services, providing the bridge between hospital and community care. Mrs Smith is also a Director of HCA Hope Fund UK, a charity providing financial aid and resources to its healthcare worker members to help them start rebuilding after an extended illness, injury, disaster or other difficult situations. In the face of the ever-changing healthcare market, Mrs Smith fosters first class relationships with a wide range of healthcare stakeholders to build first class services for patients.
A member of the Remuneration Committee and Nomination Committee, Mrs Smith brings a wealth of operational expertise to the Board, providing value through her expertise in implementing commercially-focussed strategies within heavily regulated environments.
Professor Jeffrey V. Rosenfeld, AC, OBE
Non-executive Director
Prof Rosenfeld is an internationally recognised neurosurgeon with extensive experience in senior healthcare medical and research executive roles and a distinguished and decorated career in the Australian Army. He is a retired Major General and a former Surgeon General, Australian Defence Force-Reserves. He has served on eight deployments to Rwanda, Iraq, Solomon Islands, Bougainville, and East Timor. He was the Founding Director of Monash University Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME Melbourne). He is developing a bionic vision device to restore vision in blind people, and he is also a leader in brain injury research. Prof Rosenfeld was Director of Neurosurgery at the Alfred Hospital for fifteen years, concurrently holding Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at Monash University, for nine years. Prof Rosenfeld is active in many community organisations and champions various charitable causes. Prof Rosenfeld is an active volunteer in the Australian-Aid funded Pacific Islands Project which transfers clinical skills and knowledge to healthcare professionals in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
In 2018, Prof Rosenfeld was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia, which is Australia’s highest civilian honour, the Meritorious Service Medal of the United States of America in 2017 and Officer in the Order of the British Empire in 2013.
Committee membership: member of the Audit & Risk Committee, member of the Nomination Committee.
Current Directorships and other interests: Director of Vision for TBI Ltd; Director of The Spirit of Australia Foundation; former Major General, Australian Defence Force (Army Reserve).
Professor Sir Andrew Likierman
Non-executive Director
Sir Andrew’s long and accomplished career sees him alternating between public, private and academic positions.
Sir Andrew is Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School and was its Dean from 2009 to 2017. He is currently working on the role of judgement in management, with his work used extensively by many organisations and recently incorporated in guidance issued by the UK financial regulator.
In the private sector, Sir Andrew served as non-executive Director of Times Newspaper Holdings Ltd, Monument Bank, Barclays Bank plc, quoted insurance Lloyds underwriter Beazley plc, Applied Intellectual Capital plc, and market research firm MORI Ltd.
Among many roles in the public sector, Sir Andrew worked in the UK Cabinet Office, and spent 11 years as Head of the UK Government Financial Management Service, during five of which he was also the Chief Financial Officer of the UK Treasury (Finance Ministry). In this period, he led the nine-year project which changed the basis of government planning, control, and reporting. He was knighted for public service in 2001. He has also served as non-executive Director at the Bank of England and non-executive Chair of the (UK) National Audit Office.
Management
Dr Dennis Wright
Chiel Scientific Officer
Dr Wright has a broad range of experience in the pharmaceutical industry spanning 25 years. He spent over 17 years at CSL working predominantly in regulatory affairs with nearly a decade as Regulatory Affairs Manager. Most recently he was Global Pharmacovigilance Manager and Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Australian and New Zealand operations of Mayne Pharma, part of Halcygen (ASX:HGN).
He has a Pharmacy degree and post-graduate qualifications from University of Sydney and Health Economics qualifications from Monash University, Melbourne. Dr Wright is responsible for leading the clinical and regulatory development team and progressing afamelanotide through to regulatory approval in global markets. Qualifications: BPharm, MSc, PhDMr Darren Keamy
Chief Financial officer, Company Secretary
Mr Keamy is a qualified CPA who joined CLINUVEL in November 2005 after working in key management accounting and commercial roles in Amcor Limited over a period of nine years.
He also spent two years working in the UK, gaining experience in financial regulation and control within the banking and retail pharmaceutical industries. Qualifications: BComm, CPAMr Lachlan Hay
Director of Global Operations
Mr Hay is General Manager of CLINUVEL’s European office, focused on the roll out of CLINUVEL’s drug SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg) in Europe for the treatment of adult patients with the ultra-orphan disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). He has over a decade of diverse experience with the CLINUVEL Group, having held communications and operations positions in Australia, Switzerland and Europe.
Mr Hay has previously held marketing communications roles in the not-for-profit sector in Australia. He holds a BA (Media & Communications) from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a MA (International Relations) from the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Qualifications: BA, MA
Corporate Governance
The CLINUVEL Board is committed to good corporate governance. CLINUVEL’s corporate governance policies are available for review and download via the links on the right.
CLINUVEL’s 2017 methodological note to disclosures made under the ABPI Code of Conduct can be downloaded here.