Professor Sir Christopher Evans - Non-executive Chairman
Christopher Evans has been chairman of Oxford NewTech since 2004. He is also the founder
and Chairman of Merlin Biosciences Limited, one of Europe's largest venture capital firms
specialising in life sciences.
Sir Christopher is regarded as one of Europe's leading biotechnology entrepreneurs having
established twenty successful high quality science companies and floated four on the London
Stock Exchange. The businesses he has founded have achieved a combined value of €1.6
billion and employ 2,000 people.
Sir Christopher is recognised for his contribution to small businesses and entrepreneurship
throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. In addition to being voted Cambridge
Businessman of the Year twice, he has been awarded the BVCA Cartier Venturer Award for
Technology start-ups, the SCI Centenary Medal, the RSC Interdisciplinary medal, and the
Henderson Memorial Medal. He also supports small businesses through his membership and
chair of committees and trusts including the Prime Minister's Council for Science and
Technology, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, and the National
Enterprise Campaign. He has chaired a European Commission Committee for small businesses.
He has a degree in microbiology, a PhD in biochemistry and Research Fellowships in genetic
Doctor of Science (DScI degrees in recognition of his achievements as a scientist. He has over
100 publications and patents on his scientific work.
He was awarded a Knighthood in the 2001 New Years Honours List for services to the
bioscience industry and in the 1995 New Year's Honours List an QBE for services to
biotechnology.
Peter Anthony Leyiand - Chief Executive Officer
Following his MBA Graduate Studies at Manchester Business School Peter has spent the last 19 years in healthcare with increasingly responsible and geographically broader roles (UK, Europe, US & Global) with Travenol Laboratories, Baxter Healthcare (Edwards, Allegiance, and Renal Divisions) as well as CEO of OrthoRadix Inc. and Cardiak Limited.
Susan Veness - Finance Director
Susan has a broad spectrum of expertise in developing businesses as their financial needs
evolve, and she will be working closely with other board members and staff to progress the
development of the business.
Susan's appointment brings to the board over 20 years of finance and accounting experience in
a variety of sectors, including Healthcare. Susan's previous experience includes the role of
Interim Financial Controller at Biocompatibles International, the listed UK medical devices
company. At Biocompatibles, she was responsible for significant improvements to their financial
and management systems and the investigation of corporate opportunities including
acquisitions. Susan's previous experience also includes the role of Group Finance Director at
Orbis PLC, the provider of a range of services to the void property market. During her time
there, Susan was involved in a number of corporate transactions including various acquisitions,
debt syndication and a share placing. Susan left the board of Orbis in 2002 and since this time
has assisted numerous companies in a variety of sectors providing advice on financial
restructuring, corporate transactions and internal financial controls and systems.
Alan Edwards - Non Executive Director
Alan Edwards brings to the board a wealth of experience and contacts with over 25 years in the medical devices sector both in the UK & USA. Alan is Chairman of Cardiak Ltd and Dialog Devices Ltd, he is a non-executive Director at Veryan Medical and Origami Instruments Ltd plus Chairman of the Institute of Directors in North Wales. Splitting his time between living in North East Wales and Central London Alan's appointment strengthens Zi Medical's position as a Welsh based technology Life Sciences Company and their commitment to participating in the growing high technology sector in North Wales.
Michael G Wyllie PhD - Non-Executive Director
Mike Wyllie has over 25 years of experience in senior management level positions within the pharmaceutical industry with American Home Products and Pfizer. With the latter, he was Director of Biology from 1984-1998. During this period he received a Pfizer Achievement Award for developing the world's first high throughput drug screening system. Latterly, while working with Pfizer's American Medical Systems Division he was fundamentally involved in the development of novel drug-incorporating cardiac and urinary stents, a mini autoinjector for intracavernosal injection and a self-replicating collagen implant. Subsequently, he established Urodoc Limited a strategic planning and medical education company servicing the pharmaceutical industry. In 2003 he co-founded Plethora Solutions Pic, a company specializing in IP generation, medical device design and Phase II clinical trials. Dr Wyllie is named inventor on over 80 methods of treatment, formulation and device patents.
Max Dyer Bartlett - Non-Executive Director
Max has considerable healthcare and public company experience. He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of Hartest Holdings PLC, a manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory equipment, and Chairman of York Pharma PLC. Max brings further healthcare experience through his consulting role at Team Consulting, a Cambridge based professional management consultancy.
Julian Demmon - Business and Operations Director
Julian joined VivoMedica with a successful twenty year track record working for Worldwide Contract Research Organisations. His career has seen him responsible for operational and commercial teams based in and around Europe. Immediately before joining us Julian was the Vice President, Business Development for MDS Pharma Services.
Julian is responsible for all aspects of the Research, Development and Commercialisation of the DrugPrint and PathScoreTM projects.
Tony Sackville - Sales and Marketing Director
Biography to follow.
Dr Scott Nicol - Group Leader
PhD Biochemistry, BSc (Hons) Biochemistry (First Class) 10 years working in industrial and commercial research and development environments (consumer healthcare, medical diagnostics and scientific instrumentation including Unilever research. Responsible for scientific leadership and management of the DrugPrint™ project.
Board of Directors
Sir Christopher EvansNon Executive Directors
Alan EdwardsManagement
Julian Demmon