SYDNEY & ONLINE: ‘The Dynamic Board’ Series – Board and Management – 2 tribes or 1 team?

Dr Mary-Beth Brinson is a medtech executive and non-executive board member with a focus on early commercialisation and product adoption. She is the CEO at Wavewise Analytics (formerly Cyban), translating brain-monitoring R&D into market-entry milestones and partner-ready propositions. Previously, she was CEO and CMO of ASX-listed TALi Digital Pty LTD, an experience that sharpened her operational and go-to-market execution under public-company disciplines.

Dr Brinson spent 16 years at Cochlear, culminating as Vice President, Global Clinical Affairs, building the evidence and regulatory foundations that de-risked first launches. She has consistently aligned clinical research, regulatory readiness, and initial go-to-market strategy to compress time-to-value in the early commercial phase. Her qualifications include a Doctorate in Audiology (University of Louisville), an MBA (Rutgers), and a Bachelor’s in Audiology & Speech Pathology (University of Georgia). Prior to joining Cochlear in 2006, she was a clinical audiologist specialising in cochlear implantation, practising in the USA and in the UK.

Julie Garland McLellan isn’t just a director; she’s a board whisperer. With an unparalleled 27 years of experience across 25 diverse boards, coupled with elite postgraduate qualifications from Australia and abroad, Julie brings a rare blend of real-world wisdom and academic rigor to the boardroom. She’s not only an internationally acclaimed author of six books but also the insightful mind behind “The Director’s Dilemma” newsletter.

When boards face turmoil, or when forward-thinking companies seek to proactively fortify their governance, Julie is the indispensable resource. Legal practitioners and company secretaries rely on her expertise to transform board performance. She masterfully navigates the fallout of boardroom “scandals” and, more importantly, empowers boards to stay clear of negative headlines, legal battles, and to maintain unwavering control of their organizations. Julie ensures your board doesn’t just function, it excels.

Sina has experience in assisting and advising clients on a wide range of corporate and commercial issues with particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions (both public and private), corporate finance, private equity, IPOs,  due diligence and compliance (with a focus on advising on ASX Listing Rules issues), as well as the negotiation of commercial agreements generally.

Sina focuses on advising clients in the energy and resources sector and the technology sector, working with them from their establishment stage, assisting them with their capital raising needs (including seed capital and IPO), and acting as a corporate advisor once they are fully funded or listed.

An experienced corporate lawyer, Lis advises listed and private companies, multinationals, and not-for-profit organisations on their structure, governance, operations and strategy.  Her clients appreciate her commitment to building long term relationships and understanding their culture and strategy so as to deliver timely, thoughtful and practical advice.

At a strategic level, Lis collaborates with boards and senior executives on significant transactions — such as capital raisings, restructuring, strategic collaborations and mergers and acquisitions (public and private).  Lis’s deep experience and practical insights are particularly appreciated by growing clients who seek her guidance on how to plan and execute these important projects.

Lis also helps organisations review their governance framework so that it is “fit for purpose”, and provides emotionally intelligent advice on engaging with key stakeholders around complex member approvals, or dealing with conflicts of interest.  In this, Lis brings additional perspectives as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  For listed companies, Lis gives practical direction on meeting continuous disclosure obligations.

At an operational level, Lis guides clients in how to integrate business ethics and legal compliance into “business as usual”, training boards and managers on fulfilling their key legal obligations, such as privacy and directors’ & officers’ duties.  Lis also designs contract review frameworks in line with the organisation’s risk appetite as well as drafting and negotiating complex contracts.

Lis’s strong focus on Life Sciences and Healthcare is reflected in her appointment as:

• A non-executive director of Immutep Ltd (ASX: IMM; NASDAQ: IMMP);
• Chair of AusBiotech’s State Committee for NSW; and
• Deputy chair of AusBiotech’s AusMedtech Advisory Group.

Lis regularly presents at AusBiotech conferences, ANDHealth workshops and BioShares master classes. She enjoys being a “connector” between people in her network, to strengthen the Australian life sciences ecosystem.