Senior Management

Peter French , Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Peter French, Ph.D, is a cell and molecular biologist who has been extensively involved in both basic and clinical medical research and commercialisation of biological intellectual property. His research areas of expertise include cell biology, immunology, infectious disease (including HIV/AIDS), neurobiology and oncology. He obtained his PhD in 1987 for elucidating the molecular composition of keratin proteins in the developing wool follicle performed at CSIRO and carried out postdoctoral research on neuronal development at the Children's Medical Research Foundation, Sydney. He was Principal Scientific Officer and Manager of the Centre for Immunology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney for 15 years, from 1987 - 2002. He also has an MBA in Technology Management.

Over the past 10 years, Peter has been extensively involved in leadership roles in Australia's biotechnology industry, including founding the stem cell storage company Cryosite Ltd, a listed public company, and in 2004 launched six new probiotic-based products in pharmacies Australia-wide with Probiomics. Peter is a Past President of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology and represented Australia's biological scientists on the Board of FASTS, Australia's peak government lobbying organisation for science and technology. He is currently on the Board of the International Society of Differentiation. He joined Benitec Ltd as CSO in August 2009 and was appointed CEO in June 2010.

John Rawling, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Company Secretary

John Rawling first joined Benitec at the end of 2006 as the co-company secretary and accountant and has over 20 years experience as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Secretary working with both International and ASX listed companies. He has also previously held the position of Company Secretary/CFO of Polynovo Biomaterials Pty Ltd, EQiTX Ltd, Kentor Gold Ltd and Terrain Australia Ltd. He has also been CFO of the listed company Online Trading Systems Ltd and Finance Manager for the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. John was formally appointed to the position of Company Secretary in January 2007 and CFO in April 2007.