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Board of Directors

Ms Sandra (Sam) Andersen

Chair
LLB, CPA, FAICD, F Finsia

Sam Andersen joined the AVS board in 2016 and was appointed Chair of the Company on 1 July 2020.

Sam has held senior executive positions at the ANZ Bank, Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank. She has also been chief financial officer and chief operating officer at several ASX-listed IT companies leading transformation initiatives, as well as managing director of a listed allied health services company. She currently serves as a director for a number of government, public unlisted corporations and member-owned organisations.

Sam is chair of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation Limited, Beyond Bank Australia Limited and the Audit and Risk Management Committee of Victoria Police, a director of Breakthrough Victoria Pty Ltd, Secure Electronic Registry Services Pty Ltd, and a trustee of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust.

Dr Amanda Caples

Director
BSc (Hons), PhD, GAIDC

Amanda is Victoria’s Lead Scientist with broad experience in technology commercialisation (including intellectual property management, licensing and joint ventures), public policy development and governance of public and private entities.

Most recently she has been Deputy Secretary, Sector Development and Programs, at DEDJTR, responsible for developing the Future Industries sector strategies and growth plan, and for supporting the Victorian science, innovation and entrepreneurial sectors.

Amanda has delivered research-led health initiatives, regulatory and legislative scientific reforms and has established international collaborative technology alliances.

Richard Jagger

Director
B.Sc. (Hons), Ad. Cert. Food Tech, M. Intl. Bus., GAICD

Richard Jagger joined the AVS Board in 2021 and is a member of the AVS Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Richard is the CEO and Managing Director of Bio-Gene Technology, an ASX listed ag-tech company focused on developing a product platform based on a new class of naturally derived insecticides. Richard has extensive experience in developing and commercialising new technologies in the Agriculture sector. Richard was previously the Managing Director of Sinochem Australia, a division of the largest Agrochemical company in China. Prior to Sinochem, he worked with Monsanto Company for over 20 years.

Richard has written two novels based on new technology adoption, holds degrees in Science and International Business and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Richard is currently a director of the Victorian Cleantech Cluster.

Jane Perrier

Director
BA, LLB, GCert Bus Admin, GAICD

Jane Perrier joined the AVS Board in 2021 and is a member of the AVS Audit and Risk Management Committee.

She is the former General Counsel, Intellectual Property of Telstra Corporation Limited with responsibility for strategic legal advice and procedural support for Telstra’s intellectual property interests in Australia and overseas.  Jane’s team was also responsible for advising Telstra’s Chief Technology Office on innovation and technology legal issues. Jane is currently a managing principal of ipervescence, an intellectual property business advisory firm specialising in IP strategy and valuation services.

Jane is an Australian a legal practitioner and registered trade mark attorney. She is a member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, a fellow of the Institute of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia, and former appointee to the Australian Government’s former Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (ACIP).

Dianne Angus

Director
BSc(Ed), BSc(Hons), M.Biotech, Registered Patent and Trade Mark Attorney

Dianne joined the AVS Board in November 2023 and is a member of the AVS Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Dianne brings extensive executive and directorial experience in the  life sciences sector across public and private companies in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, agritech and healthcare.

Dianne has held executive and director roles in a number of ASX and NASDAQ-listed companies and is  currently Chair of Argenica Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:AGN), Non-Executive director of Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) and Cyclopharm Ltd (ASX: CYC), serving on the Audit and Risk committee and Remuneration and Nominations committee of both companies. She also chairs the Remuneration and Nominations committee of Imagion Biosystems Ltd (ASX: IBX). Dianne is a council member of Deakin University and serves on its Finance and Business Affairs committee.

Dianne holds a Master of Biotechnology, Bachelor of Science (Hons), and a
Graduate Diploma of Intellectual Property (IP) Law. She is a registered patent attorney and a
member of Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Geoff Harry

Director
B Econ ICA, CPA

Geoff Harry joined the AVS Board in November 2023 and prior to that was an independent member of the Audit & Risk Committee since January 2018. As a Board member, Geoff will continue his role as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee.

Geoff was a partner at PwC in Melbourne for 25 years, specialising in delivery of a broad range of risk and assurance services to a diverse group of clients in both the government and private sectors. He retired from that role in 2006. Since then he has held various senior executive positions including  as Chief Risk & Assurance Officer at Fortescue Group and Jemena and as CFO at Goulburn Murray Water. Geoff holds several Board and Audit & Risk Committee appointments, for most of which he is Chair. These roles include the Department of Premier & Cabinet, Independent Broad Based Anti-Corruption Commission, Chisholm Institute, City of Melbourne and several other large local government authorities in Melbourne.

Geoff is a Chartered Accountant and Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.