Non-Executive Chairman
Iain Kirkwood
Iain was appointed to the Board in November 2007 and is currently serving as Chairman.
Iain is an experienced private consultant, investor and non-executive director. He has considerable practical and operational experience gained from a successful financial career spanning over 35 years in a range of industries including auditing, resources, manufacturing and latterly healthcare in Australia, Britain and the USA. After graduating from Oxford University, he started his career at Arthur Andersen & Co in London and then held a range of senior financial and general management positions in Woodside Petroleum Ltd, Santos Ltd, Pilkington plc, F.H. Faulding & Co Ltd and Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited.
Iain is also the current Chairman of ASX listed Simonds Group Ltd (ASX:SIO), former Chairman of Novita Healthcare Limited (ASX:NHL) and non-executive director of Vision Group Holdings Limited (ASX: VGH) and Medical Developments International Limited (ASX:MVP).
Managing Director
Andrew McLellan
Andrew brings to Bluechiip vast experience in innovation and commercialisation combined with significant technical and operational experience.
Prior to joining Bluechiip, as CEO of the Advanced Manufacturing Co operative Research Center (AMCRC), Andrew focused on bringing together industry and research to develop and commercialize ground breaking innovations. He has held a range of senior positions including Director at Leica Microsystems (previously Vision BioSystems a division of the publicly listed Vision Systems), Vice President of Marketing and Business Development North America and Director of Product Management at Vision BioSystems Pty Ltd.
Andrew is a non executive Director at AMCRC and holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Hons) and an MBA (Strategy) from Monash University. In addition, he is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Non-Executive Director
Michael Ohanessian
Until recently, Michael was the CEO and the Managing Director of Praemium Ltd, a provider of portfolio administration and SMA technology to financial services providers in Australia and around the globe.
Mr Ohanessian’s executive experience in technology related businesses brings a mixture of operational, strategic and leadership capabilities to his role at Bluechiip. Following a ten year career at Mobil Oil, Mr. Ohanessian joined the Boston Consulting Group where he consulted to clients in a wide range of industries including banking, aviation, mining, packaging, sports, oil and gas, retailing and importantly, biotechnology.
During his seven years as CEO of Vision BioSystems, a division of the publicly listed Vision Systems, he transformed the business from a small, unprofitable contract manufacturer into a vertically integrated, pro table and growing medical diagnostics business with distribution to over 60 countries. More recently he served as the CEO of Genetic Technologies and was involved in investment management and corporate advice with Lion Capital prior to joining Praemium Ltd.
Non-Executive Director
Andrew Cox
Andrew Cox is a finance professional with experience in emerging and international markets. He was a co founder and former chairman of private equity funded media/technology business Inlink (sold to ASX listed oOh! Media Ltd in 2015), and is a co founder of Rezex Pty Ltd and Xperior Pty Ltd.
Andrew began his career with KPMG in Melbourne before moving to China and Hong Kong, where he spent seven years with SG Warburg, the Australian Trade Commission and Ernst & Young. He is a member of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute Development Board and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
Company Secretary
Patricia Vanni
Ms Vanni is a qualified lawyer with more than 20 years of professional experience spanning corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, project finance, contracts, and compliance, as well as company secretarial services for ASX listed, private, and not-for-profit companies across several industries.
Ms Vanni holds a Bachelor of Laws and is a dual-qualified lawyer admitted to practice in Victoria, Australia, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is also an Affiliate of the Governance Institute of Australia.
She joined Bluechiip Limited as Company Secretary in June 2024.