Chair

The Organisation

Formed in December 2015 as part of the Federal Government’s Industry Growth Centres Initiative, MTPConnect is an independent, dynamic, national not-for-profit organisation aiming to accelerate the rate of growth of Australia’s medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical (MTP) sector. The Growth Centre is forging stronger connections between research and industry to help maximise opportunities for Australians to not only make scientific and technological breakthroughs, but also to see them developed through the proof-of-concept stage and successfully translated and commercialised. The entity is guided by an experienced Board of Directors and managed by a professional executive team. 

MTPConnect raises awareness, fosters collaboration and competition, aggregates existing knowledge

and shares it with the broader MTP sector. It also jointly funds projects that address the sector growth priorities identified in the sector.

The organisation’s mandate as an Industry Growth Centre is focused on four key areas:

• Increasing collaboration and commercialisation across the sector,

• Improving management and workforce skills,

• Improving access to global supply chains and international markets,

• Optimising the regulatory environment.

With the establishment of key hubs at the University of Adelaide within BioMed City, the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth and the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane,

this Growth Centre orchestrates operations from its head office in Melbourne.

MTPConnect has $182 million in sector support funds under management across six strategic funding programs. They have injected $95 million into the sector supporting 145 projects. Through catalysing industry support, investments during the FY2021 yielded $566 million in additional industry contributions and flow-on external investment.  

Two additional funding programs emanate from the Medical Research Future Fund – $47 million Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) initiative, focused on diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the $19.75 million Clinical Translation and Commercialisation – Medtech (CTCM) initiative, which is supporting the translation of innovative medical devices. The sector’s future depends on the skills of the workforce. To that end, MTPConnect is investing in programs to address key skills gaps in medical product development and commercialisation, with 13 partners and selected providers delivering more than 2,215 new training, mentoring and industry opportunities across Australia.

The brief

MTPConnect has been operating successfully for seven years with Sue MacLeman as the inaugural CEO, and later as Chair. With Sue’s retirement from the MTPConnect Board, the entity was looking for a seasoned governance professional whose governance credentials would continue the legacy of successful relationship building, attracting funds and a track record of working effectively with key stakeholders, including government.

The process

After demonstrating a record of successful relevant past appointments in the sector, Brooker Consulting was engaged to conduct an executive search and selection process to identify MTPConnect’s next Chair.

An extensive strategy was outlined and the campaign was launched by Brooker after a detailed briefing with key stakeholders. A comprehensive combination of external advertising and targeted executive search generated an impressive level of interest and a high-quality shortlist. 

The outcome

After the interview and assessment process concluded, consensus was reached that the Honourable Jaala Pulford would be appointed as the Chair of MTPConnect.