Main Board
Sir Richard Sykes
Sir Richard Sykes is non-executive Director and Chairman of the Company. Sir Richard spent thirty years working in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including at Glaxo plc (subsequently Glaxo Wellcome plc), where he served as Chairman and CEO from 1995 to 2000, and then GlaxoSmithKline plc, where he served as Chairman until 2002. Sir Richard was also Senior Independent Director and Chairman of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation from 2007 to 2011, Chairman of NHS London from December 2000 to 2010, Rector of Imperial College from 2000 to 2008 and a Non-Executive Director of Rio Tinto plc from 1997 to 2007. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of London, a PhD in Microbial Biochemistry from Bristol University and a DSc from the University of London.
In 1994, Sir Richard received a knighthood for services to the pharmaceutical industry. In 2004, he was awarded Honorary Citizenship of Singapore for his contribution to the development of the country’s biomedical sciences industry.
Currently, Sir Richard is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Imperial College School of Medicine and King’s College London and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal College of Pathologists, Royal College of Physicians, the University of Wales and the University of Central Lancashire.
Lady Barbara Judge, CBE
US trained lawyer, was the youngest Commissioner at the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) in New York and is emeritus Chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. She is also a founder of Private Equity Investor Plc and is a Partner at Eversheds in the City of London. Barbara chairs the Group’s Corporate Advisory Board.
Barry W. Wilson
Barry W Wilson is an international executive with 40+ years of experience in both the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. He has served as the President of Medtronic International, President of Lederle International prior to its merger with Wyeth, and President of Bristol-Myers Squibb Europe. Additionally he had 9 international assignment with Pfizer. Mr. Wilson serves on the Board Welch Allyn and Anecova. He is a member of the Thematic Advisory Board of Lombard Odier Private Bank.
Mr. Wilson advises several Venture Capital organizations/start-ups. He worked with DLJ Credit-Suisse Alternative Investments as their Healthcare Advisor and served on the boards of Mallinckrodt Inc & Bausch & Lomb(both NYSE) and Rezidor Hotel Group AB(Swedish stock exchange).
Farad Azima
Farad Azima, CEO, founded the Company in 2006. NetScientific represents the culmination of a [thirty-five] year career as a successful industrialist, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. Most notably, Farad was the founder of the sound technology business, NXT plc (formerly Verity Group plc), which he built into a FTSE 250 company before stepping down as CEO in 2001. Previously, he founded hi-tech speaker businesses Mission Electronics in 1977 and Cyrus Electronics in 1983. In 1997, Farad, together with Daily Mail newspapers, Verity Group plc., of which Farad was then CEO, founded Eastern Counties Radio.
Farad has a passion for new technologies and has strong connections with academics and academic institutions. He is the inventor of numerous new technologies in diverse areas of engineering, which are the subject of international patents registered in his name. From 2001 to 2005, Farad served on the Industrial Key Advisers of Churchill College, Cambridge. He has remained an active alumnus of Leeds University, where he received his postgraduate degree in Development Economics.
Dr. Michael Boyce-Jacino
Michael Boyce-Jacino, executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Company, is also currently CEO of QLIDA, one of the Company’s Spin-offs. In the early part of his career, Michael completed a National Institute of Health post-doctoral fellowship in 1993, after which he joined Molecular Tool, Inc., a genetics diagnostics start-up. After becoming President of Molecular Tool, Inc. in 1994, Michael spearheaded a merger with Genescreen, Inc. and subsequent acquisition of Molecular Tool, Inc. by Orchid Biosciences in 1998. Michael acted as General Manager and Chief Scientific Officer of Orchid Biosciences for four years, and had a key role in the commercialisation of diagnostics technologies, the acquisition of CellMark Laboratories, and Orchid’s successful $170 million IPO. After selling Orchid Bioscience’s instrument business to Beckman Coulter, Inc.
in 2002, Michael joined Beckman Coulter, Inc. as Vice President, Genomics, creating the global GenomeLab branding initiative for Beckman. Michael subsequently joined Princeton University spin-out, Bionanomatrix (now Bionano Genomics), as founding CEO, and was involved in raising more than $20 million for the company before founding and seed financing QLIDA Diagnostics, Inc., now a NetScientific Spin-off.
He holds a PhD in Microbiology and Human Molecular Genetics from the University of Minnesota and a BS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
David Gough
David Gough, Executive Director, Biomedical and Healthcare, has spent forty years working in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and biomedical sectors, including in a number of senior sales, marketing and business development roles which followed a research career, notably with Johnson & Johnson Group of Companies.
Previously, David was Head of Healthcare and Biotechnology in the Technology division of PA Consulting Group. Leaving PA Consulting Group to join PowderJect ahead of its IPO, David subsequently founded Vectura Limited (now Vectura Group plc). Since leaving Vectura Limited, David has been both an investor and an early-stage entrepreneur. He has worked for or advised several venture capital companies, including Avlar BioVentures, Merlin Ventures (with whom he co-founded Vectura Group plc) and Quester Capital Management. He has extensive experience working companies spinning out from universities in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
David has a BSc in Physiology and Biochemistry, an MBA with finance options, the Diploma in Marketing and the Investment Management Certificate.
Peter Thoms FCA
Peter Thoms is Chief Financial Officer of the Company. He was formerly CEO of NXT plc (formerly Verity Group plc), having served on its board since 1992. A Chartered Accountant, he worked for the Gillette Company for fifteen years, first as Vice-President & Director of Finance of Gillette Canada Inc., and then as Controller of Gillette Northern Europe.
Peter moved from Gillette Company to the position of Group Finance Director of Amstrad plc. Peter joined NXT plc (formerly Verity Group plc) in 1992 as Finance Director and Company Secretary, and was made COO in 2005, before being appointed CEO in July 2007.
Nicholas Heckford
Nicholas Heckford is Executive Director, Commercial and Legal at the Company. Nicholas is an accountant with extensive experience in commercial management.
After graduating from Bristol University in 1970 with a degree in Economics, Politics and French, and working as an accountant with KPMG in London, Nicholas worked as a financial controller and financial director in the electrical and electronics industries. He then moved into broader commercial roles in a variety of businesses, including various start-ups. Before joining the Company, Nicholas was Director of Licensing Operations for an international technology licensing company, where he negotiated and managed licences with multinationals such as Samsung, Siemens, Philips, NEC and Bosch.