Meet the team

Meet the ManukaLife team

Paul Callander / Managing Director

Paul has over 25 years of experience in executive positions, financing and investor relations in the US and Asia. He is also the Chair of the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA).

Paul Kordic / Legal, IP & Contract

Paul has practised for over thirty-five years as a commercial lawyer, with an agricultural background. He focuses on the contracts and IP management of ManukaLife.

Joe Baini / Director

Joe brings thirty years experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to the ManukaLife team, with a focus on commercialisation, marketing and sales. Joe also helped form the AMHA.

Tony Woods / Head of Agricultural Operations

Agricultural innovator, Tony developed one of the first commercial chestnut plantations in WA and was the founder of healthcare product company Tranquilita.

Chad Paull / Chief Financial Officer

Chad has over twenty-five years’ financial management experience across a diverse range of industries including start-ups, privately-owned SMEs, multinational corporates and Big 4 consultancy firms.

Kristian Pass / Chief Operations Officer

Kristian has twenty five years' experience spanning multiple industries. Kristian brings design, branding and ecommerce experience and a passion for process to the group. He also provides administration services to the Australian Manuka Honey Association.

Brett House / Business Development Director

Brett has over thirty five years’ experience across all scale-operations, B2B, D2C, production and general management. He has deep knowledge and expertise in brand establishment and product growth across both domestic and export markets.

Kathy Johnson / Accounting Manager

Kathy has a Bachelor of Business degree and over 30 years of commercial experience working in a diverse range of industries in managerial and advisory positions.

Michele Lancaster / Administration Manager

Michele worked most of her life in the legal industry. Quality assurance and risk management were her key skill sets. Michele provides administration and office management services for the group.

Christopher Sattler/ Plantation Manager

Chris has over thirty-years’ agriculture experience, managing family sheep and grain enterprises along with all aspects of export cut flower plantations. Chris holds a Diploma in Agriculture and brings his many years of hands-on experience to our plantation operations.

Corporate advisory

Lester Chan

As CEO of Fund Singapore, an equity-based and debt-based company that specialises in investing in startups, SMEs, publicly listed companies and real estate projects, Lester oversees the management and execution of strategies for the Company. Prior to this, Lester headed the investment strategies and operations of a private equity and venture capital firm.

Dr Clay Golledge

Dr Golledge is a Physician in Infection Management and a Clinical Microbiologist with 28 years of consultant experience. He completed his microbiology training at Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner and Fremantle Hospitals and in 1990 embarked on advanced training in Infectious Diseases at the City Hospital and Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. He was instrumental in setting up the inaugural SCGH Infectious Diseases Service and the Hospital In The Home Service.


PAUL CALLANDER

STRATEGY

 

In Jan 2015 Paul Callander co-founded and became Managing Director at ManukaLife. Paul is responsible for the company’s strategy and growth and has twenty-five years’ experience in building companies from start-up to large profitable listed entities.

 

Paul started as a commercial pilot and graduated from the Western Australian Aviation Academy with a Senior Commercial Airline Pilots license. He served with several aircraft operations as a commercial pilot.

 

He spent ten years in Silicon Valley with a startup in semiconductor capital equipment manufacturing with Lam Research (NASDAQ – LRCX) where he was Vice President for Asia Pacific operations. Asia became a significant region for LRCX and Paul established offices, joint ventures, manufacturing, and was responsible for all operations in the region. On his departure, LRCX had a market cap of approx. US$1.5Bn

 

Paul subsequently moved to Singapore and founded software company Integrated Process and Retrieval Solutions (IPRS) Asia Pacific Pty Ltd. He then merged this with a U.S. Software firm Optika Inc., a provider of electronic business solutions. Paul continued on as part of the executive management team as Vice President of Asia Pacific and listed the company on NASDAQ.

 

He joined Canadian start-up company Taleo Inc to establish Asia Pacific operations, initially in Sydney. Recruited as Managing Director, Paul had full responsibilities for all operations throughout the region. Taleo became the global leader in Software as a Service (SaaS) for Talent Management Solutions. He was a part of the executive team when Taleo listed on NASDAQ. Taleo was acquired by Oracle for US$1Bn.

 

Paul became aware of the current and growing demand for Manuka honey and, together with Tony Woods, embarked on establishing a Manuka honey industry. Their vision extends beyond the production of honey to the establishment of apiary businesses, product manufacturing, plant breeding and intellectual property, research and development etc.

 

Paul’s extensive corporate experience with establishing and growing viable companies, developing strategic partnerships, capital raising, investor relations, manufacturing, joint ventures, and distribution and marketing agreements has been invaluable to the successful foundation and growth of ManukaLife Pty Ltd

 

Board positions and corporate experience:

  • Non-Executive Director, Zyber Holdings Ltd
  • Non–Executive Director, Fortune Minerals
  • Managing Director, Taleo Asia Pacific
  • Founding Director, Integrated Process and Retrieval Solutions (IPRS) Asia Pacific Pty Ltd Singapore
  • Vice President Asia Pacific, Lam Research Corporation USA
  • Chairman, Australian Manuka Honey Association

 

Qualifications:

  • Senior Commercial Airline Pilots Licence, Royal Aviation Academy

JOE BAINI

DIRECTOR

 

Joe has recently joined ManukaLife and brings 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, with a focus on commercialisation, marketing and sales.  He has been appointed to aggressively drive MaukaLife’s presence into international markets, with an intentional focus on Manuka products that focus on the therapeutic and medicinal attributes of Manuka.

 

Previously, Joe was a CEO of another major Australian Manuka company and also worked as interim CEO for two Australian biotechnology companies, having completed licensing deals across several global territories and raising more than $20m in capital.  Joe also helped form the AMHA, the key industry body for the Australian Manuka Honey industry.

 

Joe’s extensive experience also includes five and half years as General Manager of Gilead Sciences, the world’s largest biotechnology company, for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. As head of the subsidiary at Gilead, Joe led the growth of the business by almost 900% over his 5-year tenure and gained extensive experience in business development, product licensing and corporate development.

 

Board positions and corporate experience:

  • General Manager and Head of Asia, Gilead Sciences – the world’s largest biotechnology company
  • Chairman, Avexa Pharmaceuticals
  • Non-Executive Director, Bluechiip Technologies
  • CEO, Immuron
  • CEO, Pressura Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd
  • Board Member, BioNetwork Melbourne
  • Deputy Chairman, Australian Manuka Honey Association
  • CEO, Berringa Honey
  • Lecturer, University of Melbourne

 

Qualifications:

  • University of Melbourne, Masters of Biotechnology

ManukaLife

TONY WOODS

AGRICULTURAL SERVICES

 

Raised in a mixed farming background in Western Australia Tony has a background in broad acre agriculture as well as experience in the establishment of horticultural enterprises having initiated large scale native flower production with Horticultural Industries Australia as well as commercial “Food Tree” (Chestnut) enterprises. Following university Tony worked on and ran the family farm, established export markets for high quality commercially grown Western Australian wildflowers and became a founding director of HIA before working extensively overseas.

 

With extensive experience working in and managing teams to obtain positive outcomes Tony has been involved in successful management of businesses domestically and abroad.

 

Tony was involved in the establishment and management of several technology companies in Asia pacific, the USA, and Europe before returning to Australia and establishing Manukalife Pty Ltd.

 

Board positions and corporate experience:

  • Chair, Warren Blackwood Economic Alliance
  • Board Member, South West Connect: Advisory group to the Australian Federal Government Senate Select Committee on Telecommunications and Technology
  • Vice President, W.A. Boating Industry Assn.
  • Board Member, Western Australian Wine Industry Assn, Blackwood Valley Region
  • Manager Asia Pacific, SHE Software
  • Operations Manager, Northern Goldfields, Department of Environment and Conservation Western Australia
  • Consultant, Western Australian Health Department (SW division)

 

Qualifications:

  • University of Western Australia, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
  • Australian Institute of Export, Diploma Import/Export

ManukaLife

PAUL KORDIC

IP & CONTRACT

 

Paul has practised for over 35 years as a commercial lawyer. He is the Legal Practice Director at Strand Legal, a boutique law firm in Western Australia.  He assists many clients in the agri-business and family business sectors.

 

Paul is an accredited adviser with Family Business Australia (FBA), a board member of the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce in Western Australia and past Vice President of the Australasian Chapter of the International Wine Law Association.

 

Board positions and corporate experience

  • Board Member, Australian Manuka Honey Association
  • Board Member, Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce, WA
  • Vice President, Australasian Chapter of the International Wine Law Association

 

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Laws, University of Western Australia
  • Bachelor of Economics, Australian National University
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
  • Notary Public