2023-24 Board of Directors

Dr Richard Spence

President

Richard is the manager of the Assurance, Biosafety and Containment team at the Ministry for Primary Industries

National Biocontainment Laboratory in New Zealand and has responsibility for managing the systems that ensure

safe and secure laboratory operations.

Richard has a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Nottingham and has over 20 years experience in senior

scientific and managerial roles in diagnostic clinical and veterinary microbiology laboratories.

He has broad experience in working with and managing the risks associated with both animal and human

pathogens, including high risk zoonotic agents.

Richard is passionate about improving risk management and understanding around biosafety and biocontainment

in laboratories working with high consequence pathogens and the development of appropriately qualified and

experienced biosafety professionals to support this.

Dr AMANDA JONES

Vice President

Amanda has a PhD in Medicine from the University of Queensland and has 20 years' experience in biomedical research, occupational health and safety, biosafety, risk, governance and compliance management.  She currently uses her knowledge and expertise to support leaders at all levels of organisations to enhance regulatory compliance and governance practices, build biorisk management capability, implement biosafety & biosecurity systems, and engage effectively with regulators.  Amanda is passionate about improving awareness and understandign of biological risks across complex organisations, and utilising management systems approaches to achieve best practice outcomes. 

June Freeland

June, has a MSc in Biomedical Science, B.A in Occupational Health and Safety Management, Chartered Biologist (C.Biol) Royal Society of Biology, Chartered Member of the Institute of Safety and Health (CMIOSH), Biological Safety Professional (BSP2 ) UK, Fellow of the Institute of Safety in Technology and Research (FISTR)  and is a Director of the UK Biosafety Executive Committee.

June’s collaboration with government agencies, nationally and internationally, and her wide knowledge of global biosafety has led to her creating several biological and general safety online training courses.  

In addition, she helped create an accredited Professional Biosafety Practitioner course which was subsequently adopted throughout the UK and introduced to the European biosafety community through the European Biosafety Association (EBSA) in which June was an active member. She also audited and reviewed EBSA training courses.

Dr NENAD FIREZ

Nenad holds a PhD in Microbiology and has over 25 years experience in the Life Sciences sector, he was a past president of ISPE Australasia. 

GREGOR RIESE

CHAIR GOVERNANCE, FINANCE AND RISK COMMITTEE

Gregor holds a Bachelor of Science from Macquarie University, he has also completed a Master of Science (UQ) and a Masters of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology (ECU).  Gregor has experience working for across several State and Federal Government Agencies including; SafeWork Australia, NSW Workcover and NSW EPA. Gregor also has several years governance experience as a Company Secretary.

BRETT COLE 

Brett Cole has been working in OHS/contamination control in the high containment, life sciences, healthcare and pharmaceutical market for over 25 years.  His formal qualifications are in Environmental Microbiology and Chemistry, Business, Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, Public Health. His experience has been in academic microbiological research, medical devices for high-level disinfection, engineering controls for contamination abatement, materials handling, infectious and contaminated waste and facility microbial testing, decontamination, and remediation.  He has worked in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, North America, and Asia on many contamination projects from beta=lactam site remediation, animal facility infection, high containment, mould infestation, biological contaminated site decontamination. 

Dr Francesca Casu

CHAIR, REGULATORY LIAISON COMMITTEE

Francesca has over a decade of experience in microbiology laboratories across Italy and New Zealand.  For the past seven years, Francesca has overseen biosafety, biosecurity and compliance in the diverse and complex environment of the University of Auckland, managing a team to ensure adherence to national and international regulations.