Melbourne, Australia; Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL, OTCQX: SPHRY) today confirmed Mr Peter Bartels AO will retire as Chairman as part of a planned succession. As announced in November 2013, Mr Rob Thomas AM will succeed Mr Bartels as Chairman, effective today.

Mr Thomas joined the Starpharma Board in December 2013 as Non-executive Director and Chair-Elect under the Board’s ongoing succession planning and director renewal strategy. Mr Thomas is also a member of both the Audit and Risk Committee and the Remuneration and Nomination Committee.

The Board of Starpharma thanked Mr Bartels for his exceptional contribution to the Company and acknowledged the major role he played in guiding the business from an early stage development company to a business with multiple products nearing commercial launch.

Mr Thomas said: “I have had the pleasure of working beside Peter over the last six months and I take over as Chairman at a time when the fundamentals of the Starpharma business are strong, a position Peter, along with the Board and management have contributed substantially to.”

Rob Thomas AM biography

Rob Thomas has a strong background in financial services and is a non-executive director on a number of listed healthcare companies, large multinational and financial services companies in Australia and the United States. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the securities industry with Potter Partners (now UBS), County Natwest and Citigroup.

Mr Thomas is currently Chairman of TAL Limited (formerly Tower Australia Limited), Gragher Capital Securities and the New South Wales State Library. He is the immediate past non-executive Chairman of successful device company, Heartware International Inc and remains a non-executive director of that company and is also a director of ASX listed Virgin Australia Limited , REVA Medical Inc., and Biotron Limited.

Mr Thomas holds a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University and is a Fellow of the Securities Institute of Australia. He is also a Master Stockbroker and is a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors. 

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