Sherry Kothari

Originally trained as a clinician, Sherry has spent the last 20 years working at the research/ health/industry interface. With a keen eye for spotting new opportunities, she has a passion for leading innovation in complex, multi-stakeholder, multi-sector environments, helping to address societal challenges and generating real-world, tangible impacts.

Formerly CEO / Managing Director of a large, complex R&D organisation in Australia (with diverse partners including state and federal Government, health providers and businesses) Sherry identified an important, transformational industry need – to make cell therapy manufacture more affordable. She set this organisation up from scratch, with strategic, operational and fiscal responsibility. Under her inclusive and focused leadership, the organisation established two successful start-up companies exploiting smart surfaces for implanted medical devices and technologies for cancer immunology.

Sherry has also been a founder investor in two other life science spin-out companies in the UK. She brings an astute understanding of the innovation pipeline and a passion for driving innovation and translation into practice.

Sherry has worked on industry-led research initiatives in new tools and therapies for wounds through the Australian Wound Management Innovation Centre and supported the development of myskin in the UK, (a cell-based product for the treatment of severe burns).

Sherry’s broader experience also includes being a board director, trustee and mentor.

She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been a recipient of awards, including the SA Women in Innovation Award 2014 and finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2016 (Australia).