Corporate Governance
Today's business climate places a premium on accountability and trust. Regulatory authorities require strict adherence to the rules and regulations around reporting standards, and shareholders demand that corporate entities conduct their affairs responsibly and with integrity. Protox strives to ensure that its policies and practices maintain the highest standards of corporate governance as stipulated in the policies, charters and mandates set out below.
Board Mandate
Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee Charter
Code of Business Conduct
Audit Committee Charter
Compensation Committee Charter
Whistleblower Policy
Board of Directors
Frank Holler
Avtar Dhillon, MD
Jim Heppell
Nitin Kaushel, CA
Fahar Merchant, PhD
James Miller, PhD
Donald Rix, MD
Mr. Holler served as President & CEO of Xenon Genetics Inc., from February 1999 to June 2003. At Xenon, Mr. Holler negotiated a $87 million partnership agreement with Pfizer, and completed a $74 million mezzanine financing with US and Canadian institutional investors - the largest private placement to that date by a Canadian biotechnology company. Mr. Holler was President & CEO and a co-founder of ID Biomedical Corporation a TSX/ NASDAQ listed biotechnology company. Mr Holler was also a founding director of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, a TSX/ NASDAQ listed biotechnology company. Prior to working in biotechnology and healthcare, Mr. Holler was a Vice President of Investment Banking with Merrill Lynch Canada and C.I.B.C. World Markets.
Dr. Avtar Dhillon has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Inovio Biomedical Corporation since September 2001. Prior to this, Dr. Dhillon was an investment manager and Vice President of MDS Capital Corp., one of North America's leading healthcare venture capital organizations. While a practicing physician, Dr. Dhillon acted as a consultant to Cardiome Pharma Corp., a biotechnology company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and to IGT Pharmaceuticals and Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Dhillon is a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, B.C. Medical Association, Canadian Medical Association and College of Family Practitioners. Dr. Dhillon has a Bachelor of Science degree in physiology and M.D. degree from the University of British Columbia.
Mr. Heppell is a founding Partner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Corporate Finance Lawyers of Vancouver, British Columbia. Most recently, he has focused on investing in BC life science companies, initially as an active angel investor and now as a venture capitalist. Mr. Heppell is President and Fund Manager of Life Sciences for BC Advantage Funds (VCC) Ltd., which is a venture fund dedicated to investing in early-stage life science and technology companies in British Columbia. He is also Chairman of the Board of Inovio Biomedical Corporation based in San Diego. In addition to his activities in the British Columbia's life science industry, Mr. Heppell is also the Managing Director-Western Canada of Gold Medal Plates, a partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee, committed to raising money for Canadian athletes training for the Olympics.
Mr. Kaushal is the Managing Director, Healthcare for Desjardins Securities Inc. Formerly he was the President and Managing Director of Vengate Capital, a Life Sciences and Healthcare Investment Banking & Advisory Firm based in Toronto, Ontario. He is also a current member of the Board of Directors of Victhom Human Bionics, Veracel Inc. and a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Prior to this, Mr. Kaushal was a Managing Director at HSBC Securities in its Healthcare Group and a Senior Investment Manager with MDS Capital Corp, a Health and Life Sciences Venture Firm. Mr. Kaushal was also the Assistant Manager at Pricewaterhouse.
Dr. Merchant has over 18 years of progressive experience as a scientist, consultant, entrepreneur and senior biotech executive. His entrepreneurial activities commenced in 1992 with the establishment of a consulting firm, Avicenna Medica, Inc. In 1994, he co-founded a spin-off contract manufacturing company (INTELLIgene Expressions) and built it into one of the fastest growing companies in Alberta. In 1999 the City of Edmonton awarded Dr Merchant the Ambassadors Award for his contributions to the high tech industry. By strategic in-licensing of targeted toxins he transformed Avicenna from a small consulting firm to a $90 million company. He sold Avicenna in 2001 to KS Biomedix plc (LSE) where he was their Chief Technology Officer (until 2002) and a Board member until its subsequent sale to Xenova (LSE and Nasdaq). Dr. Merchant’s educational background includes a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Miller is the Managing Partner of NDI Capital Inc., which manages the NeuroDiscovery Limited Partnership an institutional-backed venture capital company, as well as serving as the Chief Technical Advisor for the Pender NDI Life Sciences Fund. Dr. Miller was a founding shareholder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of QLT Inc. (1981-1991), one of the leading biopharmaceutical companies in North America. He also founded Inex Pharmaceuticals Corporation in 1992 and was its former President and Chief Executive Officer (1992-1999), and, until 2001, the Chairman. In addition, he is or has been a director of a number of other private and public companies, including StressGen Biotechnologies Corp., Chromos Molecular Systems Inc., Medical Ventures Corp., Allon Therapeutics Inc., NeuroMed Technologies Inc. and Gateway Income Trust. Dr. Miller holds an M.A. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Rix is an active member of the British Columbia biotechnology industry having served on the board of many organizations including various biotechnology and technology companies. Dr. Rix recently received the Lifetime Leadership and Achievement Award from the B.C. Biotechnology Alliance for his contributions to the biotechnology sector. Dr. Rix currently serves on the Premier's Technology Advisory Council, the Boards of the B.C. Technology Industry Association, Science Council of B.C., Genome B.C., B.C. Medical Services Foundation, BIRC Corporation and B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation. Dr. Rix is the Chairman of MDS Metro Laboratory Services since 1994 and was Lab Director and President of MDS Metro Laboratory Services from 1970 to 1994.
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