Our Team

Dr David Fisher

David is a founding partner of Brandon Capital Partners. David established its predecessor, Brandon Capital Management, the investment manager for three life sciences Pooled Development Funds in 1999.

Before this David was foundation CEO of Peptech Limited (now Arana Therapeutics ASX:AAH). During this period Peptech went from a start up to having R&D operations in Australia, the UK, the US and manufacturing operations in Denmark. While David was CEO, Peptech provided the seed capital to establish Cambridge Antibody Technology Limited (LSE:CAT & NASDAQ:CATG), a leading UK biotechnology company recently sold to Astra Zeneca. Prior to Peptech David spent ten years with Pharmacia AB (now part of Pfizer, Inc), including five years at their head office in Sweden.

David is a director of the three PDFs established by Brandon Capital Management and a director of Nanosonics Ltd. He is also a past president of the Australian Biotechnology Association and past chairman of the CSIRO’s Division of Animal Production Industry Advisory Committee. He has a first class honours degree in rural science, a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney and a masters degree in applied finance and investments from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia). David is a Fellow of Finsia and a member of AusBiotech.

Dr Stephen Thompson

Stephen is a founding partner of Brandon Capital Partners. Stephen joined Brandon Capital Management in 2004. Concurrently Stephen helped establish Terra Rossa Capital, a dedicated life science fund manager in Adelaide. He was also Business Development Director for Bio Innovation SA, Adelaide on a part-time basis.

Prior to moving to Australia in 2004 Stephen was a director of Apax Partners a leading international private equity group. During this time he was also a director of Imperial Innovations, the commercialisation company of Imperial College London. Before joining Apax Partners, he fulfilled roles in product development with UK biotechnology company Cantab Pharmaceuticals (now Xenova). Earlier, Stephen spent ten years as a research immunologist in both London and California.

Stephen is a director, and on the investment committee, of Terra Rossa Capital and a director of the Cancer Therapeutics CRC. Stephen has an honours degree in immunology and biochemistry, a PhD in immunology from Kings College London and an MBA, specialising in entrepreneurship, from Imperial College London. Stephen is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of AusBiotech.

Dr Chris Nave

Chris is a founding partner of Brandon Capital Partners. Chris was previously Director of Commercialisation at the Baker Heart Research Institute, Melbourne where he was responsible for the commercialisation of technologies developed at the Baker and the Alfred Hospital, including the management of local and US spinout companies. Chris was responsible for the conception of the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund.

Prior to this Chris was the Manager of the Biotechnology Team at Melbourne Ventures, the commercialisation company of the University of Melbourne. Concurrently during this period, he was an investment manager for, and on the investment committee of Uniseed Pty Ltd, a $62million pre-seed fund. Chris has international experience with Leiras Pharmaceuticals in Finland, a wholly owned subsidiary of Schering AG, working for their Business Development group and has successfully moved companies to the US, securing investment from US investors for these companies.

He is a director of Nucleus Network Pty Ltd and is an observer on the board of Osprey Medical Inc. Past directorships include Hatchtech Pty Ltd, Radical Biotechnology Pty Ltd, Pargenex Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Velacor Pty Ltd, V-Kardia Pty Ltd, V-Kardia Inc and Opal Therapeutics Inc. Chris has a first class honours degree in science and a PhD in endocrinology and physiology from the University of Melbourne and is completing a Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Melbourne. Chris is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a member of Ausbiotech, BioMelbourne Network and the US Association of University Technology Managers.

Dr Melissa Brasted

Melissa joined Brandon Capital Partners as an Investment Manager in 2008. Before this Melissa was a venture investor with Terra Rossa Capital in Adelaide, a fund manager specialising in seed-to-early stage life science investment. Previously, Melissa was a Business Development Manager with Bio Innovation SA where she helped early stage companies refine their business plans and prepare to raise capital. Prior to joining Bio Innovation SA, Melissa worked in an early stage medical device company in Adelaide, assisting it with capital raising. Melissa spent three years as a postdoctoral scientist at Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Victoria.

Melissa has a first class honours degree in science and PhD in Immunology from the University of Adelaide and an MBA, specialising in finance, from the University of South Australia. Melissa is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of AusBiotech.

Dr Bev Thomas

Bev joined Brandon Capital Partners as an Investment Manager in 2008, following positions as Commercialisation Manager at the Baker Heart Research Institute and Business Development Manager at Melbourne Ventures, the commercialisation company of University of Melbourne. In these roles, Bev was involved in identifying and evaluating potential commercialisation opportunities, preparing funding proposals and negotiating licensing, research and investment agreements. Prior to managing the commercialisation of opportunities from research institutes, Bev worked as a Business Development Manager for Drug Delivery Solutions, a subsidiary of Acrux Ltd, commercialising drug delivery technologies by conducting activities such as negotiations and partnering discussions. Bev originally joined Drug Deliver Solutions as a Technical Development Manager following a post-doctoral position at the Victorian College of Pharmacy.

Bev has an honours degree in Pharmacy, a PhD in Genetics from the University of Bath and an MBA, specialising in Technology Management, from Deakin University. Bev is a member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and Controlled Release Society.

Mr Michael Ball

Mike joined Brandon Capital Partners as Chief Financial Officer in 2007 after 5 years in a similar position with Equity Partners, Sydney, a private equity firm. Prior to joining Equity Partners, Mike worked as financial controller and company secretary for companies involved in construction, wholesaling, hospitality and retirement living. Previous to that Mike was a partner with a medium sized chartered accounting practice covering auditing and tax for a variety of different sized clients.

Michael has been a Member of Chartered Institute of Accountants since 1973 and was a Member of Chartered Institute of Secretaries for 25 years.

Andrea previously was a partner at CMEA Ventures (San Francisco) from 2001 to 2006. Prior to this, Andrea spent four years as an Assistant Director in venture capital for Apax Partners & Cie Ventures (Paris) and Abingworth Management (London), where she was focused on the biotechnology, healthcare and health net sectors.

Andrea also held management positions, for 10 years, in the US biotech industry and was Director of Strategic Development for Chiron Corporation and Manager of New Research Identification for Genentech. In addition, she served as the R&D liaison for foreign subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, and Switzerland. Andrea has a degree in Physiology/Anatomy from the University of California, Berkeley and a PhD in Endocrinology from the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine.