Team

Dr Gary W. Pace – Chairman & Director

Dr. Pace is Chairman and a shareholder for Somnaceutics limited. Dr. Pace is an experienced serial entrepreneur and senior operations manager of mid and large-scale life sciences ventures and companies in Australia, the USA and England. He has more than 30 years of experience in the development and commercialization of advanced technologies, spanning biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and food industries.

Dr. Pace holds a B.Sc. (Hons I) from the University of New South Wales and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a Fulbright Fellow and General Foods Fellow. He has authored or co-authored over 50 research and review papers, patents, and co-authored the book “In Search of Health and Fitness.” Dr. Pace is also an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. In 2003 he was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Australian Government “for service to Australian society in research and development”.

Guy M. Wills – Chief Executive Officer

Mr Guy Wills is the CEO, founding manager and a shareholder of Somnaceutics. Mr Wills is a serial entrepreneur, with diverse sales and marketing, senior management, and leadership experience both in business and corporate environments.

He has both a disciplined background born out of a marketing and corporate leadership pedigree from over a decade’s experience in food and natural health products in fast moving consumer goods, foodservice, B2B, licensing and strategic partnering for a range of international markets. This background is coupled with significant entrepreneurship and start-up experience having recently co- founded, lead and exited a consumer and industrial products joint venture technology start-up. He holds a BBS (Marketing and Psychology) from Massey University.

Professor Robert (Bob) Elliott – Founding Scientist & Director

Professor Elliott is co founder and Director for Somnaceutics limited. Professor Elliott is the inventor and pioneer of Somnaceutics’ science and intellectual property. He co-founded Living Cell Technologies in 1987. Professor Elliott was Foundation Professor, Department of Paediatrics at The University of Auckland and is an Emeritus Professor of child health research and a world leader in diabetes and autoimmune related research.

Professor Elliott is on the board of the New Zealand Child Health Foundation and the Wings Trust (a NZ trust for the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse). He is also patron of the NZ Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 1999 he was awarded a CNZM (a Companion of the New Zealand order of merit) for services to the community.

Dr Simon Barclay - Director

Dr Simon Barclay is a Director for Somnaceutics. Dr Barclay provides extensive health industry and commercialisation experience. Dr Barclay trained as a medical practitioner and has had a career in general practice, as a medico-legal consultant and as a medical consultant to the insurance industry. In a parallel business career he has a longstanding involvement in both an executive and a non-executive capacity with start up companies, and has been associated with the development of several highly successful businesses. Most recently he was chairman of Innovair Ltd (Robocan) that is now marketed under an American multinational brand.

Brent S. Ogilvie – Director

Mr. Ogilvie is co-founder and Director of Somnaceutics. Mr Ogilivie is Director of Pacific Channel, which is a venture development and investment company, specialising in life science-based industries. Through Pacific Channel's activities as a seed investor, Mr. Ogilvie is a shareholder of Somnaceutics.

Mr. Ogilvie was previously NZ Consul and Trade Commissioner to New York. He holds a BSc. (Bio.) from The University of Waikato; and Graduate Diplomas in Marketing, and Business Administration, and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from The University of Auckland.

Stuart Davey – Director

Mr Davey represents the Davey family who are founders of Somnaceutics. The Davey family owns a large dairy farm in the Northern Waikato region and have extensive experience and insights into the New Zealand Dairy industry, including milk production and supply.

Dr Robert G. Feldman - Chief Scientific Officer

Robert Feldman is the Chief Scientific Officer at Somnaceutics. Dr Feldman qualified as a medical doctor in London and subsequently specialised in the field of clinical microbiology. After working for a year as a clinical training fellow at Harvard Medical School, he returned to London and gained an MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

He then moved to the Netherlands where he was awarded his PhD at the University of Utrecht in the field of microbiological immunology.

He has also held a Visiting Professorship in Neonatal Infection at Imperial College London. He is the inventor of 5 patent families and author of approximately 90 publications, abstracts and book chapters.

Roger Hatrick-Smith - Chief Financial Officer

Mr Hatrick-Smith (CA, DipBusAdmin) has significant experience in senior line accounting, including in the process manufacturing industry and a deep understanding of the issues and challenges facing businesses wanting to grow both in New Zealand and offshore.

His advisory experience spans all major business process activity areas including operations and supply chain management and support processes. Until recently he provided strategic, business and financial advice to high growth New Zealand businesses as leader of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial and Growth Markets Group and its Transaction Advisory service line in New Zealand.

Colin Harvey - Advisor

Mr Harvey (ONZM, BCom, BAgrSc) is widely recognized for his contributions to the New Zealand agricultural industry. He founded and built Ancare into a multinational company with significant market share across several animal health categories in the face of strong competition. His contribution to industry affairs include founding the Animal Remedy and Plant Protectant Association and, through chairing this, contributed to the formation of the new Hazardous Substances Act and the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act.

He was Chairman of NZ Agritech and is a member of CRAG (Capitalising on Research & Development Action Group), part of the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology. Mr Harvey owns Lake McKay Station in Wanaka, is an active investor in a number of technology investments including Ancare Scientific Ltd, a partner in the iGlobe VIF fund and on the Advisory Board of the Massey University College of Business. In 2008, Colin was made an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit and in 2009, a member of the North Shore Enterprise Hall of Fame.

John Hemmingsen - Intern

John Hemmingsen is currently interning at Somnaceutics on a contract basis as part of his Masters of Bioscience Enterprise Thesis project. His thesis analyses the impacts of regulatory and marketing factors when launching a natural bioactive product, such as Somnaceutics sleep milk product. He holds a Bachelors of Science majoring in Food Science and Nutrition and a Post Graduate Diploma in Bioscience Enterprise, both gained from The University of Auckland.

He has held many part-time roles while studying, including at Auckland UniServices, Baxter Healthcare and GMP Pharmaceuticals. He is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Food Scientists and NZBIO as well as a committee member of SPARK, The University of Auckland's entrepreneurship challenge; in which he was a finalist in its $100,000 competition in 2009.