MCIA Board

Chair

Peter Koetsier
Chief Executive Officer of Cann Group Limited

Peter is the Chief Executive Officer of Cann Group Limited, Australia’s first commercially licensed medicinal cannabis cultivator and manufacturer. Peter boasts more than 30 years of general management, marketing and commercial leadership roles within global pharmaceutical companies. He has previous experience as Head of Asia Pacific for French biopharmaceutical company, Ipsen, where he developed and led the implementation of a successful growth strategy which included the commercial launch of new brands. Other previous roles include General Manager of Australia/New Zealand (Ipsen) and senior management positions with Astra/Zeneca, UK and Bristol-Myers Squibb in Europe. 

Peter has a bachelor’s degree in science (pharmacology, immunology) and a diploma in education (science, biology) from Monash University and is a graduate of the INSEAD CEDEP General Management Program.

In chairing the MCIA, Australia’s peak industry body for medicinal cannabis, Peter is well versed in the management of regulatory framework in both Australia, and abroad.

Directors

Russell Harding
Executive Chairman & CEO MedReleaf Australia

Russell Harding - MCIA Board Member, Director Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia

Russell co-founded MedReleaf Australia with Nathan Davis in 2016 as a privately owned medicinal cannabis company. 

He has 35 years success in pharmacy business ownership, management and innovation combined with experience in a number of other fields including pharmacy wholesaling to an 80 member group of pharmacist proprietors, property development, business mentoring, medical centre management and semi-professional sports coaching as an accredited AFLQ senior coach.

Carol Ireland
CEO and Managing Director, Epilepsy Action Australia

Carol Ireland - MCIA Board Member, CEO and Managing Director, Epilepsy Action Australia

Carol’s extensive background spans more than 35 years in the not-for-profit human services sector. She has been at the forefront of the medical cannabis movement in Australia. In her role at Epilepsy Action she has had significant contact with people faced with managing very challenging forms of medication resistant epilepsy, with few or no conventional options left. Carol has seen the changes in people’s lives, including reduction in the severity and frequency of seizures, resulting from use of medicinal cannabis.

Peter Crock
Chair – Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia

Peter Crock - Chair Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia, CEO – Cann Group Limited

As CEO of Cann Group (ASX: CAN) from April 2016 to January 2023, and the founding Chairman of MCIA, Peter Crock continues to be involved in shaping the future of the medicinal cannabis industry in Australia. Drawing on nearly three decades experience at global agribusiness Nufarm (ASX: NUF), and then at the helm of Cann, which received the first commercial cultivation license in Australia, and was the first medicinal cannabis company to successfully list via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

To accelerate its growth, Cann Group has completed subsequent capital raisings totalling more than AUD$150m, which has enabled the advancement of its’ most ambitious project to date; a controlled environment, high-tech glasshouse and TGA licensed pharmaceutical production facility which will ensure supply of cannabinoid based medicines for Australian patients.

With deep knowledge and experience in the areas of marketing, business and technology development, as well as mergers and acquisitions, Peter has overseen the growth and advancement of Cann Group, and now moves into an independent role as a director at MCIA.

Joanne Patterson
Chief Executive Officer BOD Limited

Jo Patterson - MCIA Board Member, Chief Executive Officer BOD Limited

Jo has over 20 years’ experience in business and corporate strategy with exposure in Australia and international markets. She has developed a number of businesses from start-up as well as driving established organisations towards growth and merger trajectories. She has been officially recognised as a successful business executive by winning a number of key business awards and her acumen is evidenced in the success of previous companies in the technology, advertising and healthcare sectors. Jo has held multiple CEO and Managing Director roles over her career.

Jo is the founder and CEO of Bod Limited, an ASX listed company, focused on drug development and product innovation based around Medical Cannabis. 

Executive Officer

Patty Holmes
Director and Co-founder, Holmes and Wilson

Patty Holmes - MCIA Board Member, Director and Co-founder, Holmes and Wilson

Patty is co-founder of Holmes and Wilson Consultancy, a recently formed company offering consulting services to the medicinal cannabis and associated industries. Patty has previously co-founded of one of Australia’s first ASX-listed medicinal cannabis companies and has played an integral role in establishing, supporting, and advocating for the medicinal cannabis industry. Patty is a multilingual C-suite executive with a unique blend of skills, from creating strategic vision through to hands-on execution where required. Her experience ranges from company establishment and personnel recruitment, to strategic business review development and successful realisation of commercial campaigns. She is passionate about improving patient access and advancing medical knowledge, and champions research and regulatory reform.

Special Advisor

Rosemary Richards

Rosemary Richards - MCIA Secretariat

Rosemary has extensive experience in the technology sector including regulatory frameworks, protocol development, commercialisation plans for new technologies, market analysis and advocacy.

Rosemary has been involved at the forefront of the Australian medicinal cannabis industry in Australia assisting commercial businesses who are Australian licence holders and the formation of an industry organisation to represent the medicinal cannabis industry.