Chair of Medicines Australia bids farewell, leaving a legacy as a fearless leader

Leadership & Management: Dr Anna Lavelle AM FTSE has announced her departure as Chair of Medicines Australia, marking the end of a tenure that began with her appointment as an independent Director in 2017 and her role as Chair since 2018. Throughout her leadership, Dr Lavelle has driven governance improvements and strengthened Medicines Australia’s strategic position with the Federal Government.

“Medicines Australia placed great faith in me as independent Chair and I have worked hard to deliver on their expectations,” Dr Lavelle stated.

She underscored the complexities of her role, saying “Balancing the needs of a competitive industry with the policy goals of government brings many challenges. Medicines Australia has worked hard to place itself in a very strong position to negotiate with all parts of government and key stakeholders, including patient advocates. I am very proud to have contributed to our reputational, strategic and operational achievements.”

Dr Lavelle’s expertise and background in scientific research, academia, health service provision, policy reform, and executive management positioned her uniquely to lead Medicines Australia. Her 11-year tenure as CEO of AusBiotech further cemented her as a visionary advocate in the field.

Over her career, Dr Lavelle’s contributions have been widely recognised: Nature Scientific America and World Vision named her as the only Australian among the top 100 global biotechnology visionaries in 2015, and she was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Science Technology and Engineering in 2014.

Among other accolades, she received the Industry Leader Award from Johnson & Johnson and AusBiotech in 2018, BioMelbourne Network’s Women in Leadership Award in 2019, and was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a trailblazer in 2022. In 2023, she was appointed to the Order of Australia, receiving an AM in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Reflecting on her time with Medicines Australia, Dr Lavelle shared, “It has been both challenging and rewarding to lead Medicines Australia during a period of change and in a complex environment, including during the COVID pandemic when the community learned so much about the value of pharmaceuticals to their health and life. The pharmaceutical sector responded vigorously to that challenge by supplying vaccines that saved lives.”

She further added, “It has been an honour to work with Directors, the Medicines Australia Executive in particular the CEO, Liz de Somer, and member companies. We hold a united goal to improve the speed and choice of medicines for patients as well as better recognise the value of innovation created by companies.”

Medicines Australia CEO Liz de Somer praised Dr Lavelle’s lasting impact on the industry.

“Dr Lavelle has been a fearless leader throughout her career, combining extensive understanding of Australia’s medicines and biotechnology policies plus a deep understanding of medical research,” said de Somer.

“Her unwavering commitment to improving patient outcomes and quality of life is resolute. Medicines Australia was extremely fortunate to have Dr Lavelle as Chair, and on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry we congratulate her for her impactful contribution to the sector.”

de Somer added a personal note of appreciation, saying “Anna has been an incredible support and mentor to me on taking the role of CEO, and I look forward to continuing my friendship with her.”

Dr Lavelle informed the Medicines Australia Board of her intention to conclude her tenure in the first quarter of 2025, and she plans to support the incoming Chair’s transition into the role early in the new year.

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