INTRODUCING KAZIA’S NEW CEO A seasoned leader in the biotech industry, Dr John Friend originally joined Kazia Therapeutics as Chief Medical Officer in November 2021. Having made an enormous contribution to the company during this time, John was the natural choice to succeed Dr James Garner as Chief Executive Officer in May 2023. With a deep understanding of the biotech landscape, over 25 years of scientific expertise, and a passion for transforming healthcare solutions, John says it has been a seamless transition from CMO into the CEO role. “I was part of all business discussions from day one when I joined Kazia so the transition has been a smooth one. A lot of what I do now as CEO is similar to my previous role with the company, including developing the business strategy, driving the clinical programs, as well as building and managing relationships with key stakeholders across all areas of the business,” he said. For John, the elevation to the CEO role at Kazia marked a natural next step in what has been a distinguished career in the medical and biotech sectors. The medical field runs in the Friend family, with John’s father working for a multinational pharmaceutical company, and his wife, Dr. Kimberly Raymond, a practicing physician. After securing his medical degree and speciality training, John practiced medicine in North Carolina, with his practice spanning from general care, through to obstetrics, minor surgery, and beyond. Following a move to Chicago to work for a large pharmaceutical company, John continued his career in the pharma and biotech industries, working in a variety of roles, including building business units at multiple pharmaceutical companies in the United States. During this time, John discovered a passion for paediatric drug development, which continues to flow through to his work today at Kazia. His philosophy stems from putting patients at the centre of everything Kazia does and he is driven by the goal of improving patients’ lives by developing innovative therapies and treatment solutions. “We’ve not focused enough resources and effort on the paediatric population with regards to drug development and clinical trials, especially in the area of cancer. There is such a huge unmet need, and I am deeply passionate about being a part of developing new therapies for children suffering from rare and devastating cancers. To be able to give hope and promise to those children and families effected by cancer is incredibly motivating.” DR JOHN FRIEND 6
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