Robert Cooke named Chair of GenesisCare Australia Board

Mr Cooke brings more than 40 years of experience in the health industry including executive leadership of publicly listed and privately owned healthcare companies, and management of private and public hospitals in Australia, Asia, and the UK. Between 2010 and 2017, he was the managing director and chief executive of Healthscope, one of Australia’s largest private hospital, medical centre and pathology operators. Robert’s experience also includes leading or advising some of Australia and the UK’s most established healthcare providers, including St Vincent’s Melbourne, Affinity Health, Symbion Health, Monash IVF, and Spire Healthcare.

GenesisCare’s establishment of an Australian board of directors with deep Australian healthcare expertise and diverse skillsets will strengthen its position as one on the nation’s leading private cancer care providers, striving to achieve excellent clinical outcomes for patients.

GenesisCare Australia Chief Executive Officer and board member Richard Lizzio said: “The appointment of this high-calibre local board will allow us to fully capitalise on the positive momentum in our Australian business, following our successful global restructuring earlier this year. GenesisCare Australia is now a standalone organisation boasting a strongly recapitalised balance sheet alongside our new board all of which will support our doctors to increase access to high-quality patient care.

“Robert is a highly strategic and visionary leader with deep knowledge of the Australian healthcare landscape who will guide our Australian business into our next phase of sustainable growth. This is an exciting new chapter for our business as we continue to invest in advanced cancer care services that focus on the patient, not the disease.”

Robert Cooke said: “There is significant momentum in GenesisCare Australia and I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience as a healthcare-focused executive and chair to help the business reach its full potential.

“GenesisCare’s doctors and services have an excellent reputation and I’ll be focused on partnering with the board to play our part in further expanding cancer care for patients across Australia.

“I have long admired the GenesisCare Australian business as the pre-eminent provider of radiation oncology services in this country with around 35% market share. I am very confident that GenesisCare now has the relevant ingredients for sustainable growth in place, including the best balance sheet in the industry and a group of committed shareholders keen to invest in the Australian business, who understand our local healthcare dynamics and have built a genuine partnership with GenesisCare’s doctors.”

The nine-member board, who are all Australian based, brings together a carefully selected group of healthcare and management professionals, doctors, and investment specialists.

Newly appointed non-executive directors include Shane Solomon, a seasoned healthcare professional, former chairperson of the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, and founder and former Managing Director of Telstra Health; leading international executive, Dean Hawkins, who has held non-executive director positions at I-MED, Ten Network Holdings, Leighton Contractors and was Global CFO of adidas during the period the company’s value rose from €1.5bn to €8bn; and Chris Champion, former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Australia and New Zealand, and member of the ANZ Executive Management Committee. Jarrad Solomons, Managing Director at Oaktree Capital, and Paul Nicholls, Head of Avenue Capital in Australia, round out our non-executive directors.

Distinguished radiation oncologists, Dr Mario Guerrieri and Professor Lizbeth Kenny AO, have also been appointed to the board to represent GenesisCare doctors who will become owners of the business, alongside GenesisCare’s new major investors, which include funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., Avenue Capital Group, Bain Capital, and Canyon Partners.

Already the private provider of cancer care to around 30,000 patients in Australia every year, GenesisCare is continuing its mission to bring high-quality care to patients closer to their homes.

GenesisCare has launched three new cancer care centres this financial year, and has plans to open a further three new centres over the next 12 months. More than $40 million p.a. has been earmarked for investment into technology and the expansion of the Australian business in the FY24 and FY25 financial years.