Brigitte Smith, Partner, GBS Venture Partners

Brigitte Smith talks to Fintan Walton about the story of the Australian company GBS Ventures and its creation following a management buyout from Rothschild Bioscience Managers. They reflect on the company's investment strategy as the biotech sector has matured and discuss a recent government seed capital fund that GBS has been involved in. Brigitte outlines the reasoning behind some of the company's recent investments and the importance of effective communication between biotech companies and investors, and also provides advice on when to go public.

About Brigitte Smith

Brigitte Smith joined GBS in 1998 with 10 years' experience in business strategy and hands-on management of start-up company operations. Before joining GBS she worked with high-tech start-up companies in Australia and the US in fund-raising and business development roles. She also spent several years at Bain & Company, a strategic management consulting firm. Brigitte is on the Board of GBS portfolio companies Dynamic Hearing, KaloBios, Proacta, Smart Drug Systems, and Pharmaxis.

Brigitte earned her Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with honours from the University of Melbourne, her Master of Business Administration with honours from the Harvard Business School and her Master of International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, US. She is a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors and an adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Business School, where she teaches Entrepreneurial Finance.