About Us
The Company
New Vision Biotech Pty Ltd was established in 1999 to develop, manufacture and market a range of alternative health care, complementary medicine and nutraceutical products (‘bioactives’) destined for both domestic and international markets.
New Vision Biotech manufactures and supplies alternative healthcare products in both small and bulk quantities. Click here to see our Products.
Key staff
Leo Rosenthal - Founding Director
Leo has an honours degree in Law from the University of Melbourne. He has more than 30 years’ experience in business. He works full-time within the business and is currently Executive Director responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business. He founded New Vision Biotech more than 12 years ago and has established a global presence for the company’s product offerings.
From 1983 to 1986, Leo helped create and implement a start-up business of the technology group, Austgen Biojet, involved in genetic engineering and wastewater treatment solutions. The company was subsequently sold to BHP (now BHP Billiton). Leo then founded the Port Melbourne Brewing Group, including the establishment of the Redback Brewery in Melbourne, and related businesses. The Brewing interests were sold to Carlton and United Breweries (CUB/Fosters Brewing).
Prior to establishing New Vision Biotech, Leo established Martin and Rosenthal Pictures and built the company into Australia’s largest educational video company with sales throughout Australia and New Zealand. He negotiated and obtained exclusive licenses from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), WGBH Boston, Rainbow International, Coronet and Phoenix for their educational programs in addition to producing their own programs. In 1999, Martin and Rosenthal Pictures was sold to ISIS Communications through its IPO.
Geoffrey Smithers, PhD - Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Geoffrey has a background in both fundamental and applied research and development in the areas of food processing and ingredient technology. During a career with CSIRO and Food Science Australia, most recently as Director of International Business, Geoffrey successfully built client relationships in critical capability areas, including processing systems, ingredient functionality and delivery, and nutrition science in Australasian, European and North American markets. Geoffrey has a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honours and a PhD in Biochemistry, and more than 22 years experience in dairy and food research and development.
Geoffrey joined New Vision Biotech in 2009, initially in a consulting role and more recently as CEO. He is overseeing expansion of the company’s product portfolio, notably a unique offering of chondroitin sulphate using a patented water-based technology. He has published extensively in the scientific literature, and is an inventor on a number of patent applications. He has a particular interest in commercial exploitation of biochemistry and process engineering in the development of novel food processes, and in the production of value-added ingredients and foods. Geoffrey (and the teams he has led) has won many awards throughout his career. Notably, in 2007 he was awarded the Sir Ian McLennan Achievement for Industry Prize that recognized his achievements in translating dairy science and technology into the marketplace, and resultant national economic impact. Geoffrey provides New Vision Biotech with strong science, technical and business credentials, and many years of experience in the food processing and ‘bioactives’/functional foods arenas.
James (Jimmy) Wu - Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jimmy began working with New Vision Biotech at its inception and has more than 12 years experience within the health food and complementary medicine industries, with a particular emphasis on shark-derived products. Jimmy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Shanghai and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
He is also an Associate Member of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants (CPA). Jimmy has overall responsibility for the company’s accounts, and also manages the Chinese and other Asian customers, and all suppliers to New Vision Biotech.