Our Management Team

Our team consists of highly skilled researchers and executives who have brought an array of experience and knowledge to the company, having worked for organisations such as Wellcome Diagnostics, The Garvan Institute, Applied Biosystems and Sigma-Aldrich, amongst others.

Our staff are led by, Drs Doug Millar and John Melki, who together are amongst the world’s pioneers in DNA methylation, simplification technologies and genetic expression analysis.

Dr. John Melki

Genetic Signatures is managed by Dr John Melki who has broad laboratory and business management experience. Dr. Melki joined Genetic Signatures in 2003 and since then has commercialised four research based products and seven diagnostic products. His previous research includes DNA methylation, microarray technologies, Real-Time PCR and biological software evaluation and he is the recipient of the Sydney University Peter Bancroft prize (2001). Dr Melki has led the product development team as Senior Principal Research Scientist since 2003 and now leads the company as Chief Executive Officer.

Karl Pechmann, CA, AGIA

Genetic Signatures finance function is managed by Karl Pechmann who recently joined the company in June 2023. Karl has over 15 years experience in ASX-listed companies and multi-national organisations, including OncoSil Medical Limited, Kyckr Limited, and Immutep Limited. In these roles, Karl was responsible for numerous operational areas including finance, investor relations, treasury, operations, and information technology.
Karl is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Secretary, having gained a Bachelor of Business (Accounting & Finance) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
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Dr. Doug Millar

The Genetic Signatures Scientific program is led by Dr. Doug Millar, who joined the company in 2001.  Dr Millar holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of London and is one of the pioneers of the bisulphite genomic sequencing protocol. Dr. Millar is the key inventor on over 30 patents or pending patent applications held by the company and has authored 23 peer reviewed scientific papers in the field of molecular biology and sodium bisulfite conversion of DNA, and has presented at more than 20 international and national scientific meetings.
Dr Millar was invited to attend the prestigious MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge UK by Sir Gregory Winter for a sabbatical in 2009 where he worked with Dr Philipp Holliger on directed enzyme evolution.
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Jackson Jones, B.Sc. (Hons), MBC

Genetic Signatures Global Sales and Marketing activities are led by Jackson Jones, who has been with the company since 2017. Working with the regional directors he is responsible for driving the successful commercial expansion strategy across the various markets. He has 20 years of experience in clinical diagnostics, blood banking, and life sciences sector and has worked with large US multinationals with market experience in Australasia, Europe, and North America. Jackson possesses a Masters of Business and Commerce, and a Bachelor of Biological Sciences (Hons) through Western Sydney University.

Ron Gonzales, B.Sc

The North American Genetic Signatures sales organization is led by Ron Gonzales. He joined Genetic Signatures in 2021 and will be focused on expanding the overall North American business, driving the commercial success and rapidly expanding the Genetic Signatures customer base. Ron’s 30 years of diagnostic and medical device experience includes multiple leadership roles at Abbott Laboratories, Merrill Lynch, and most recently at QIAGEN. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Texas A&M University.

John Buckels

The European Sales and Support team is led by John Buckels, who joined the company in 2020. John has over 20 years’ experience in molecular biology, including 7 years of work in laboratories and 13 years’ experience in sales and marketing. John joined the company from QIAGEN where he held several roles including UK Sales Manager MDx and Head of Infectious Disease Sales EMEA. John’s focus is on increasing the Commercial footprint across Europe by expanding the business in direct markets and through the distribution networks.

Neralie Coulston, BSc (Hons)

The Genetic Signatures Regulatory Affairs program is managed by Neralie Coulston who joined the company in 2002. She has implemented ISO 13485 throughout the organisation and managed the Quality System and Regulatory Affairs programs with successful registrations across multiple products and jurisdictions. Neralie has worked at the CSIRO and UNSW on both therapeutic development and research programs. She has a strong scientific background with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Technology Sydney.
management rebecca

Rebecca Abbatantuono

Rebecca Abbatantuono leads Genetic Signatures' People and Culture division with 18 years+ of experience across diverse sectors spanning IT, manufacturing, retail, mining, and oil and gas industries. Since joining in August 2021, she has passionately driven numerous strategic and operational initiatives to enable employee potential and performance. With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Macquarie University, Sydney, she leverages her understanding of human behaviour to cultivate a positive workplace culture conducive to organizational success and employee well-being.