Agenda

NEXT Pharma Summit is the go-to event for leaders in commercial excellence, medical affairs, digital innovation, marketing, AI, and CX who are driving the transformation of engagement strategies with HCPs and key stakeholders. Explore the Full Agenda for NEXT Pharma Summit 2026.

8:00 AM - 8:55 AM

Registration & Welcome coffee

8:55 AM - 9:00 AM

MAIN STAGE

Welcome to Country

9:00 AM - 9:10 AM

MAIN STAGE

Opening Remarks

dario

Dario Safaric

Chairman at NEXT Pharma Summit

Steve Royle

Founder at Rumi

9:10 AM - 9:35 AM

MAIN STAGE

The State of the Union - Australian Pharma

Chifumi Umeda

Managing Director at MSD

Manny Simons

General Manager, Australia and New Zealand

Dave Pearce

General Manager Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) at Takeda

dario

Dario Safaric

Chairman at NEXT Pharma Summit

9:35 AM - 9:55 AM

MAIN STAGE

The Uncomfortable Truth 2: You Think This Is Working. We Don't.

Bryn McGeever

Managing Director at Australian Doctor Group

Elizabeth de Somer

Chief Executive Officer at Medicines Australia

Daylan Riddle

Head of Sales GI and Sales Excellence Oceania at Takeda

Dr Michael Bonning

Chair of Public Health at Australian Medical Association

Matt Britland

Medical Director at Edge Medical

09:55 AM - 10:15 AM

MAIN STAGE

Australia's "Frog in Boiling Water" Moment

Matt Zeller

CEO at Arrotex Pharmaceuticals

Mike Exton

CEO at Lexicon

Schneemann Kieran

10:15 AM - 10:30 AM

MAIN STAGE

Finding Pharma's Voice in the Age of AI

Simon Kos

Global Chief Medical Officer at Heidi

Arthur Alston

Pharma AI Expert

Steve Royle

Founder at Rumi

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Morning Tea/Networking

11:00 AM - 11:20 AM

MAIN STAGE

THE PUB TEST: What Great Pharma Companies Do Differently

Leanne D'Aguiar

Research Director at So What? Research

Marcus Tan

Research Director at So What? Research

11:20 AM - 11:40 AM

MAIN STAGE

Sustainability Meets Clinical Reality: Turning Environmental Innovation into Prescriber-Relevant Change

Maximilian Plank

Global Medical Lead at GSK

11:40 AM - 12:00 PM

MAIN STAGE

Pharma Career Lessons Forged From Elite Sport - Are You Ready To Be a Corpathlete?

Steven McBrien

General Manager DKSH Healthcare ANZ

Robin Whiteley

TA Lead CRM ANZ BI at Boehringer Ingelheim

12:00 PM - 12:20 PM

MAIN STAGE

Deus Ex Database

Josh Ciardi

National Account Manager - Cardiology at intermed

12:20 PM - 12:40 PM

MAIN STAGE

Below the Surface: The Critical Role of Medical Affairs in Launch Readiness and Success

Jodi Tainton

Field Medical Team Lead at Pfizer

Dr Sarah Tregenza

APAC Oncology Medical Affairs Director at Pierre Fabre

12:40 PM - 1:00 PM

MAIN STAGE

Pharma Launches - How To Win The World Cup!

Bernd Merkel

Senior Medical Advisor (ANZ) at Teva

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Lunch / Networking

2:00 PM - 2:25 PM

MAIN STAGE

The Human Side of AI

Nayana Wade

Managing Director & Founder at Hummingbird Insight

2:25 PM - 2:45 PM

MAIN STAGE

Are Australian Pharma Marketers Really Marketing?

Gina Saad

Commercial Lead ANZ at Recordati

Shweta Deshpande

Marketing Strategy Lead Oncology at Bayer

Michael Napoli

Senior Product Manager at Ferring

Rebecca Cadd

Marketing Lead at MSD

2:45 PM - 3:05 PM

MAIN STAGE

Forget Dr Google - HCPs and Patients Have Moved On, Have You?

Philip Murphy

Associate Director at Gilead

3:05 PM - 3:30 PM

MAIN STAGE

The Access Abyss: Are We Inverting Innovation in Australia?

Julie Ellis

Regional Market Access & Pricing Director at Menarini

Charles Morgan

Head of Commercial

Andrew Thirlwell

Policy and Public Affairs Cluster Lead, ANZ and Korea at Pfizer

Jon Zdon

Head Medical Governance, Evidence and Patient Access at Novartis

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Afternoon Tea / Networking

4:00 PM - 4:20 PM

MAIN STAGE

AI and Patient-Centred Care: What's Actually Working in Australian Pharma

Mikaela Crimmins

Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Orchad

Dr. Ben Condon

Clinical Director - ANZ at Heidi Health

David Thomas

Director, Centre for Molecular Oncology at UNSW

4:20 PM - 4:40 PM

MAIN STAGE

They Did What?! What Pharma Can Learn From Medical Device Companies

Josh Ciardi

National Account Manager - Cardiology at intermed

Julianne Mullins

ANZ General Manager and Director at Keenova

4:40 PM - 5:00 PM

MAIN STAGE

If We're So Customer Centric - Why Does It Feel So Difficult?

Tsumi Smith

Head of Customer Operations & Patient Experience at AbbVie

Astrid Macassey

Director Customer Excellence at Abbvie

Aneta Porczynska

Head of Business Excellence & Execution at Novartis

Matt Pradhan

Senior Director, Global Digital Operations at Kyowa Kirin

5:00 PM - 5:20 PM

MAIN STAGE

The AI-supercharged Pharma Marketer

Chris Downes

Director, Franchise Lead - Immunology & Cardiovascular at BMS

Lauren Leahy

International Medical Affairs Omnichannel Leader at Lilly

Vipin Jolly Kannampuzha

Brand Manager at Abbvie

Mariam Qayum

Senior Digital Strategy & Innovation Manager at Teva

5:20 PM - 5:40 PM

MAIN STAGE

Debate: Should Medical Affairs Remain Purely Non-Promotional?

Bas Ebaid

Senior Medical Affairs Manager - APAC at Oncobeta

Deena Ebaid

Medical Science Liaison at Ipsen

6:00 PM – Late

The Official NEXT Australia VIP Afterparty - Venue TBA

NEXT Agenda Formats

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Fishbowl Discussion

Panels/Thought Leadership

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Next Pharma Summit Australia - August 18-19, 2026, Sydney
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