Our Team
The Team
Mark Smithyes
FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR
Mark is known as a transformational leader drawing on his experience from a 30+ year career in Life Sciences. His extensive career includes various senior leadership positions in pharmaceutical and medical device multinationals like Novartis and Alcon as well as founding, running, and exiting a successful life sciences start-up venture. In 2017, Mark founded Janus Life Sciences Consulting to help other entrepreneurs drive their business success, focusing on seed and early-stage fundraising, strategy, and commercialization.
Mark serves on the Expert Review Panels for both Genome Quebec’s Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) and the Ontario Centre of Innovation’s (OCI) Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF). He also leads the Life Sciences Practice at Delphic Research. He is on faculty at the University of Toronto’s Master of Biotechnology program and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Life Sciences Talent Accelerator. Mark is on the Board of Directors and is former Chair of Life Sciences Ontario. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and the Schulich School of Business.
James Doyle
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
James is a life sciences entrepreneur, passionate about transforming lives through innovation and technological disruption. He has held leadership and executive roles across BioTech, Digital Health, and MedTech startups, including as co-founder and CEO. His entrepreneurial experience across strategy, operations, business development, and investor relations makes him uniquely placed to enable early-stage founders and management teams to build and execute on their visions for their companies.
James has a BSc in Biochemistry (Hons.) from Concordia University and a PhD in Experimental Medicine from McGill University. He served 5 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and has taken leadership and professional development courses tailored for Executives in the life sciences.
Gilbert Sharpe
DIRECTOR
As the former long-time Director of the Legal Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Gilbert brings invaluable experience from a distinguished 40-year career in legal practice and advisory roles. Gilbert offers unparalleled experience in healthcare public policy and regulation, and intimately understands the complex realm of evolving public and private healthcare in Canada. Through his involvement with the Ministry of Health since 1975, and associated work with numerous government ministries and agencies, Gilbert has influenced some of the most important legal issues and policy matters affecting modern health care. This includes the development of legislation and policies to improve the Ontario and Canadian health care system.
Internationally, Gilbert has been an advisor on healthcare projects for the World Bank, Inter-American Bank, and the World Health Organization. He advised on US healthcare reforms in part during his tenure as a professor in the health law group at Loyola University in Chicago.
Gilbert holds several professorships, including the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. Gilbert received his LLB and LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School. He is President of the Canadian Institute of Law and Medicine and Editor-in-Chief of Health Law in Canada. Gilbert has published several books, hundreds of articles, and is a regular speaker at conferences.
Cathy Douglas
SENIOR CONSULTANT
Cathy Douglas is a veteran of the life sciences sector and a serial entrepreneur. Cathy has built several businesses and has consulted for many years focusing on business growth, particularly in the aesthetics subsector of life sciences. Cathy is currently President of Skin EQ. She received her MBA from the Exeter University, UK and is a licensed nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario.