Mario Pennisi AM, a prominent figure in the Australian biotech community, has been named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Pennisi has decades of experience in strategic relationship management, industry advocacy, government relations, business development, and value creation. After graduating QUT as a medical laboratory scientist, he worked at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology (SNP) as a Client Services Manager responsible for attracting medical referrals. He went on to work at Mayne as a National Business Development Manager, where he extended Australian involvement in the global clinical trials industry. Pennisi went on to become the CEO of QCTN, an industry organization that became the basis for the establishment of LSQ, a prominent voice in the global biotech community. Since 2018, Pennisi has invested in innovation and real estate opportunities in the APAC Region through his company, Biostate Pty Ltd, while continuing his government liaison and advocacy roles. He is also an adjunct senior lecturer at UQ - Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development and has served on numerous advisory boards and as a non-executive director.