Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, Aroa Biosurgery is a soft-tissue regeneration company committed to unlocking regenerative healing for everybody through its patented AROA ECM™ complex wound and tissue reconstruction products.

The company was founded in 2008 by Veterinarian Surgeon Dr Brian Ward, who discovered that a tissue scaffold called the extra cellular matrix (ECM) found in the forestomach of sheep has a similar structure to human tissue and contains over 150 proteins known to be important in the healing process.

Listed on the ASX since 2020, Aroa Biosurgery has established USA operations, regulatory approval in over 50 countries and employs over 270 people in New Zealand and North America.

Over 6 million AROA products have been used globally in a range of procedures to date, with distribution into our key market of the United States via our direct sales force and our partner TELA Bio, Inc. aroa.com

KEY PEOPLE

  • Brian Ward | CEO & Founder

    Brian is the founder and chief executive officer of Aroa Biosurgery.  He has held senior corporate roles in life sciences and health care companies over the last 25 years both in New Zealand and globally.

    Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science from Massey University, is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK), and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration.

    read more

  • James Agnew | Chief Financial Officer

    James has over 20 years’ experience gained both in New Zealand and internationally, in corporate finance, investment management, M&A, strategic and operational planning, contractual management and negotiation, international taxation and compliance, including US GAAP.

    Throughout his 10-year tenure at AROA, James has led the company’s financial strategy, including multiple private market capital raises, the IPO and listing of Aroa on the ASX in 2020 and a secondary raise in 2021.

    James holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from Auckland University.

    read more

  • Rod Stanley | Chief Technology Officer

    Rod joined AROA in 2013 and has over 15 years’ experience in medical device design and manufacturing.

    Rod is responsible for managing the technical operations of the organisation and providing technical direction related to product development, project management, manufacturing, and distribution.

    Prior to joining AROA, Rod worked in development of novel polymer coatings for microfluidic devices at Industrial Research Limited. Rod’s professional expertise includes chemical processing of biomaterials, and implementation of sterilisation processes.

    During his time at AROA, Rod’s focus has been on process design and transfer into manufacturing, redevelopment and scale-up activities for the Auckland site, as well as overseeing routine production activities.

    Rod holds Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry from the University of Otago.

    read more

RELATED STOCKHEAD STORIES