Charlie Bell appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director; two ASX-experienced directors join the Board
Melbourne, Australia, 29 September 2026 – Nicolab, a leading healthcare technology solution provider, has recently announced a leadership transition as it prepares for the next phase of its growth. Charlie Bell has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, joining the Nicolab board in this capacity.
Michael Macilquham has stepped aside as Chief Executive Officer after leading Nicolab through a period of significant commercial growth. Michael continues with Nicolab as Chief Commercial Officer, where he will focus on commercial growth, and strategic partnerships.
Paul Lappin, Chairman of Nicolab, said the transition reflected the company’s evolution and its preparation for a future listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Michael for his transformational leadership over the past two years, which has taken Nicolab from an early-stage business to a company now preparing for an ASX listing. This transition allows Michael to focus his energy on commercial success in his new role as Chief Commercial Officer,” Paul Lappin said. “Since joining Nicolab, Charlie has worked tirelessly alongside the Board, our shareholders and the external capital markets to bring the company to this point, and the Board has every confidence in his ability to lead Nicolab through its next phase.”
Charlie joined Nicolab in 2021 as Chief Financial Officer. He has built the company’s financial and governance foundations, led its expansion into new markets including China, and led its recent pre-IPO capital raise. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
“I am honoured to lead Nicolab into its next phase, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Michael, the Board and our team,” Charlie Bell said. “Our priority is to grow Nicolab’s reach so that more clinicians and patients benefit from faster, better-coordinated stroke care, while building a business that is ready for life as a listed company.”
Nicolab has also appointed two new ASX-experienced directors to its Board: Daniel Sims, former CEO of Ramsay Healthcare Australia, and Kara McGowan, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Sigma Healthcare.
Daniel spent 18 years at Ramsay Healthcare (ASX: RHC), including approximately six years as CEO of its Australian business. That business is a network of 73 hospitals and day surgery facilities with annual turnover exceeding AU$5 billion. Daniel brings deep operational experience scaling a large hospital network, along with an extensive network of hospital relationships. A key initial focus for Daniel will be supporting Nicolab’s work on the national stroke network. His relationships across the hospital sector will be directly relevant as Nicolab engages with government and health system stakeholders to progress this initiative.
Kara brings extensive capital markets and governance experience, having led Sigma’s AU$30 billion merger with Chemist Warehouse, one of the largest share issuances in ASX history. Bringing this level of operational and transactional expertise onto the Board now reflects Nicolab’s commitment to a credible, well-governed path to listing.
This leadership transition marks an important milestone for Nicolab as the company strengthens its commercial position and its engagement with the capital markets ahead of a planned initial public offering on the ASX in 2027. Nicolab’s SAFE note capital raise, which has now closed at approximately AU$7.4 million with strong support from existing and new investors, has given the company a much stronger balance sheet and a solid financial base as it begins the work required for listing.
About Nicolab
Founded in 2015 following the world-leading MR CLEAN clinical trial, Nicolab is an Australian-based public unlisted company with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its team of researchers, developers, and medical specialists develops innovative healthcare solutions to improve acute care and clinical collaboration across hospitals and networks.
Operating globally, Nicolab delivers a single, compact platform that combines Nicolab Assist, our collaboration suite for acute care, with StrokeViewer, our AI-powered imaging portfolio for stroke. The platform helps clinicians coordinate care, make faster decisions, and streamline stroke treatment across hospitals and networks. Visit us at www.nicolab.com
