\ Meet the Team – astrid

Meet the Team

Leadership team

Lisa Nguyen

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
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B.Pharm

Lisa is an Australian trained pharmacist, and is the founder and CEO of Astrid. 

Lisa gained extensive experience early on in the medicinal cannabis industry as a Clinical Pharmacist and a Medical Science Liaison. As an early adopter in the Australian Medicinal Cannabis sector; her journey in the corporate pharmaceutical cannabis space commenced shortly after legalisation – landing a role as a Medical Science Liaison for both Medlab Clinical, and later on, global giant Canopy Growth. In both companies, Lisa worked with early prescribing doctors to navigate the complex regulatory prescribing process in various therapeutic areas. 

In 2020, Lisa left the corporate cannabis world and founded Astrid – Australia’s first boutique female-led dispensary specialising in medicinal cannabis.  Lisa’s vision for Astrid has always been completely people and patient focused; with the design intent for removing the stigma associated with cannabis. Subverting clinical and cold perceptions of the traditional pharmacy model, Astrid is illustrative of the wider conversation that is needed in destigmatising cannabis. 

Since then, Astrid has transformed and grown into Australia’s leading and multi-award winning dispensary. In 2021, Astrid won Dispensary Of The Year in 2021 by the Australian Cannabis Awards, and has been featured in Urban List, Cannabiz and the Herald Sun. Astrid also won Melbourne Design Awards in 2021, Top 20 Australian Retailer of the Year 2022 and short listed in the Idea Awards in 2022. In 2023, Astrid was awarded the Cannabiz Dispensary of the Year Award, as well as the Cannabiz Company of the Year 2023. 

As a visionary, Lisa believes in leading and innovating with empathy. This is seen in every touch point of the Astrid brand – Astrid’s reputation for patient care, compassion, empathy are unparalleled. In 2023, Commonwealth Bank awarded her with the CommBank Young Hero award, recognising her as Rising Star of the Year for her innovative and transformative work with Astrid. Lisa was also recognised by the Australian Journal of Pharmacy as Australia’s Top 20 Pharmacists, recognising her as Australia’s most Trailblazing Pharmacist. Since then, Astrid has been recognised by numerous mainstream media, including Forbes Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald and LadBible. 

Outside of Astrid, Lisa is passionate about cannabinoid education and research. She has worked with global and local organisations to help create educational content for pharmacists, including The Pharmacy Guild, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia,  Australian Journal for Pharmacists, and The Lambert Institute and Sydney University. 

Lisa is currently also an Advisor for various cannabinoid research projects involving Data Safety Monitoring and Endometriosis Clinical Research.

Astrid is now located in both South Yarra, Melbourne VIC and Byron Bay, Northern Rivers NSW. Both dispensaries bring together gentle curves and natural materials to reflect its devotion to natural medicine and grounded in science – creating a welcoming, open and comforting space for patients.

Hansen Tsai

Chief Financial Officer
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Hansen is the Chief Financial Officer of Astrid and associated companies.

Prior to joining Astrid in May 2022, Hansen spent over 7 years with a global insurer, most recently as a Senior Underwriter with extensive experience in Industrial Special Risks and Accident & Health, namely EBA and complex Group Personal Accident programs. He worked closely with corporate insurance brokers such as Aon, Gallagher and Marsh to provide risk management and pricing of complex risks. His portfolio spanned across the Australian eastern seaboard, which included ASX listed companies. 

Hansen earned a Master of Business (Applied Finance) from QUT, and a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics from University of Queensland. He is also an ANZIIF Associate CIP.”

Dr Shu Ng

Chief Medical Officer
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MBBS, MPH, FASLM fellowship candidate

Dr Shu Ng (affectionately known as Dr Shu) graduated from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia in 2010 and has over 10 years of postgraduate medical experience in medical and surgical specialties. She undertook an 18-month Radiation Oncology research fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA, whilst completing her Master of Public Health (MPH) with University of Sydney. After her return to Melbourne, she spent three years in Radiation Oncology specialty training at Alfred Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, managing patients with cancers of the breast, prostate, bowel, pancreas, lung, brain, etc.

Dr Shu approaches her patients with kindness, compassion and holistic care. She is very passionate about helping patients undergoing cancer treatment or experiencing cancer-related symptoms, as well as managing symptoms in palliative care. She also has broad interests within medicinal cannabis including managing chronic pain, mental health, women’s health, neurodegenerative and seizure disorders and autism spectrum disorders.

As one of the early adopters, Dr Shu has practised cannabinoid medicine for over three years. She is an Authorised Prescriber and by 2023 has managed over 2000 patients and their journey with medicinal cannabis. Dr Shu is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SSC), and Australian Chapter (SSCAC), and Australian & New Zealand College of Cannabinoid Practitioners (ANZCCP). She is also completing her multidisciplinary Fellowship with the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM). Dr Shu has been a keynote speaker at various events and podcasts.
Dispensary team

Judy Nguyen

General Manager Operations
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B.N

After graduating from a Bachelor of Nursing in 2018, Judy discovered very early on that going against the status quo has, though often daunting, led her to exciting new ventures. Judy loves meeting people from all walks of life and has great compassion towards patients.

Taniya Kulatunga

Head of Pharmacy Operations
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B. Pharm

Taniya is Astrid’s resident Managing Pharmacist — joining Astrid with years of experience in clinical, retail pharmacy and fertility medicine. Taniya’s exceptional experience in pharmacy management, dispensary operations and pharmaceutical compliance stems from her extensive background in both operations and people management at Slade Pharmacy, Epworth Hospital. At Epworth, Taniya oversaw the rollout of numerous IVF clinics. Thriving on efficiency and automation, Taniya saw new ways to work collaboratively with these partner clinics and their respective healthcare professionals. Taniya is kind, generous and reliable, and has been dubbed Astrid’s Operations Queen!”

Stuart Kwan

Head of Procurement
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Stuart has had several years of experience in the export trade sector before working at Cannatrek as a Key Account Manager. Stuart has now joined Astrid as Head of Procurement where he is responsible for managing commercial relationships, supply chain, inventory and products that helps Astrid with its daily operations. 

Bashar Alhumrany

Head of Patient Experience
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Bashar is Astrid’s Head of Patient Experience and comes to us with many years in community pharmacy. Bashar is very passionate about medicinal cannabis, and is an avid learner for new products and new innovations within the medicinal cannabis space. Bashar’s role in Patient Experience means that he understands the patient journey and experiences, from end to end. Bashar is passionate about listening to patients every single day and assisting them on their plant medicine journey.

Andrew Nguyen

Head of Information Technology
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Andrew has been one of the first employees at Astrid and has been integral to Astrid’s growth. Andrew comes from a business management background and has a strong interest in inventory management, technology, IT and process management. Andrew is renowned for his calm and sensible demeanour – we believe that there is nothing Andrew couldn’t do or handle!

Kady Chemal

Chief Operating Officer
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Meet Kady Chemal, an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, she serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Astrid, bringing extensive experience in compliance and Medical Affairs to her role.

Kady’s journey began as a registered pharmacist, where she honed her skills in patient care and drug safety. Prior to joining Astrid, she delved into various roles in Medical Affairs and compliance within the pharmaceutical industry landscape. She joined the medicinal cannabis industry in 2019 and since then, Kady’s expertise and insights have contributed significantly to the advancement of medicinal cannabis practices.

As COO of Astrid, Kady Chemal oversees the company’s operations, with a commitment to efficiency and a drive for innovation. But her impact doesn’t stop there. As a published author and enthusiastic educator, she’s committed to sharing her knowledge and mentoring aspiring professionals, enriching the industry as a whole.

Kady’s leadership and wealth of experience are not only instrumental in Astrid’s growth and success, but also in her mission to empower the next generation of female leaders.
Clinic team

Paul Pack

General Manager
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Originally from the UK, Paul brings with him a BSc in Business & Marketing and two decades of expertise in the food industry. Throughout his career, he has worked for renowned food businesses, earning valuable experiences along the way. Paul brings to his General Manager role a dedication for nurturing the growth of others and driving positive business change.

Paul sees a strong connection between his professional life at Astrid Clinic, where the well-being of both the Astrid Team and our patients takes precedence, to his personal passions of wellness, health, and environmental matters.

During Paul’s leisure time, you will find him down the coast catching a few waves on his surfboard, exploring Melbourne while cycling or best of all, simply spending time with his partner, Dr. Shu, and their two Italian Greyhounds.

Jennifer Smart

Clinic Nurse
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Jen is a Registered Nurse with 22 years of nursing experience, and additionally 3 years of experience working in the medicinal cannabis industry. She has also lived and worked in London for 5 years as an RN and worked in various specialties.

Her journey in plant based therapies started five years ago, when she began exploring the power of the plant and how to assist patients in accessing it in Australia as well as trying to break the stigma.

She is extremely passionate and dedicated about incorporating medicinal cannabis into patients’ care, treating them with a holistic approach. She is also dedicated to each and every patient’s journey and assisting to better their quality of life.

In her downtime you will find Jen travelling in her Van (Barry) with her doggy Amber. 

Olivia Lackmann

Clinical Education Lead
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Olivia (Liv) is our Clinical Education Lead and is a Registered Nurse with years of clinical experience in specialty surgical nursing, palliative care and general practice. 

Fascinated by the remarkable impact plant-medicine can have, Liv loves discussing medicinal cannabis outcomes with her patients. Her dedication to education stems from a passion to break down the stigma associated with cannabinoid medicine in Australia, with the goal of empowering patients to better manage their overall health.

Liv was shortlisted and awarded Highly Commended in the 2023 Cannabiz Awards, Best Industry Newcomer category. 

In her down-time, you’ll find Liv exploring the Mornington Peninsula with her husband and twins.

Zoe Powell

Clinic Nurse
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Prior to Astrid Clinic, Zoe had five years of nursing experience working at St Vincent’s Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern Hospital.

Her interest in plant based therapies stems from her belief in the immense value of using natural therapies in medical treatment. She has seen how these medications can be the catalyst to achieve a balanced inner state and the positive and compounding effects this has on an individual’s quality of life. She is excited to be a part of a rapidly evolving industry that is motivated by patient outcomes.

In Zoe’s spare time you’ll find her reading, running, hiking and spending time at the beach or in the garden with her partner, baby and Italian Greyhound Piccolo.
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