Illumina appoints Susan Martin to lead ANZ operations

Illumina has appointed Susan Martin as General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, adding the former Johnson & Johnson MedTech ANZ Managing Director to its regional leadership team.

Based in Melbourne, Martin will oversee Illumina's operations across Australia and New Zealand. Her remit includes commercial growth, partnerships, market expansion and customer engagement across research, clinical and public health settings.

The appointment comes as Australia and New Zealand attract rising investment in genomic medicine. Demand in the region has been driven by use cases in cancer care, reproductive health, population health programmes and infectious disease surveillance.

Illumina describes the two markets as among the more advanced in Asia-Pacific, with established activity in clinical genomics, research and public health applications. It has also been expanding local work with partners as healthcare systems look to bring genomics into routine care pathways.

Martin brings more than 20 years of experience across medtech and biologics. Before joining Illumina, she was Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, where she oversaw businesses in orthopaedics, general surgery and cardiovascular care.

Her appointment places an executive with a background in large-scale healthcare operations into a business seeking broader uptake of genomic testing and analysis. For Illumina, the role is central to its approach in a market where government-backed programmes, hospital systems and research institutions are all expanding their use of genomics.

Regional focus

Australia and New Zealand have become important markets for companies involved in genomic medicine, supported by public research infrastructure, clinical adoption and health system backing. In New Zealand, Illumina points to its support for a two-year genomics pilot programme run by Health New Zealand and led by Canterbury Health Labouratories.

That work reflects a broader push in both countries to apply genomics to diagnosis, treatment selection, and disease monitoring. In oncology, genomic data is increasingly used to identify mutations linked to targeted therapies, while reproductive health services are using sequencing tools in screening and testing pathways.

Public health agencies have also relied on genomic methods for disease surveillance, particularly to track infectious diseases and monitor outbreaks. These uses have helped expand genomics beyond research laboratories and into routine service delivery in parts of the healthcare system.

Nilesh Shah, Head of Region, APAC, at Illumina, commented on the appointment.

"We are pleased to have Susan join Illumina," said Nilesh Shah, Head of Region, APAC, at Illumina. "ANZ is a very important market for us, with strong foundations in genomics research, clinical innovation, and public health. As precision medicine becomes an increasingly important part of healthcare in ANZ, Susan's leadership experience, commercial expertise, and ability to build high-performing teams and partnerships will help us expand access to genomic technologies and deliver greater impact for customers across the region."

Market development

Illumina's sequencing and array technologies are used across research, clinical and applied markets. In Australia and New Zealand, the company is targeting growth linked to rising healthcare spending on genomics, especially in areas where national and regional health systems are testing how genomic information can be integrated into mainstream care.

Its emphasis on local partnerships suggests market development will depend not only on equipment sales but also on relationships with laboratories, hospital networks, clinicians and public health bodies. That is particularly relevant in genomics, where adoption often requires changes in workflows, clinical interpretation and funding models.

Martin said the region already had a strong base of institutions and specialists working in the field.

"I am excited to have joined Illumina at such an important time for genomics," said Martin. "Australia and New Zealand have built a remarkable ecosystem of researchers, healthcare providers, and public health leaders who are driving innovation and improving patient outcomes. I look forward to working closely with our customers and partners to expand access to genomics and help translate scientific advances into better healthcare outcomes across the region."

Her appointment underlines how global life sciences companies are giving more senior leadership attention to Australia and New Zealand as genomics shifts from a specialist research function to a broader part of healthcare delivery.