MEDIKA NATURA - Key Persons
One half of the dynamic duo that make up Medika Natura, Razak has 20 years' professional experience in the fields of business management, technology management, finance, marketing and research and development (R&D) commercialization in several Malaysian and multinational organizations across a variety of industries.
He inherited his love of plants from his father, who owned a nursery in their home in Sungai Buloh, which Razak still oversees today. Razak co-founded Orchid Life, whose name would later change to Medika Natura, together with his former university mate Mustadza Muhamad. The company specialized in tissue culture technology, in particular the micropropagation of orchids before expanding into biopharmaceuticals and botanical drugs.
Razak has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) in Information Technology Management from Multimedia University Malaysia. In 2008 he attended the USCF-QB3 Global Bio-Entrepreneurship Program in Business Administration and Management, at the University of California, San Francisco, United States. He also received a Certificate in Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) from CRSU, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Indonesia.
Job Titles:
- Director of Corporate Affairs
In 2018, Dato' Amin was inducted into the Board of Directors of Mudajaya Berhad. He also serves as Chairman of the Combined Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and Investment Committee.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Advisors
Datuk Ali Kadir heads the Board of Advisors for Medika Natura. He is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas) and Member of the Investment Committee. He is the Chairman of JcbNext Berhad and Enra Group Berhad; Board Member of Glomac Berhad, Citibank Berhad, Labuan Financial Services Authority, as well as other private companies and foundations.
From 1999 to 2004, Datuk Ali was Chairman of the Securities Commission of Malaysia, and also sat on a number of national and international committees, including the EXCO of International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) as a member.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), member of the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. He is also the current Honorary Advisor to ICAEW-KL City Chapter and Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (UK).
Job Titles:
- Advisor ( North America )
- Executive Director and a Founding Member
Mike Dovbish is the Executive Director and a Founding Member of Nutrition Capital Network (NCN), an investor and partnering platform for growth companies in health and wellness, and provides strategic guidance and prepares participating companies for NCN Investor Conferences.
He also works with companies on their business plans and overall strategy to best position them for growth and investment, including identifying and introducing potential investors and strategic partners. Mike has worked with entrepreneurs on their business strategy, capital raising, market opportunity assessment, value proposition and partnership development. In response to the pandemic, in 2020, he led NCN in transforming in-person investor meetings into immersive digital events, and a hybrid event and community platform.
He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA from Boston University, United States.
Mike has been mentoring and guiding Medika Natura on its entry strategies into the US market since 2017, as part of the company's global expansion exercise.
Job Titles:
- Scientific Advisor
- Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Universiti Sains Malaysia
Prof. Zhari is an academic and professional in the pharmacy discipline who is experienced in setting standards for the halal industry.
Prof Zhari was among a team of leading researchers assembled by Medika Natura in 2011 to study plant and herb pharmacology at a tissue culture technology laboratory in Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah, Malaysia.
Supported by the Kedah State Executive Council, Kulim Hi-Tech Park was set up by KBioCorp, a government-linked company (GLC) in partnership with Medika Natura, which was then known as Orchid Life. He was instrumental in uncovering the efficacy of Labisia pumila in curtailing obesity, and published his findings in a comparative study [1] in 2014. This served as the stepping stone for Medika Natura to commercialize Labisia pumila.
Prof Zhari is a Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Universiti Sains Malaysia where he has been a lecturer since 1982. To date, he has published more than 250 scientific articles at international, regional and national levels, and written several books and monographs including an Index of Malaysian Medicinal Plants. He has also received several international and national awards in herbal and related products.