The global impact that grew out of philanthropy
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Roger Gillespie OAM was a Bionics Institute Board member from 2014 until 2023 and knows the Institute well.
He has lived with hearing loss for many years and was initially interested because the institute was renowned for the cochlear implant and hearing research.
However, he says he soon realised that the Bionics Institute was very different to other medical research organisations due to the fact that it’s small and agile, and very focused on commercialising medical devices to ensure they reach patients.
“It’s been an exciting journey, being on the Board of the Bionics Institute and supporting its endeavours. It’s a 40-year-old institute with a young, start-up mentality and I’ve really enjoyed watching it grow and flourish.”
I’ve met many researchers at the Bionics Institute who have arrived with brilliant ideas and developed amazing new treatments and diagnostic tools. It has been mentally stimulating and very fulfilling.
Roger co-founded Bakers Delight with his wife Lesley in 1980 and together they built the business into the largest chain of bakeries in Australia, now run by their daughter Elise Gillespie and her husband David Christie. The business in North America trading as COBS Bread is run by their son Aaron.
For everyone in the family, Roger, Lesley, Elise, David and Aaron as well as Aaron’s wife Meghan, running a business goes hand in hand with giving back to the community.
Lesley says it’s all about the people and the family give to the Bionics Institute through the Gillespie Family Foundation because they see the long-term benefit.
“We back great people doing great things, and there are some very special people working at the Bionics Institute,” she says.
Roger agrees and says it’s been a joy to see the evolution of an epilepsy monitoring device, developed at the Bionics Institute with neurologist Professor Mark Cook AO, into a thriving start-up company.
The global impact of a new device to monitor epilepsy would be huge for the millions of people suffering with the condition – that grew out of philanthropy,’ he says. ‘We’re now involved as impact investors – it appeals to us as entrepreneurs, but what really matters is that we’re doing our bit to help humankind live a better life. Roger & Lesley Gillespie
