Rapid defibrillation
saves lives
Here's Why
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for over 6 million deaths each year – more than cancers, influenza, car accidents and house fire deaths combined. Our aim is to change that. Through high-tech innovation, expert manufacturing and a worldwide network of passionate, dedicated partners, we’re
empowering everyday people with the lifesaving tools to act in the moments that matter.
About Us
In 2014, 41-year-old Sarah Walke suddenly collapsed, couldn’t breathe and lost consciousness: she was in sudden cardiac arrest.
Luckily, her partner, Donovan Casey, knew CPR and kept her alive until the ambulance arrived on the scene. Paramedics took over CPR and applied a defibrillator to shock Sarah’s heart back into its normal rhythm.
Sarah survived, making her one of the lucky 1% of the 7 to 9 million people that experience a sudden cardiac arrest each year, globally.
Grateful that he didn’t lose his partner that day, Donovan, a visionary entrepreneur, set about improving the odds for the 6 million+ people around the world who aren’t so lucky each year.
His vision? To place an automated external defibrillator (AED) in every home, workplace and community around the world to save more lives.
So, Donovan founded Rapid Response Revival, a MedTech company focused on changing the global approach to solving the problem of sudden cardiac arrest.
Tragically, most people die because they do not receive life-saving defibrillation within the first few minutes of collapse. For every minute CPR and defibrillation are delayed, a person’s chance of survival drops by 10%, and in most countries, ambulances arrive too late.
Enter CellAED® … the world’s first personal defibrillator that bridges the gap between a person collapsing and the ambulance arriving to empower people with the tools to help save the life of someone they care about.
An ultraportable defibrillator that is affordable, accessible, and easy-to-use, CellAED® is changing the landscape from public access to personal access defibrillation.
Our Story
In 2014, 41-year-old Sarah Walke suddenly collapsed, couldn’t breathe and lost consciousness: she was in Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Luckily, her partner, Donovan Casey, knew CPR and kept her alive until the ambulance – which was fortunately nearby – arrived on the scene. Paramedics took over the CPR and applied a defibrillator to shock Sarah’s heart back into its correct rhythm.
Sarah survived, making her one of the lucky 3%.
Around the world, approximately 16,500 people die from sudden cardiac arrest every day due to the delayed access to a defibrillator.
Grateful that he didn’t lose his partner that day, Donovan, a visionary entrepreneur, set about improving the odds for the 6 million+ people around the world who aren’t so lucky each year. His vision? To place an automated external defibrillator in every home, workplace and community around the world, dramatically increasing the rate of survival.
Several years on, Donovan and his highly skilled team of Medical, Engineering, Tech, Compliance, Business and Manufacturing specialists, have pioneered a disruptive technology to make this vision a reality.
From our ISO-accredited, state-of-the-art Australian premises, we are building the future of AEDs.
Board of Directors
Donovan Casey
Co-Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman
Erol Teber
Executive Director
John Haines
Non-Executive Director
Simon Shields
Non-Executive Director
Donovan Casey
Co-Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman
Donovan (Donno) is a successful entrepreneur with more than 25 years’ experience across multiple industries. He has substantial experience in developing new products and services, building new companies and generating profitable outcomes in both established and emerging markets. He knows how to bridge the gap between a great idea and market viability.
Erol Teber
Executive Director
Erol is a qualified Electronics Engineer with three decades of global experience in Project Management, Product Development and Technical Sales. He has worked with high profile organisations such as IBM, Philips Innovations and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Cochlear Implant Unit) and takes a commercial approach to his work.
John Haines
Non-Executive Director
John is a former MICA Flight Paramedic, Deputy Chairperson of the Australian Resuscitation Council (NSW Branch), President of the Australian Emergency Care Providers (AECP) and the founder and managing director of Australia’s first recognised private training provider, Australian First Aid in 1988, a part of the APL Group Pty Ltd. He also curated the First Aid Fast® App.
Simon Shields
Non-Executive Director
Simon is an Investment Management Advisor and Principal of Monash Investors. Following very distinguished academic performance, Simon rose through the ranks of noteworthy investment companies such as Rothschild & Co, Colonial First State Global Asset Management, and was Head of Australian Equities, UBS Global Asset Management from 2007 to 2012. Simon is currently Principal of his own wealth management company Monash Investors.
James Orlando
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board’s Audit & Risk Committee
Greg Bodkin
Non-Executive Director
Robert Karp
Non-Executive Director
James Orlando
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board’s Audit & Risk Committee
Jim’s career over 30 years has seen him hold senior finance positions driving growth and shareholder value in Australia, Asia and the United States. Jim is currently a Non-Executive Director and Audit & Risk Committee Chair with Catapult Sports International Limited (ASX:CAT).
Jim led the successful A$1.05 billion IPO of Veda Group Ltd. (ASX:VED) as CFO in 2011, and subsequently managed the takeover offer in 2016 for A$2.6 billion. Other previous positions included CFO at AAPT, where he was focused on improving earnings and divesting non-core businesses. Jim served as CFO of ASX-listed telecommunication service provider, PowerTel. He has also held various positions in treasury operations with AT&T and Lucent Technologies.
Greg Bodkin
Non-Executive Director
Greg has over 30 years’ experience in supply chain management and operations consulting. Greg is currently a member of the Senior executive team of Cochlear Limited, holding the position of Senior Vice President, Supply Chain & Operational Excellence.
Greg has functional responsibility at Cochlear for new product industrialisation, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and warranty & repair. These functions enable the technologies developed in design and development to be supplied as commercial products in Cochlear’s global markets. In addition, he leads the Cochlear Program Office and management of the Global Property portfolio. Previous appointments include Taylor Ceramic Engineering, Warman International Ltd, Weir Minerals PLC and National Australia Bank
Robert Karp
Non-Executive Director
Robi has had a distinguished career of over 30-years in software development, methods and ecosystems used in consumer electronics, semiconductors and Internet services. He is the CEO, and owner Fluffy Spider Technologies, Board Member, Advisory Board to Faculty of Software Engineering & Computer Science, University of Wollongong.
Robi holds a BSc. Computer Science, Mathematics (UNSW). Over his career Robi has over 20-year experience in the development and commercialisation of software solutions with Original Equipment Manufacturers worldwide. Robi is a co-inventor of patented ‘System and methods for a run time configurable user interface controller’, for use with consumer electronic devices. US Patent 10,248,438 Nash, et al.
Medical Research Advisory Board
Professor Wendy Cross
RN, MEd, PhD, FACN, FACMHN
Dr. Barry Gunn
MB BS FACEM
John Haines
A.D.H.Sc (Ambulance), MICA Paramedic Cert
Dr. Brian Haskins
Senior Lecturer, Victoria University
Professor Wendy Cross
RN, MEd, PhD, FACN, FACMHN
Professor Cross is the Dean of the School of Health, Federation University, Australia.
Wendy has held senior appointments within Australia and holds a number of honorary professorial appointments.
With 40 years’ experience as clinician, academic and applied researcher (and Principal Investigator), Wendy has a focus on mental health, health services evaluation and workforce.
Wendy has developed clinical best practices and workplace training on public health services, received more than $3M in research grants, and has written for more than 120 publications across all domains.
Wendy is currently a registered TEQSA expert; a member of the NSW Health Ethics Advisory Panel; Director of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and a Director of the Australian Osteopathic Accreditation Council (AOAC).
Wendy has held numerous Board director positions, including community health services and at Victorian Institute of TAFE. Wendy is the immediate past President of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses; the immediate past Chair of the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (Australia & New Zealand) and a past Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing.
Dr. Barry Gunn
MB BS FACEM
Dr. Barry Gunn has been a Specialist Emergency Physician in fulltime Emergency Medicine practice at Sunshine and Footscray Hospitals (part of Western Health) in Melbourne, Australia since 2002.
Barry graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1989 and obtained his Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) in 1999. His subsequent experience includes time spent in emergency medicine at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada.
Barry is passionate about medical education and is actively involved with the teaching and training of the junior doctors he works with. Barry is also very committed to the development of the speciality of Emergency Medicine and has been actively involved with ACEM in several roles.
Barry is the current Censor-in-Chief and Chair of the Council of Education, which oversees the training and education activities of ACEM. He is also a current ACEM Board member.
As an Emergency Physician, Barry is passionate about finding solutions to the high rate of preventable death due to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
John Haines
A.D.H.Sc (Ambulance), MICA Paramedic Cert
John Haines literally wrote the book on paramedicine and first aid.
A MICA paramedic, flight paramedic and clinical educator at Ambulance Victoria from 1978 to 1993, John is also one of Australia’s best-selling authors, with his series of first aid guides and textbooks.
In 1988, John developed what was to become known as “The HAINES Position”, a recovery position for unconscious patients with suspected spinal injury. The High Arm in Endangered Spine (H.A.IN.E.S.) recovery position was named by researchers at the University of Melbourne and featured in many published articles around the world.
Also in 1988, he founded Australian First Aid, the country’s first recognised first aid training provider of workplace and community education in medical emergency response. Now trading as LivCor, this work has continued to this day with John as Managing Director.
John holds many professional memberships and has received numerous Honors and Awards.
Dr. Brian Haskins
Senior Lecturer, Victoria University
A 30-year veteran of paramedicine, Brian is one of the world’s leading authorities on the role of bystander response to improving the chances of surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Dr. Adele Hosseini
B.Pharm. M.Pharm, PhD
Charles Johnson
MBBS (Singapore), FRCS (Emergency Medicine)
Dr. Chandana Unnithan
PhD (Digital Health), Mbus Computing, MBA
Dr. Adele Hosseini
B.Pharm. M.Pharm, PhD
Dr Adele Hosseini is Chief Scientific Officer at pharmaceutical company, Bod Australia.
Adele is a pharmacist with a PhD and over 30 years’ experience in leadership, global clinical research, regulatory affairs, and university lecturing.
Adele’s organisation experience spans pharmaceuticals, clinical research organisations, medical devices, and academia.
Adele uses her cumulative experience across all facets of medical research gained over these years to lead and shape the scientific function of innovation biotech.
An active contributor to industry thought-leadership, Adele is dedicated to sharing knowledge and shaping the direction and future of the global pharmaceutical sector.
Charles Johnson
MBBS (Singapore), FRCS (Emergency Medicine)
Charles Johnson is Emergency and Flight Physician, and Medical Director of Hope Medical Services, Singapore.
An emergency physician, Charles graduated from National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1992. In 2000, he was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
In 2005, he helped establish Hope Medical Services to deliver private pre-hospital services dealing with basic- and advanced life support care on land, air and sea.
Since the onset of COVID-19, Charles’s focus has been on the challenges of transferring pandemic patients internationally.
Charles is passionate about first responder resuscitation and plays an active role in efforts to promote CPR and AED access to all.
Dr. Chandana Unnithan
PhD (Digital Health), Mbus Computing, MBA
Dr Chandana Unnithan is Chief Security and Informatics Officer (CSIO), Lifeguard Digital Health Inc. Canada.
An expert scientist in digital health, Chandana pioneered and implemented novel technology solutions with socio-tech approaches in Australia and Canada, integrating Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Blockchain, Geo-spatial apps, Telehealth, and Health Informatics.
Chandana is currently scaling a privacy-preserved, technology solution that is saving lives from opioid overdose deaths in Canada.
Chandana is widely published with more than 140 scientific papers. She has previously held advisory positions with the World Health Organisation and the United Nations.
A special focus on the health applications of blockchain has also resulted in Chandana holding expert advisory roles with Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, and the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Special Advisors
Grant Powell
G and S Strategic Consulting
Robyn Chatwood
Head of the technology practice and is an intellectual property and information technology partner at Dentons
Grant Powell
G and S Strategic Consulting
Robyn Chatwood
Head of the technology practice and is an intellectual property and information technology partner at Dentons
Robyn Chatwood is head of the technology practice and is an intellectual property and information technology partner at Dentons, which is the world’s largest law firm. She is based in the Melbourne office. Robyn also leads the firm’s commercial distribution group and is co-leader of the privacy and cybersecurity practice group. Robyn focuses on intellectual property strategy relating to commercialisation, commercial contracts, software licences and development agreements (including agile), IT and data privacy law. She is particularly well known for her work in the healthcare and life sciences sectors where she advises many of the world’s leading brands. Her practice covers information technology and communications law, e-commerce law, data protection/privacy and legal issues relating to all forms of new technology and IP such as artificial intelligence, payment platforms, blockchain applications including crypto currencies, augmented reality and virtual reality and drones. Robyn has transactional experience in over 100 countries and practised in the United Kingdom for many years. Before Robyn commenced her career as a lawyer, she was for many years a senior executive in the oil industry, including in roles managing operations and logistics, and roles in finance and strategic planning.
Donovan Casey
Co-Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman
Donovan Casey
Co-Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman
Erol Teber
Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer
Erol Teber
Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer
Erol is a qualified Electronics Engineer with three decades of global experience in Project Management, Product Development and Technical Sales. He has worked with high profile organisations such as IBM, Philips Innovations and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Cochlear Implant Unit) and takes a commercial approach to his work.
John Haines
Non-Executive Director
John Haines
Non-Executive Director
John is a former MICA Flight Paramedic, Deputy Chairperson of the Australian Resuscitation Council (NSW Branch), President of the Australian Emergency Care Providers (AECP) and the founder and managing director of Australia’s first recognised private training provider, Australian First Aid in 1988, a part of the APL Group Pty Ltd. He also curated the First Aid Fast® App.
Simon Shields
Non-Executive Director
Simon Shields
Non-Executive Director
Simon is an Investment Management Advisor and Principal of Monash Investors. Following very distinguished academic performance, Simon rose through the ranks of noteworthy investment companies such as Rothschild & Co, Colonial First State Global Asset Management, and was Head of Australian Equities, UBS Global Asset Management from 2007 to 2012. Simon is currently Principal of his own wealth management company Monash Investors.
James Orlando
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board’s Audit & Risk Committee
James Orlando
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board’s Audit & Risk Committee
Greg Bodkin
Non-Executive Director
Greg Bodkin
Non-Executive Director
Robert (Robi) Karp
Non-Executive Director
Robert (Robi) Karp
Non-Executive Director