PART FIVE: Australian Hearing's management

54 

AUSTRALIAN HEARING ANNUAL REPORT 2010 

PART FIVE: 

Australian Hearing’s 

management 

Inside this section 

Human Services portfolio 54 

Our corporate governance 56 

Board of Directors 61 

Corporate structure 63 

Executive management 64 

Staff awards and achievements 68 

Staff profile: Laurie McDonnell 71 

Human Services portfolio 

The Human Services Portfolio 

was established in October 

2004 with the aim of improving 

the development and delivery 

of social and health-related 

services to the Australian 

people. The portfolio brings 

together service delivery 

agencies - Australian Hearing, 

Centrelink, Medicare Australia 

and the Department of Human 

Services. The Department of 

Human Services also includes 

the Child Support Program and 

CRS Australia. 

The Hon Chris Bowen, MP, Minister for Human Services.

PART FIVE: AUSTRALIAN HEARING’S MANAGEMENT 55 

Minister 

• The Hon Chris Bowen, MP, the 

Minister for Human Services, is 

responsible for administering 

the following legislation: 

• Australian Hearing Services 

Act 1991, except to the extent 

that it is administered by the 

Minister for Health and Ageing; 

• Child Support (Assessment) 

Act 1989, insofar as it relates 

to the exercise of the powers 

and functions conferred on 

the Registrar under the Act; 

• Child Support Legislation 

Amendment (Reform of the 

Child Support Scheme – 

Initial Measures) Act 2006, 

insofar as it relates to the 

exercise of the powers and 

functions conferred on the 

Registrar under the Act; 

• Child Support Legislation 

Amendment (Reform of the 

Child Support Scheme – New 

Formula and Other Measures) 

Act 2006, insofar as it relates 

to the exercise of the powers 



• Child Support (Registration 

and Collection) Act 1988, 

insofar as it relates to the 

appointment of the Registrar 

and the exercise of the powers 



• Commonwealth Services 

Delivery Agency Act 1997; and 

• Medicare Australia Act 1973. 

Portfolio structure 

At 30 June 2010, the Human 

Services portfolio consisted 

of the Department of Human 

Services, Centrelink, Medicare 

Australia and Australian Hearing. 

The Department of Human 

Services consists of the central 

department, the Child Support 

Program and CRS Australia. 

• The central department directs, 

coordinates and brokers 

improvements to service 

delivery, provides policy advice 

on service delivery matters 

to government, and ensures 

efficient implementation of 

government service delivery. 

• The Child Support Program 

gives separated parents the 

financial and emotional 

support necessary for their 

children’s wellbeing. 

• CRS Australia helps people 

with disability, injury or health 

condition to get and keep a 

job, by providing individual 

rehabilitation programs and 

helping employers to keep 

their workplaces safe. 

Centrelink delivers a range 

of government payments and 

services to Australians, including 

retirees, families, carers, parents, 

people with disability, Indigenous 

people and people from 

diverse cultural and linguistic 

backgrounds, and provides services 

at times of major change. 

Medicare Australia looks 

after the health of Australians 

through efficient services and 

payments, such as Medicare, 

the Pharmaceutical Benefits 

Scheme, the Australian Childhood 

Immunisation Register and the 

Australian Organ Donor Register. 

Australian Hearing is a statutory 

authority that provides a full range 

of hearing services for children 

and young people up to the age 

of 21, eligible adults and age 

pensioners and most war veterans. 

Figure Two below shows the 

portfolio structure of Human 

Services at 30 June 2010. 

FIGURE TWO: HUMAN SERVICES PORTFOLIO STRUCTURE AS AT 30 JUNE 2010 

Minister for Human Services 

The Hon Chris Bowen MP 

Department of Human Services 

Secretary: Finn Pratt PSM 

Central Department, Child Support Program and CRS Australia 

Centrelink 

Chief Executive Officer: Carolyn Hogg 

Medicare Australia 

Chief Executive Officer: Lynelle Briggs 

Australian Hearing 

Managing Director: Steven Grundy

56 


Our corporate governance 

The Australian Hearing Board is committed to achieving 

good corporate governance as an essential component of 

good business practice and culture. The Board is committed 

to implementing appropriate governance structures and 

mechanisms to ensure discipline, integrity, transparency, 

fairness and accountability in all its operations and actions. 

As an Australian Government 

agency we operate under the 

Australian Hearing Services 

Act 1991 (AHS Act) and the 

Commonwealth Authorities 

and Companies Act 1997 (CAC 

Act). The Board delegates 

authority for the operation and 

TABLE 11: BOARD ATTENDANCE AT BOARD MEETINGS 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Mrs Kathryn 

Greiner AO 

administration of Australian 

Hearing to the Managing Director. 

We are accountable to our 

shareholder, the Minister for 

Human Services. The Board is 

responsible for the development 

of a rolling three-year Corporate 

MEETINGS 

ATTENDED 

MEETINGS 

ELIGIBLE TO 

ATTENDED 

Chairman 8 (9) 8 (9) 

Mr Warren Stretton Director 8 (9) 8 (9) 

Ms Susan Hooke Director 7 (9) 8 (9) 

Mr Kim Keogh Director 8 (9) 8 (9) 

Dr Kelvin Kong Director 7 (9) 7 (9) 

Mr Steven Grundy Managing Director 8 (9) 8 (9) 

Numbers in brackets represent circular resolutions. 

Plan and Financial Plan. Both 

plans are submitted to the 

Minister for approval. Annual 

financial statements are 

subject to audit by the Auditor 

General and by the Minister. 

The Board comprises up to five 

Non-executive Directors (including 

the Chairman) and the Managing 

Director. Directors, having 

qualifications relevant to or special 

experience or interest in a field 

relevant to Australian Hearing, 

are appointed by the Minister. 

The Board meets on a regular 

basis at National Head Office. 

Table 11 lists the number of 

meetings attended by each Board 

member during the financial 

year. For further details refer to 

the Directors’ report on page 62. 

The Board remains committed to 

meeting the Principles of Good 

Corporate Governance and 

Best Practice Recommendations 

as issued by the Australian 

Securities Exchange’s Corporate 

Governance Council. The Board 

has adopted a governance 

charter that reflects many of 

these principles, as relevant to an 

Australian Government Agency. 

Figure Three below outlines 

our governance arrangements. 

FIGURE THREE: AUSTRALIAN HEARING’S GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS 

Minister for Human Services 

Minister for Health 

and Ageing 

Department of Health 

and Ageing 

Office of Hearing Services 


Chairman and Board 

of Directors 

Department of 

Human Services 

Secretary 

Audit and Risk 

Management Committee 

Research 

Committee 

Australian Hearing


Directors’ induction 

New Directors are provided with a 

formal induction program before 

taking up their appointment. This 

normally includes a presentation 

from the executive team. This 

provides newly appointed Directors 

with an understanding of their 

roles and responsibilities and 

exposes them to key features of 

the business, including operations, 

policies and strategies. Additional 

supplements are tailored to meet 

particular needs or interests. 

Ongoing director education is 

provided by way of hearing site visits 

and presentations on matters of 

current interest at Board meetings. 

Directors’ confidentiality 

agreements 

Privacy and confidentiality are 

important to Australian Hearing. 

All Australian Hearing employees, 

including Directors, are required to 

sign a confidentiality agreement 

on commencement with Australian 

Hearing. These agreements state 

the obligation of employees 

on non-disclosure and use of 

confidential information. 

Board performance 

assessment 

Assessment of Board performance 

is conducted against the agreed 

elements of the role of the Board. 

The role of the Board 

(A) THE FUNCTIONS OF 

THE BOARD ARE: 

(i) to decide the objectives, 

strategies and policies to be 

followed by Australian Hearing 

in accordance with section 

14(1) (a) of the AHS Act; 

(ii) to ensure that Australian 

Hearing performs its 

functions in a proper, efficient 

and effective manner in 

accordance with section 14(1) 

(b) of the AHS Act; and 

(iii) to act in accordance with any 

duties imposed by the CAC 

Act on officers, including the 

obligations provided for in the 

division of the CAC Act dealing 

with the conduct of officers. 

(B) SPECIFICALLY, THE BOARD WILL: 

(i) ensure that Australian Hearing 

complies with Commonwealth 

reporting requirements; 

(ii) provide guidance to 

senior management; 

(iii) ensure the long term viability 

and financial position of 

Australian Hearing; 

(iv) agree on key performance 

indicators (KPIs) for the 

measurement of Australian 

Hearing’s performance; 

(v) ensure an appropriate corporate 

governance structure is in place; 

(vi) assess the performance 

of Australian Hearing, 

our management and 

the Board itself; 

(vii) monitor developments 

within Australian Hearing’s 

operating environment; and 

(viii) approve annual accounts, the 

annual report and other public 

documents and sensitive reports. 

(C) THE BOARD WILL USE ITS 

BEST ENDEAVOURS TO: 

(i) ensure that overall corporate 

strategies, significant policies 

and the financial plans are 

approved and reviewed; 

(ii) ensure that adequate risk 

management processes/ 

internal controls exist and 

are being adhered to; and 

(iii) ensure legal and regulatory 

compliance is achieved. 

Certification by Managing 

Director and Chief 

Financial Officer 

The Managing Director and the 

Chief Financial Officer provide 

written certification to the Board 

regarding the integrity of the 

controls and activities of the 

organisation, including assurances 

as to its financial condition. 

This assurance supports the Audit 

and Risk Management Committee 

in one of its key responsibilities: 

reviewing the annual financial 

statements, which culminates 

in the acceptance of the annual 

financial statements by the Board. 

Company Secretary 

The Company Secretary is Mr 

Stephen Patterson BComm, FCPA, 

ACIS. Mr Patterson was appointed 

Company Secretary in March 2004. 

Board questionnaire 

A Board performance appraisal 

is undertaken on an annual 

basis, focusing on Board 

committee and other committee 

effectiveness. This is conducted 

via a formal Board performance 

questionnaire which is completed 

on a confidential basis by each 

Director. The most recent review 

was in August 2009 with a further 

review underway in July 2010. 

Independent professional 

advice 

Directors have the right, with the 

prior agreement of the Chairman, 

to obtain relevant independent 

professional advice at the expense 

of the organisation on any matter 

connected with the discharge of 

their responsibilities as a Director. 

Audit and Risk 


The functions of the Audit 

and Risk Management 

Committee are in respect to: 

(A) RISK MANAGEMENT 

(i) review whether Australian 

Hearing’s management 

has in place a current 

and comprehensive risk 

management framework and 

associated procedures for 

effective identification and 

management of Australian 

Hearing’s financial and business 

risks, including fraud; 

(ii) review whether a sound and 

effective approach has been 

followed by Australian Hearing 

in developing strategic risk 

management plans for major 

projects or undertakings; 

(iii) review the impact of 

Australian Hearing’s risk 

management framework on 

our control environment and 

insurance arrangements; 

(iv) review whether a sound

58 


OUR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (CONTINUED) 

and effective approach has 

been followed in establishing 


business continuity planning 

arrangements, including whether 

disaster recovery plans have 

been tested periodically; and 

(v) review Australian Hearing’s fraud 

control plan and satisfy itself that 

we have appropriate processes 

and systems in place to capture 

and effectively investigate 

fraud related information. 

(B) CONTROL FRAMEWORK 

(i) review whether Australian 

Hearing’s management’s 

approach to maintaining 

an effective internal control 

framework, including over 

external parties such as 

contractors and advisors, 

is sound and effective; 

(ii) review whether Australian 

Hearing’s management has 

in place relevant policies 

and procedures, and that 

these are periodically 

reviewed and updated; 

(iii) determine whether the 

appropriate processes are in 

place to assess, at least once 

a year, whether policies and 

procedures are complied with; 

(iv) review whether appropriate 

policies and procedures are 

in place for the management 

and exercise of delegations; 

(v) consider how Australian 

Hearing’s management identifies 

any required changes to the 

design or implementation 

of internal controls; and 

(vi) review whether Australian 


taken steps to promote a 

culture which is committed to 

ethical and lawful behaviour. 

(C) EXTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY 

(i) review the financial statements 

and provide advice to the 

Board (including whether 

appropriate action has 

been taken in response to 

audit recommendations 

and adjustments) and 

recommend the signing of 

the financial statements by 

the Chairman of the Board; 

(ii) satisfy itself that the financial 

statements are supported by 

appropriate management 

sign-off on the statements 

and on the adequacy of the 

systems of internal controls; 

(iii) review the processes in place 

designed to ensure that 

financial information included 

in Australian Hearing’s annual 

report is consistent with the 

signed financial statements; 

(iv) satisfy itself that Australian 

Hearing has appropriate 

mechanisms in place to 

review and implement, 

where appropriate, relevant 

Parliamentary Committee reports 

and recommendations; and 

(v) satisfy itself that Australian 

Hearing has a performance 

management framework that 

is linked to organisational 

objectives and outcomes. 

(D) LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE 

(i) determine whether Australian 


appropriately considered legal 

and compliance risks as part 

of Australian Hearing’s risk 

assessment and management 

arrangements; and 

(ii) review the effectiveness of the 

system for monitoring Australian 

Hearing’s compliance with 

relevant laws, regulations and 

associated government policies. 

(E) INTERNAL AUDITING 

(i) act as a forum for 

communication between the 

Board, senior management 

and the internal audit team; 

(ii) review the internal audit 

coverage and annual work 

plan, ensure the plan is 

based on Australian Hearing’s 

risk management plan and 

recommend approval of 

the plan by the Board; 

(iii) advise the Board on the 

adequacy of internal audit 

resources to carry out its 

responsibilities, including 

completion of the approved 

internal audit plan; 

(iv) monitor the coordination of 

audit programs conducted 

by internal and external audit 

and other review functions; 

(v) review all audit reports and 

provide advice to the Board 

on significant issues identified 

in audit reports and action 

taken on issues raised, 

including identification and 

dissemination of good practice; 

(vi) monitor Australian 

Hearing management’s 

implementation of internal 

audit recommendations; 

(vii) review the Audit and Risk 


charter to ensure appropriate 

organisational structures, 

authority, access and reporting 

arrangements are in place; 

(viii) periodically review 

the performance of 

internal audit; and 

(ix) provide advice to the Board on 

the appointment or recommend 

to the Board the appointment 

of the internal auditor. 

(F) EXTERNAL AUDITING 

(i) act as a forum for 

communication between the 

Board, senior management 

and the external audit team; 

provide input and feedback 

on the financial statement and 

performance audit coverage 

proposed by external audit 

and provide feedback on the 

audit services provided; 

(ii) review all external plans and 

reports in respect of planned or 

completed audits and monitor 

management’s implementation 

of audit recommendations; and 

(iii) provide advice to the Board 

on action taken on significant 

issues raised in relevant 

external audit reports. 

The Audit and Risk Management 

Committee comprises two 

Non-executive Directors and one 

Executive Director. These are Mr 

Warren Stretton (Chairman) and 

committee members Mrs Kathryn 

Greiner AO and Mr Steven Grundy. 

The committee assists the Board 

in fulfilling its responsibilities.


Internal auditing, since 1 July 

2007, has been outsourced to 

Deloitte. Regular reports are 

received from management and 

internal and external auditors, and 

recommendations for improved 

internal controls, processes and 

efficiencies are implemented on 

a regular basis. The committee 

meets at least once a year with 

the auditors, independent of 

management. Table 12 below 

shows the attendance of 

Directors at the Audit and Risk 

Management Committee for 

the year ended 30 June 2010. 

Conflict of interest 

Directors who have a material 

personal interest in a matter to be 

considered by the Board or a Board 

committee are required to make 

the nature of that interest known 

and must not be present while the 

matter is being considered. Details 

of such disclosures are recorded in 

the minutes of each Board meeting. 

Enabling legislation 

For the period covered by this 

report, the Minister for Human 

Services has administered the 

Authority in accordance with the 

provisions of the Australian Hearing 

Services Act 1991. The object of 

this Act is to establish an authority 

to be known as Australian Hearing 

Services, and for related purposes. 

The functions of the Authority 

are defined in Section 8 

of the Act as follows: 

(a) to provide hearing services to 

Voucher holders in accordance 

with an agreement entered 

into by the Authority under 

Part 3 of the Hearing Services 

Administration Act 1997; 

(b) to provide declared 

hearing services to young 

Australians; referred 

Comcare clients; referred 

Commonwealth employees; 

and designated persons; 

(c) to carry out research and 

development (including 

cooperative research with 

other institutions) into: 

(i) the assessment of hearing; 

(ii) hearing aids and procedures 

for fitting hearing aids; 

(iii) hearing rehabilitation; 

(iv) hearing loss prevention; and 

(v) the effects of noise 

on the community; 

(d) to enter into arrangements 

for research, design and 

development of hearing services; 

(e) to enter into arrangements for 

supply of hearing services; 

(f) to provide, as appropriate, for 

the training and education 

of persons or bodies 

(including overseas bodies) 

providing hearing services; 

(g) to provide advice on, and 

to conduct public education 

programs in relation to, 

hearing services provided 

by the Authority; 

(h) to develop standards in 

relation to noise levels in the 

community that are acceptable 

in connection with the 

TABLE 12: ATTENDANCE OF DIRECTORS AT THE AUDIT AND 

RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AS AT 30 JUNE 2010 

AUDIT AND RISK MANAGEMENT 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS 

MEETINGS 

ATTENDED 

MEETINGS 

ELIGIBLE TO 

ATTENDED 

Mr Warren Stretton Chairman 5 (1) 5 (1) 

Mrs Kathryn 

Greiner AO 

Director 4 (1) 5 (1) 

Mr Steven Grundy Managing Director 5 (1) 5 (1) 

Ms Susan Hooke 

Director representative 

appointed on behalf 

of Mrs Kathryn Greiner 

AO, 21 August 2009 

Numbers in brackets represent circular resolutions. 

1 1 

prevention of hearing loss; 

(i) to provide consultancy services 

relating to any of the matters 

referred to in this subsection; 

(j) to promote the establishment 

of export markets for 

Australian hearing services; 

(k) to operate special acoustic 

facilities for acoustic 

measurement and research; 

(l) such other functions as 

are conferred on the 

Authority by the Act; and 

(m) any functions incidental to any 

of the foregoing functions. 


Research Committee 

The role of the Research 

Committee is as follows: 

(a) be interactive, and apply scrutiny 

and guidance at a strategic level; 

(b) seek formal advice on 

progress from the Cooperative 

Research Centre; 

(c) review the strategic business 

plan of the National Acoustic 

Laboratories research once 

a year in line with Australian 

Hearing’s strategic directions; 

(d) determine that the projects 

undertaken are in line with 

NAL research and Australian 

Hearing strategic objectives; 

(e) take a proactive, high level role 

in project selection, evaluation, 

resource allocation and type 

of outcomes to be achieved 

(that is, commercial, sponsored 

or community good); 

(f) meet quarterly and review 

project progress reports; 

(g) report to the Australian Hearing 

Board a high-level summary 

of the research direction 

and how it is tracking to the 

NAL strategic objectives; 

(h) report exceptions and significant 

changes since prior periods in 

line with strong governance, 

structure and reporting/ 

evaluation mechanisms; 

(i) report to the Board on 

the research activities – 

tracking and outcomes of 

all active projects; and 

(j) report to the Board on corporate 

activities – managing corporate

60 


OUR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (CONTINUED) 

governance issues with reports 

delivered at a high level and 

against strategic objectives 

set by Australian Hearing. In 

particular the committee needs 

to have records of Hearing 

CRC contributions in kind, 

intellectual property owned 

by NAL independently and 

against Hearing CRC projects. 


Human Research Ethics 

Committee 

The role of the Human Research 

Ethics Committee is as follows: 

(a) protect the welfare and 

rights of participants in 

research undertaken by 

the National Acoustic 

Laboratories or elsewhere 

within Australian Hearing; 

(b) approve research by other 

institutions on Australian 

Hearing clients; 

(c) ensure that prior to the 

commencement of subject 

testing, all projects requiring 

clearance by an ethics 

committee have received 

approval from the Committee 

for said testing to commence; 

(d) monitor the progress of 

research projects to which 

it has given ethics approval. 

This will be performed on an 

annual basis by examining the 

progress reports submitted 

by the researchers; and 

(e) approve procedures to deal with 

complaints from participants of 

research projects, researchers or 

other interested parties about 

the conduct of the research or 

the consideration of research 

projects by the Committee. 

Executive governance 

structures 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

The executive committee 

provides strategic and business 

leadership, reviews and makes 

recommendations to the 

Board on strategic, capital and 

business plans, and assesses 

quality and performance of 

services. Its purpose is to 

translate the shareholder interest 

into business objectives. 

BUSINESS ETHICS GUIDE 

Australian Hearing has implemented 

a Business Ethics Guide which 

includes the following: 

• the values that underpin 

the way we do business; 

• the commitments and 

expectations that govern our 

interaction with others; 

• the standards of workplace 

behaviour that are expected; 

• behaviours that are 

unacceptable and 

require action; and 

• the consequences of breaching 

the requirements of this guide. 

Australian Hearing Research 

Committee Members 

Our Corporate Plan 

We undertake a yearly strategic 

planning session and present a 

three year Corporate Plan to the 

Minister through the Department 

of Human Services. This plan must 

meet the requirement of the CAC 

Act and must cover three years. In 

accordance with the AHS Act, the 

Board must review and revise the 

plan as soon as practicable before 

the beginning of each financial 

year. The Managing Director and 

Chief Operating Officer attend 

quarterly shareholder meetings 

with the Department of Human 

Services. Quarterly meetings 

are also held with the Office of 

Hearing Services, Department 

of Health and Ageing in relation 

to the delivery of Community 

Service Obligation services. These 

quarterly meetings report on 

performance against key targets 

and progress on specific projects. 

TABLE 13: AUSTRALIAN HEARING RESEARCH COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE 

MEETINGS 

ATTENDED 

MEETINGS 

ELIGIBLE TO 

ATTENDED 

Mrs Kathryn Greiner AO Chairman 4 4 

Mr Steven Grundy Managing Director 4 4 

Ms Teressa Ward OHS 3 4 

Mr Warren Stretton Director 4 4 

Dr Bob Frater 4 4 

Mr Thomas Barlow 4 4 

Professor Louise Hickson 4 4 

Professor Harvey Dillon 4 4 

TABLE 14: AUSTRALIAN HEARING HUMAN 

RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE 

Australian Hearing Human Research 

Ethics Committee Members 

MEETINGS 

ATTENDED 

MEETINGS 

ELIGIBLE TO 

ATTENDED 

Mr John Quilter Chairman 1 1 

Mr Greg Birtles 1 1 

Rev Philip Bradford 1 1 

Mr Richard Brading 1 1 

Mr John Mack 1 1 

Professor Di Yerbury 0 1 

Dr Catherine McMahon 1 1 

Dr Gitte Keidser 0 1 

Dr Teresa Ching 1 1


Board of Directors 

1 2 3 

4 

5 

6 

1. Mr Kim Keogh 

2. Mr Steven Grundy 

3. Mrs Kathryn Greiner AO 

4. Ms Susan Hooke 

5. Mr Warren Stretton 

6. Dr Kelvin Kong

62 


Directors’ Report 

The Board of Directors of Australian Hearing 

has pleasure in submitting its report in respect 

of the financial year ended 30 June 2010. 

Board composition 

The Australian Government 

appoints Directors, on fixed terms, 

to the Board of Australian Hearing. 

All are Non-executive Directors, 

except for the Managing Director. 

Enabling legislation 

Australian Hearing is a 

statutory authority constituted 

under the Australian Hearing 

Services Act 1991. 

Responsible Minister 

The Minister for Human 

Services has responsibility 

for Australian Hearing. 

Board of Directors’ biographies 

The names and details of the Directors in office during 2009/10 

are detailed below. Unless otherwise indicated, all held their 

position as a director through the entire year. 

Mrs Kathryn Greiner AO 

CHAIRMAN AND NON- 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Ms Greiner was appointed 

Chairman of Australian Hearing in 

October 2006. She is also currently 

Chairman of BioTech Capital Ltd; 

a member of the Advisory Board 

to LEK Pty Ltd; member of the 

Australian Government Funding 

Schools Review and a Director of 

the Bell Shakespeare Company. 

Ms Greiner’s professional 

career was in social work with 

extensive experience with the 

NSW Department of Health; the 

NSW Department of Youth and 

Community Services and the 

Institute for Human Resources, 

Boise Idaho. Ms Greiner has also 

had a career in media and has 

been actively involved in a number 

of not-for-profit organisations, 

such as the Salvation Army, 

Save the Children Fund and the 

Sydney Peace Prize Foundation. 

Mr Warren Stretton 

FAICD, FCPA, FCIS, FTIA, FAMI 

CPM, NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Mr Stretton is Chairman of the 

Australian Hearing Audit and 

Risk Management Committee 

and member of the Research 

Committee. He is a professional 

director being a Non-executive 

Director of Australian Unity 

Limited, which provides products 

and services predominantly in the 

areas of investment, health, aged 

care and retirement living and has 

had wide commercial experience 

gained in the motor, computer 

and entertainment industries. 

Ms Susan Hooke 

DIP LAW, NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Ms Hooke was appointed nonexecutive 

Director of Australian 

Hearing on 20 June 2005. Ms 

Hooke was former Chairman of 

Queenwood School, Mosman 

and former Director of ComLand 

Limited. Ms Hooke was also a 

former consultant with Minter 

Ellison lawyers, practising in 

the areas of dispute resolution, 

constitutional, administrative and 

regulatory law. She has advised 

and appeared in matters before 

Royal Commissions, government 

enquiries and tribunals, the 

Independent Commission Against 

Corruption and various courts 

from local courts of NSW to 

the High Court of Australia. 

Mr Kim Keogh 

MAICD, NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Mr Keogh was appointed nonexecutive 


Hearing on 30 August 2007. Mr 

Keogh is currently the Managing 

Director of a family investment 

company, with wide commercial 

experience in the pastoral industry. 

He is also engaged as a consultant 

to various other companies. 

Mr Keogh is actively involved, 

including as a Director, with


a number of community and 

not-for-profit organisations. He 

was a former Local Government 

Councillor for 22 years. Board 

member on the Agriculture 

Protection Board and Gascoyne 

Murchison Strategy. Chairman of 

the Federal Ministerial Reference 

Group for Environment and 

Agriculture and was formerly a 

member of the Natural Heritage 

Trust Advisory Committee and 

National Weeds Advisory Group. 

Dr Kelvin Kong 

BSC MBBS (UNSW) FRACS, 

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Dr Kong was appointed nonexecutive 


Hearing on 30 August 2007. 

Dr Kong qualified as the first 

Australian Aboriginal Fellow of 

the Royal Australasian College 

of Surgeons, sub-specialising in 

Otolaryngology, Head and Neck 

Surgery. He completed a fellowship 

in paediatric otolaryngology at 

the Royal Children’s Hospital, 

Melbourne. Dr Kong comes from 

Worimi country in Port Stephens, 

NSW, and is fortunate to be 

able to practice in Newcastle, 

working at John Hunter Hospital. 

Mr Steven Grundy 

DIP MARITIME STUDIES, 

DIPBUSADMIN, 

MANAGING DIRECTOR 

Mr Grundy was appointed to 

the newly created role of Chief 

Operating Officer (COO) in 

June 2007. In November 2008, 

he was appointed Managing 

Director of Australian Hearing. 

Mr Grundy brings a wealth of 

operations experience to Australian 

Hearing. He began his career in the 

Royal Australian Navy where he 

was Commanding Officer of HMAS 

Rushcutter, a seagoing warship, for 

two years. He left the Navy in 1999 

to take up a management role with 

Telstra. His most recent roles in 

Telstra were the inaugural General 

Manager for the management of 

Voice, Data, Project Management 

and Billing services for the 

Woolworths group of companies, 

followed by General Manager for 

management of Telstra Payphones, 

including management of the 

Universal Service Obligation. 

Corporate structure 

Australian Hearing’s corporate 

structure has evolved in line 

with the emphasis on effective 

management to meet the growing 

needs of the organisation. 

The following structure came 

into effect on 1 July 2010. 

See Figure Four below. 

FIGURE FOUR: AUSTRALIAN HEARING’S CORPORATE STRUCTURE 

BOARD 

Kathryn Greiner AO (Chairman) 

Warren Stretton 

Susan Hooke 

Kim Keogh 

Dr Kelvin Kong 

MANAGING 

DIRECTOR 

Steven Grundy 

Executive 

Manager 

Human 

Resources 

Carel 

Bothma 

Chief 

Information 

Officer 

Peter 

Gasparovic 

Chief 

Financial 

Officer 

Mario 

Torresan 

Executive 

Manager 

Network 

Gina 

Mavrias 

Executive 

Manager 

Clinical 

Practices 

Michele 

Clapin 

Executive 

Manager 

Corporate 

Governance 

Margaret 

Dewberry 

Executive 

Manager 

Sales & 

Marketing 

Michelle 

Spooner 

Chief 

Operating 

Officer 

Stephen 

Patterson 

Director 

National 

Acoustic 

Laboratories 

Professor 

Harvey 

Dillon 

Executive Manager 

National Acoustic 

Laboratories 

Dale Treglown

64 


Executive Management 

1 2 3 

4 5 6 

1. Professor Harvey Dillon 

2. Ms Michelle Spooner 

3. Ms Gina Mavrias 

4. Mr Mario Torresan 

5. Mr Dale Treglown 

6. Mr Steven Grundy


1. Mr Stephen Patterson 

2. Ms Margaret Dewberry 

3. Mr Peter Gasparovic 

4. Ms Michele Clapin 

5. Mr Carel Bothma 

1 2 3 4 5

66 


EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) 

Mr Steven Grundy 

DIP MARITIME STUDIES, 

DIPBUSADMIN 

MANAGING DIRECTOR 

See career details page 63. 

Mr Stephen Patterson 

BCOMM FCPA ACIS 

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 

Stephen Patterson has significant 

finance and company secretarial 

experience both in Australia and 

in the Asia Pacific region. Stephen 

has previously held senior finance 

roles with a number of large 

Australian listed organisations such 

as Australian National Industries, 

Optus Communications and 

Goodman Fielder. This experience 

has been both at corporate head 

office level and on an Australian 

and international divisional basis 

with considerable involvement in 

acquisitions and restructuring. 

Stephen has extensive commercial 

experience in financial, company 

secretarial and stock exchange 

reporting in Australia and 

overseas, covering a broad range 

of industry segments such as 

media and communications, 

heavy engineering and the food 

and beverage industries. 

Stephen has a Bachelor of 

Commerce Degree from the 

University of NSW and is a 

fellow of the Society of Certified 

Practising Accountants (FCPA) and 

a qualified Company Secretary. 

Stephen Patterson was Chief 

Financial Officer from March 

2004 until July 2009 and was 

acting Chief Operating Officer 

(COO) from October 2008 

to his formal appointment as 

COO on 14 April 2009. 

Mario Torresan 

B.BUS, MBA, CA 

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 

Mario Torresan joined Australian 

Hearing in July 2009. With a 

background in finance, accounting 

and business, his experience 

spans major accounting firms and 

international business corporations 

in senior finance roles and in roles 

with responsibilities including 

finance, information technology, 

facilities, property and investment 

management. Mario joined 

Australian Hearing from the 

Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind 

Children (RIDBC) where he was 

the Manager, Corporate Services. 

Mario has held senior finance 

roles in information technology 

corporations and his previous 

experience includes multinational 

data management, high volume 

distribution, treasury, information 

system projects and implementation 

of a shared service environment. 

Mario commenced his career 

working in Arthur Andersen and 

Deloitte chartered accounting firms, 

where he gained broad business 

knowledge in industries as diverse 

as hospitality, food, insurance, 

manufacturing and distribution. 

Mario is a Chartered Accountant 

with a Bachelor of Business from 

the University of Technology, 

Sydney and a Masters of Business 

Administration from the Macquarie 

Graduate School of Management. 

Mr Carel Bothma 

B. COMM. HONS, MASTERS IN HRM 

EXECUTIVE MANAGER 

HUMAN RESOURCES 

Carel Bothma joined Australian 

Hearing in April 2009 as 

Executive Manager People and 

Performance. Carel spent 10 years 

in recruitment, industrial relations 

and organisational development 

before relocating to Australia from 

South Africa in 1998 as HR Director 

within Sara Lee Corporation. 

Carel established HR functions 

for Nutrimetics in Australia, New 

Zealand, Malaysia and Thailand 

and in 2005, became HR Director 

for Nutrimetics Australia and New 

Zealand. In his role as business 

partner, Carel introduced a number 

of organisational effectiveness 

initiatives such as continuous 

improvement, high performing 

culture and culture change initiatives 

to achieve business results. 

Carel holds an honours degree 

majoring in Business Economics 

and Organisational Psychology, 

post graduate diploma in Industrial 

Relations, a Masters Degree in 

Human Resources and leadership 

program from IMD in Switzerland. 

Carel has extensive international 

human resources and change 

management experience. 

Professor Harvey Dillon 

BE PHD DIRECTOR NATIONAL 

ACOUSTIC LABORATORIES 

Professor Harvey Dillon joined 

NAL in 1979 and until 1986 he 

performed research into speech 

discrimination testing, audiological 

testing in sound fields, speech 

processing for hearing aids, hearing 

aid fitting methods and the acoustics 

of hearing aid coupling systems. 

From 1986 to 1990 he held various 

positions including Chief Engineer 

and Development Manager in the 

operational area of NAL. From 

1990 he headed the Hearing Aid 

Research Section of NAL and in 

2000 became Director of Research. 

Professor Dillon has lectured 

extensively in the areas of acoustics, 

psychoacoustics and hearing 

aids in the audiology program 

at Macquarie University, where 

he is an adjunct professor. He is 

the author or co-author of more 

than 100 scientific articles, eight 

book chapters and a text book 

on hearing aids. He frequently 

presents invited addresses on various 

aspects of hearing aids and keynote 

addresses at overseas conferences. 

Professor Dillon has an 

undergraduate degree in Electrical 

Engineering and a PhD for 

research into psychoacoustics. 

His current research interests 

centre on signal processing for 

hearing aids, procedures for fitting 

hearing aids, and processing 

of sounds by the brain.


Mr Peter Gasparovic 

ADVDIP COMPUTER SCIENCE 

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER 

Peter Gasparovic joined Australian 

Hearing in January 2010 and 

brings with him a wealth of IT 

and leadership experience. With 

nearly 30 years experience in the 

IT industry, Peter has developed 

a comprehensive understanding 

of value-driven IT departments. 

Peter previously held the position 

of CIO at Mondial Assistance, 

Mission Australia, Chubb Asia 

Pacific, Dexion and Taubmans 

Paints. He has significant experience 

in developing and leading IT 

departments which provide a 

strong focus on customer service 

excellence. He believes in investing 

in a robust management and 

leadership structure that is backed 

up by a team who are passionate 

about helping the organisation. 

Peter has an Advanced Diploma 

in Computer Science and is an 

ITIL (IT Service Management) and 

PRINCE2 (Project Management) 

certified professional. He is 

currently pursuing his Masters 

in Business Administration. 

Ms Michelle Spooner 

BA, GRAD DIP ADULT ED, GAICD 

EXECUTIVE MANAGER, SALES AND 

MARKETING 

Michelle Spooner joined Australian 

Hearing in November 2009 as 

Executive Manager, Marketing and 

Communications. Michelle previously 

held senior marketing and business 

development roles in the health, 

education and insurance sectors. 

Michelle has extensive experience 

in services marketing and has acted 

as a consultant to organisations 

in health, manufacturing and 

insurance on commercialising 

products and services. She specialises 

in branding and positioning new 

businesses, as well as repositioning 

existing organisations. 

Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts 

and a Graduate Diploma in Adult 

Education. She is a Graduate 

of the Australian Institute of 

Company Directors and is 

involved on Boards for a number 

of community organisations. 

Ms Margaret Dewberry 

BA MAUDSA (CCP) EXECUTIVE 

MANAGER CORPORATE 

GOVERNANCE 

Margaret Dewberry has worked 

for Australian Hearing for over 

30 years. Margaret began her 

career at Australian Hearing 

as a clinical audiologist before 

moving into specialist audiologist 

and then management roles. 

Margaret is currently responsible 

for Government Relations 

and support to the Board. 

Margaret has a Bachelor of Arts 

from the University of NSW majoring 

in Mathematics and Psychology. She 

is a full member of the Audiological 

Society of Australia and holds a 

Certificate of Clinical Practice. 

Ms Gina Mavrias 

BSC DIPAUD MAUDSA (CCP) 

EXECUTIVE MANAGER NETWORK 

Gina Mavrias joined the National 

Acoustic Laboratories in 1988 as 

an audiologist and specialised in 

the rehabilitation of adults with 

a severe hearing impairment. In 

1994 she moved into a clinical 

advisor position; this was a senior 

specialist role with a national 

focus on the delivery of services 

to adults with complex needs. 

In 1996, Gina moved into 

management, initially managing 

a centre and was appointed as 

a Regional Manager in 1998, 

managing seven hearing centres 

in Victoria. In 2002, Gina was 

promoted to the position of 

Senior Regional Manager, taking 

responsibility for operations in 

Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia 

and Western Australia. She moved 

to her present position of managing 

the network in April 2004. 

Gina has a Bachelor of Science 

Degree and a Diploma of 

Audiology from the University of 

Melbourne, and is a Member of the 

Audiological Society of Australia 

(Certificate of Clinical Practice). 

Ms Michele Clapin 

BSPTHY MAUD MHSM MAUDSA 

(CCP) EXECUTIVE MANAGER 

CLINICAL PRACTICES 

Michele Clapin worked for 10 

years in hospital and community 

audiology positions in Queensland 

and Western Australia before 

joining Australian Hearing in 1992. 

She worked as District Manager 

for Australian Hearing in Alice 

Springs and Coffs Harbour prior 

to her promotion to Regional 

Manager in 1998 and then to 

Executive positions in 2002. 

Michele has a Bachelor of Speech 

Therapy and Masters degrees in 

Audiology and Health Services 

Management. She is a full member 

of the Audiological Society of 

Australia (Certificate of Clinical 

Practice) and the International 

Society of Audiology. 

Mr Dale Treglown 

DIP BUSINESS (ACCOUNTING), 

BMET, PNIA, FTIA, JP 

EXECUTIVE MANAGER, NATIONAL 

ACOUSTIC LABORATORIES 

Dale Treglown has broad commercial 

experience gained in the retail, 

merchant banking, shipping and 

education industries, working 

for organisations such as K-Mart, 

David Jones, JP Morgan, Star 

Shipping and as consultant to 

Gloria Jeans Coffees. Most recently, 

Dale held positions as a lecturer 

at TAFE and Universities in areas 

of accounting, taxation, audit, 

management, small business, 

marketing and advertising and sales. 

Dale has a Diploma in Business 

(Accounting), a Cert IV Workplace 

Training and Assessment and a 

Diploma of External Teaching. He 

is also a Justice of the Peace and 

a member of PNIA (Professional 

of the National Institute of 

Accountants) and FTIA (Fellow of 

the Taxation Institute of Australia).

68 


Staff awards and achievements 

AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS 2010 

Each year, in conjunction with the 

National Australia Day Council, we 

acknowledge employees who have 

made exceptional contributions to the 

success of Australian Hearing. 

The awards, which recognise 

outstanding individual staff 

and team achievements, were 

celebrated at a lunch in Sydney 

with award winners gathering 

from across Australia. 

This year, five employees and 

one team received Australia Day 

achievement awards. Managing 

Director, Steven Grundy, met with 

staff, their family and friends 

and presented the awards. 


Employee of the Year 2009 

LAURENA GRAHAM - AREA 

MANAGER, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING WYNNUM, LISMORE 

AND CLEVELAND 

Laurena has shown an outstanding 

commitment to Australian Hearing 

by living Australian Hearing values, 

particularly the one of Care. 

Laurena rebuilt a team after a 

stressful incident, travelling long 

distances for a period of nine 

months to spend time with the 

team and individual staff members. 

She motivated and inspired the 

team while still managing two 

other centres and a return-towork 

program. She also oversaw 

the establishment of a new OHS 

permanent site during this time. 

Laurena led by example, 

establishing effective 

communication with each 

member of the team and fostering 

a winning team culture. As a 

result, the team are working 

cohesively and effectively. 

Excellence in Community 

Service 2009 

PAULA LATHAM - CUSTOMER 

SERVICE OFFICER, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING PORT MACQUARIE 

Paula has contributed significantly 

to the excellent customer 

focus of Port Macquarie centre 

over the years in a variety 

of roles including acting as 

Hearing Centre Supervisor. 

Paula organised the Port Macquarie 

team’s entry into the 2009 

Hasting’s Relay for Life, raising 

approximately $4,500 for the 

Cancer Council, placing Australian 

Hearing third within the relay. 

She even shaved her hair for the 

event and individually raised the 

most money. She inspired her 

team to get involved and helped 

the team to make a significant 

contribution to the community. 

Individual Achievement 

2009 

COLLEEN MCILWAIN – CUSTOMER 

SERVICE OFFICER, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING PORT MACQUARIE 

In 2009, Port Macquarie hearing 

centre was challenged by a major 

competitor, putting further pressure 

on the hearing centre in what 

was already an aggressive market. 

This created a need for new 

marketing ideas and Colleen took 

up the challenge. As a result of her 

work, Colleen developed strong 

Steven Grundy, Managing Director, 

presents Colleen McIlwain, 

Customer Service Officer, with her 

Individual Achievement award.


and lasting relationships with 

local businesses and community 

groups in the local area. 

‘The Colleen Method’, as it is 

now regionally known, was 

subsequently used at Robina, 

Southport and Tweed Heads, 

Lismore and Coffs Harbour 

and has resulted in strong 

growth for these centres. 

Graduate of the Year 2009 

LAUREN CAUCHI – AUDIOLOGIST, 

AUSTRALIAN HEARING ADELAIDE 

As a new graduate who 

joined Australian Hearing 

Adelaide in December 2008, 

Lauren has contributed to the 

organisation by working with 

Alice Springs hearing centre and 

assisting the sole practitioner 

in their work at the centre. 

Lauren was proactive in educating 

staff at the Alice Springs centre 

about new products and 

demonstrating to staff how to 

present products to clients in a 

concise and an easy-to-follow 

manner. She assisted the hearing 

centre team in understanding 

the new products and as a result 

made it easier for staff to match 

the new aids to clients’ goals. 

Excellence in Diversity 

(Indigenous and 

Multicultural Services) 

2009 

EUGENE MOUGERMAN – 

AUDIOLOGIST, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING CAULFIELD 

Eugene is a hard working member 

of the Melbourne and Caulfield 

teams and has a wonderful rapport 

with all of his clients. He has made 

a large contribution to Australian 

Hearing by initiating contacts 

within the Russian community. 

He always strives to provide the 

best service possible for clients 

and plays an integral part in 

providing services to Melbourne’s 

and Caulfield’s CALD clients. 

Eugene promotes Australian 

Hearing in his local area by 

organising events and providing 

the Menorah Jewish magazine 

with a monthly review of 

Australian Hearing’s latest 

services and campaigns. 

Eugene single-handedly organised 

a Fathers’ Day concert for the 

Melbourne and Caulfield hearing 

centres in 2009 which was 

attended by 65 people and he 

has significantly contributed to 

the success of the organisation. 

The Team 

Achievement 2009 

PROPERTY TEAM - MICHELE CLAPIN, 

STEPHEN HORDERN, NATALIE 

MINASSIAN, BASHA ANVAR, LESLEY 

MORLEY AND WINSTON BARNES 

The Property team has had a 

productive year with five new 

centres opening and three 

relocating, improving the visibility 

of Australian Hearing in the 

community. The team has also 

improved hearing centres’ layout 

and signage and enabled savings 

to be made by the network. 

The Property team has been 

engaged in locating new sites 

and planning new hearing centres 

in collaboration with network 

managers. The team has delivered 

several hearing centre building 

projects as well as assisting 

with ongoing refurbishments 

and requests for assistance. 

As a result we have opened new 

hearing centres in Beenleigh, 

Campbelltown, Springwood, 

Robina, Caboolture, Gladstone, 

Grafton, Belmont, Werribee, 

Glenorchy and Caloundra as well 

as relocating premises in Dubbo, 

Cairns and Adelaide. The team 

has supported an expansion of 

the Australian Hearing network 

and enhanced client services. 

All winner of 

the Australian 

Hearing Australia 

Day awards were 

presented with 

certificates and 

celebrated their 

achievement 

at National 

Head Office.

70 


MINISTER FOR 

HUMAN SERVICES’ 

AWARDS FOR 

EXEMPLARY 

SERVICE 2010 

In March 2010, Department 

of Human Services’ agencies 

held ceremonies around the 

country to present the Minister 

for Human Services’ Awards for 

exemplary service. Four Australian 

Hearing staff members and one 

team were nominated for, and 

received, awards. Australian 

Hearing Darwin hosted one of 

the whole-of-portfolio award 

ceremonies, officiated by our 

Chairman Mrs Kathryn Greiner AO. 

The following Australian Hearing 

staff members and team are 

congratulated on their awards. 

Australian Hearing Darwin 

(team award) 

Australian Hearing Darwin is 

a small but dedicated team 

providing hearing services not 

only to the people of urban and 

rural Darwin, but to 48 remote 

Indigenous communities extending 

from Robinson River to the Gulf 

of Carpentaria, Halls Creek and 

Kalumbaru in East Kimberley to 

Elcho Island in Arnhem Land. 

With only two permanent 

audiologists, the team is supported 

by a ‘flying squad’ of nine 

audiologists who travel long 

distances via light aircraft to visit 

remote communities; providing 

hearing services and developing 

ongoing rapport, essential to 

delivering Indigenous services. 

The team also work in 

collaboration with Aboriginal 

Medical Services, Northern Territory 

Hearing and the Northern Territory 

Department of Education and 

Training to provide cost effective 

and efficient service delivery 

to as many remote Indigenous 

communities as possible. 

Sharon Keane 

GENERAL MANAGER, TROPICS/ 

BRISBANE REGION 

A dedicated manager, Sharon 

established Indigenous services 

in remote and rural locations 

throughout Queensland and has 

expanded the Australian Hearing 

network in regional Queensland 

by opening centres in Atherton, 

Caloundra, Caboolture, Beenleigh 

and Noosa. Sharon actively 

maintains relationships with key 

stakeholders and has partnered 

with other hearing and health 

service providers in Queensland 

such as Queensland Health 

and the Deadly Ears program 

to deliver effective services. 

Sally Regan 

AREA MANAGER, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING PERTH, FREMANTLE 

AND BUNBURY 

Sally is an outstanding staff 

member who delivers excellent 

outcomes in all aspects of her 

work. She has played a key role 

in building relationships with 

stakeholders in Western Australia. 

Sally leads a program to improve 

services in remote Indigenous 

communities in the Pilbara and 

Kimberley regions and visits 

the Kimberley region quarterly 

to deliver AHSPIA services. 

Claire Mulqueeny 

AUDIOMETRIST, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING MIRANDA 

Claire has been with Australian 

Hearing for 10 years, commencing 

in administration and progressing 

to audiometry qualifications. 

Claire constantly upholds the 

values of Australian Hearing and 

always works towards meeting 

the corporate plan goals for 

the centre. She embraces new 

technology and undertakes 

community education and hearing 

screenings outside the centre. 

Deanne Jaynes 

AUDIOMETRIST, AUSTRALIAN 

HEARING WARRNAMBOOL 

Deanne provides exceptional 

service to all Australian Hearing 

clients, recently undertaking 

rehabilitation training to extend 

the clinical service she provides. 

She has been involved in setting 

up new AHSPIA sites, piloting 

services in remote locations 

using the Australian Hearing Bus 

and using new technology on 

remote trips. Commencing 

13 years ago in an administrative 

role, Deanne completed her 

audiometry qualifications in 

2005 and became an OHS 

qualified practitioner in 2008. 

The team at Australian Hearing Darwin 

celebrate winning the Minister for Human 

Services’ team award for exemplary service 

with Managing Director Steven Grundy, 

Chairman Kathryn Greiner, AO (far right) and 

General Manager Matthew Grounds (far left).


Laurie McDonnell 

Audiologist, Australian Hearing 

Maroochydore

72 


I started at Australian Hearing as a new 

graduate at the end of 2007. I had been 

offered a job by a private provider, but 

I was worried that if I did happen to 

need a long time off work due to my 

transplant, then I might lose my job. As 

it happens, I have hardly had any sick 

days in my 2½ years here. I had also 

heard from past new graduates, that 

Australian Hearing had a good support 

network and training program. 

I was born with a congenital heart 

defect and underwent open-heart 

surgery as a baby. I was quite well 

as a young child, but as I reached 

my teens I started to get short of 

breath very easily. I didn’t realise I 

was unwell again until I was 19, so 

I spent my high school years feeling 

very bad about being an unfit, lazy 

teenager when all along my heart 

and lungs were to blame. I had 

a heart-lung transplant in 2002 

and recovered very well from it. 

As a child I always wanted to 

be a doctor and after having 

my transplant I considered it, 

but decided it was a bad idea as 

my immunosuppressant drugs 

put me at a much higher risk of 

infection than the average person. 

I went along to the University of 

Queensland Open Day where I 

sat in the therapies lecture and 

heard about Audiology. I had never 

heard of Audiology before, but I 

decided that it sounded good. 

I went back to study Audiology 

after receiving my transplant - 

something I could never have 

dreamed of doing before my 

surgery. Before my transplant 

I would spend my days resting 

and watching TV, just in order 

to get through the day. Now 

I have so much energy, I am a 

different person all together 

and am able to hold down the 

demanding job of an Audiologist. 

I see a varied case load of Voucher 

and CSO clients and I often assist 

with child appointments, supervise 

a new graduate myself along with 

another audiologist, and spend my 

time both here in Maroochydore 

I think sharing my story definitely 

helps my clients warm to me. I think 

it shows them that I can understand 

part of what they are going through 

and be compassionate to their 

situation. 

and at a few different visiting 

sites. I enjoy interacting with the 

clients; keeping the same clinician 

throughout a rehabilitation 

program helps clients build a 

relationship with you. Often 

my clients treat me like their 

granddaughter; as we chat I 

sometimes tell them a little bit 

of my story and when they find 

out what I have been through, 

it helps them relate to me 

with their health concerns. 

I think sharing my story definitely 

helps my clients warm to me. 

I think it shows them that I 

can understand part of what 

they are going through and be 

compassionate to their situation. 

I don’t mind telling my story 

to my clients; I think that it 

is inbuilt in every transplant 

recipient - to get your story out 

there in order to raise awareness 

of the organ donation issue. 

Last year, I travelled around 

America and Canada for seven 

weeks; quite an amazing 

experience. I also got married at 

the beginning of this year and have 

just built a new house with my 

husband; all of which I would not 

have been around to do if I had not 

received my transplant. Recently, 

the story of my wedding appeared 

in Woman’s Day and quite a few 

of my clients commented on it; 

some even brought in copies just 

in case I didn’t get it myself! 

I would like to ask everyone 

to sign up to save a life if you 

haven’t yet. Join the organ donor 

registry and discuss it with your 

family. I know we don’t like to 

think about terrible things like 

dying, but you know what is even 

worse; letting perfectly good 

organs go to waste when you 

could have saved many lives.

Statement of Commitment 

to Reconciliation 

PART FIVE: AUSTRALIAN HEARING’S MANAGEMENT 73

PART FIVE: Australian Hearing's management

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?