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Board of Directors

The Board of Directors governs the organisation and has overall responsibility for driving its mission and strategic plan, developed through a process of consultation with the state organisations.

The board is the ultimate decision-making and policy-setting body. It is also responsible for the financial viability of the organisation ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, while providing guidance on operational planning.

The president and all other non-executive directors act in the best interests of the organisation and the membership as a whole.

More information about the Board of Directors and its responsibilities to members is available in Optometry Australia’s constitution.

President

Theo Charalambous

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Theo is a 1998 Bachelor of Optometry graduate from the University of Melbourne where he also gained his Post Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics in 2008. He further holds a Senior Executive MBA from the Melbourne Business School.

Theo entered the profession in 2002 working in practices in the Berwick and Hastings area, Victoria, before opening his own independent practice ModernEyes in 2008 and then moving to OPSM five years later.

He is currently franchise owner of OPSM practices based in Pakenham, Berwick, Brighton and South Yarra. Theo is also partners in a private practice, Hastings Optical.

Having previously worked in indigenous clinics in Doomadgee and Mornington Island, he spent time in 2017 as Lead Optometrist for OneSight, a sustainable clinic with the aim of providing Zambians with access to consistent, high-quality eyecare and eyewear.

Theo is also a member of the Franchise Development Council for Luxottica.

Vice President & Director

Shuvagata Bose

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Shuvagata, or Shuva, was appointed to the Optometry Australia Board of Directors at the November 2022 annual general meeting.

Shuva holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Optometry, 2006) and he has practised optometry in retail and medical settings within metropolitan and rural settings. He is currently Optometry Sessional Academic, supervising practical classes and tutorials for students in the Bachelor of Vision Science program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). He has also worked as a clinical supervisor at this university assisting students develop skills in clinical diagnostics and management.

Shuva’s career has seen him work as a clinical optometrist in Brisbane and in New South Wales in Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, and Laurieton. He also worked as a Clinical Research Assistant with an optometric technology group in London conducting investigations on contact lenses and sports vision.

In 2009, Shuva completed his Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics from QUT and in 2018, an Advanced Certificate in Glaucoma from the Australian College of Optometry and Myopia Management (Course 1 & 2) from the Brien Holden Vision Institute. He has also completed the CASA Aviation Optometry Course.

Treasurer & Director

Ramy Aziz

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Ramy is an experienced non-executive director and senior executive with significant finance, strategy, risk and governance experience. He has served as a director and chair of finance, audit and risk committees on ‘for-purpose’ organisations in the healthcare, finance and education sectors, including organisations representing and promoting professionals within pharmacy and finance.

Ramy’s prior executive career was primarily within the finance sector and included senior management and executive director roles with listed and private entities. Most recently, Ramy was a former Chief Financial Officer of ASX Ltd. He has also held senior positions within banking and other financial services companies.

As a Fellow member of both CPA Australia and the Governance Institute of Australia, Ramy brings a broad range of skills to the Board of OA including finance, treasury, governance, strategy and general business acumen. He has a keen interest in healthcare, particularly in promoting professionals working in the health industry and the provision of improved health outcomes overall.

Director

Elise Pocknee-Clem

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Tel: (03) 9652 9100 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Elise is the managing director of three practices in Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Ceduna in SA and is a partner in a fourth practice in Victor Harbor. The practice group provide extensive outreach services across six other towns on the Eyre Peninsula. She has previously served as President of both OSA and OV/SA and oversaw the integration process of OV/SA with Optometry Australia in 2023.

Elise’s professional interests are eye disease management, children’s vision, ocular therapeutics and rural and community eye care. She spends most of her time managing the practice group and consulting in Port Lincoln.

Director

Lee Baumwol

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Lee joined the Optometry Australia board following the annual general meeting on 25 November 2022. He is a practising clinical optometrist and since 2014, has been part of the Total Eyecare partnership working out of its Claremont, Sandy Bay, and Kingston practices in Hobart. He also works part-time at the Royal Hobart Hospital Eye Clinic in the general and diabetic eye clinics.

In addition to his clinical practise, Lee is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s Optometry and Vision Science faculty, and he oversees clinical placements for students from this university.

Lee, who studied optometry at the University of Melbourne, began practising in Perth in 1999, and then moved to Tasmania in 2004. He also holds an ocular therapeutics qualification.

Lee is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a CASA credentialed optometrist. He is a former President of Optometry Tasmania and former State President of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia.

Director & Treasurer

Albert Lee

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Albert joined the Optometry Australia board in June 2022 and was appointed Treasurer following the annual general meeting in November of the same year. He is a clinical optometrist and owner of an independent, full-scope optometry practice based in Rockdale, NSW.

Albert has worked in private and corporate practice in regional and metropolitan Australia and the United Kingdom. As a former Clinical Supervisor at the UNSW Optometry Clinic, he assisted young optometrists learn and develop their optometry skills. He has further worked in research at the Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

Albert has a passion for public health and giving back to the community and society. This has seen him work with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples in Sydney, in rural and regional NSW settings and in the Northern Territory. Following the 2004 tsunami, he headed to Sri Lanka to work in eye camps and in 2015, to provide vision assessments and spectacles to people in need in Nepal. His current focus is working with refugees and people seeking asylum and with marginalised populations in NSW.

He is currently completing a Master of Philosophy at the UNSW.

Director

Kevin Sun

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Kevin joined the Optometry Australia board following the organisation’s annual general meeting held on 25 November 2022.

Kevin is Optometry Director at Specsavers in Waterford, Western Australia. He is therapeutically endorsed and provides a range of patient services including aged and residential care home visits. He has special interest in in glaucoma co-management and holds an Advanced Certificate in Glaucoma from the Australian College of Optometry (ACO). He has also participated on the ACO Membership Steering Committee.

Kevin graduated from Deakin University in 2018 with a Master of Optometry and in 2019 completed a Project Management course from the University of Tasmania.

In addition to being a director on the Optometry Australia board, Kevin is a director of Optometry Western Australia.

Director

Jenny Mikakos

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Tel: 03 9668 8500 Email: executiveassistant@optometry.org.au

Jenny Mikakos was appointed a director of Optometry Australia in May 2024. She is a lawyer and currently serves as a non-executive director on not-for-profit boards.

Jenny has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jenny has over 30 years’ experience in public service and the law, including serving as a former Victorian Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services. During her tenure, Jenny spearheaded significant public policy reforms in her portfolios spanning health, community services and early childhood education.

Prior to entering parliament, Jenny was a commercial and taxation lawyer in top-tier Australian firms.

Jenny brings a proven ability to drive meaningful change and enhance community wellbeing. With her knowledge of policy development, healthcare and advocacy she has joined our board to advance eye care reform and improve the eye health of all Australians.

Office of the CEO and State Leads

The CEO office oversees the management of the organisation and delivery against the strategic plan, and also supports the Board in governing the organisation. State Leads ensure strong local engagement with members and stakeholders, and utilise their understanding of the state ecosystem in advocating for optometry at a state level.

Optometry Advancement

The Optometry Advancement team is responsible for driving Optometry Australia's strategic objectives through the development and implementation of policies, advocacy initiatives, and special projects. With a focus on leadership, policy development, and effective teamwork, the team plays a pivotal role in advancing the optometry profession and ensuring Optometry Australia's strategic vision is realised.

Optometry Advancement Officer

Madeline Baker

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Marketing & Communications

The Communications & Awareness team enhances Optometry Australia’s brand via activities that promote Optometry Australia and sector initiatives, as well as the role of optometrists, to consumers. We manage our member communications and engagement activities, social media presence and media profiling. Our team also delivers the highly successful Good vision for life consumer awareness campaign.

Operations

The Operations team facilitates the day-to-day operations of Optometry Australia including finance, IT/digital, human resources, first-contact for member support, administration and facilities management.

Member Engagement

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Acknowledgement of Country

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