OUR BOARD and leadership
Dr Caitlin Barr
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dr Barr is an international leader, researcher and advocate for putting people with hearing conditions at the centre of systemic and societal change. As CEO of Soundfair Australia Ltd – a member organisation focused on empowering hearing equality – and as an honorary senior clinical researcher at the University of Melbourne, Caitlin brings together consumer voice of people living with hearing conditions with clinical and research perspectives for a common cause of catalysing change. Ultimately, Caitlin is driven to see a society where having a hearing condition poses no barrier to living connected and healthy.
Christopher Carter
CHAIRPERSON
Adjunct Associate Professor Christopher Carter FIML GAICD, was appointed a Board Member in November 2019, and Chairperson early 2020. He is a skilled leader in public health and primary healthcare with extensive experience in managing complexity, driving transformational change and delivering organisational outcomes. His experience encompasses strategic planning of services, service and system redesign, organisational development, redesigning and implementing new models of care or service delivery and building organisational capacity through collaboration and partnerships with a variety of organisations. Chris has led a range of healthcare organisations as CEO for over 23 years, and his career has included work as an allied heath practitioner, an educator and policy maker, an international development and evaluation consultant, and as an advocate for young people and marginalised populations in a variety of roles. Chris has lived-experience of a sensorineural hearing condition and tinnitus.
Mayada Dib
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
Mayada is a barrister and has worked as a lawyer in private practice and in corporate settings. Mayada has extensive experience in the areas of health and medical law and bioethics. She is currently a Member of the Victorian Bar, is a Legal Member of the Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee, is a Non Executive Director with cohealth and has previously served on a number of Boards and Committees. Mayada lives with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and shares in Soundfair’s vision and mission.
Dianne Semmens
BOARD DIRECTOR
After enjoying working with the program so much previously, Dianne Semmens decided to start up her own company to sell and support Attaché software. Dianne commenced operations of Acacia Consulting Services in 1989 and has welcomed many new clients since that time. Her extensive accounting background is invaluable when assisting clients to review their business processes to achieve ‘best business practice’. Dianne has now built a successful company and is committed to providing excellent customer service with her knowledgeable team of staff.
Samantha Bartlett
BOARD DIRECTOR
Samantha Bartlett joined the Soundfair Board in November 2021. She is the Chief Learner Experience Officer at Federation University. A highly qualified and commercially astute customer strategist, Sam has extensive experience in digital, marketing, brand, innovation and customer experience in the services sector. She has worked as a strategic marketer across a number of industries, including energy retail, financial services, postal logistics and now health. She spent five years at Australia Post and nine years at Origin Energy prior to that.
Scott Fisher
BOARD DIRECTOR
Scott Fisher joined the Soundfair Board in October 2020, and brings a broad range of experience, having held executive leadership positions in the financial planning and advisory sector. Scott’s strengths lie in strategic planning, compliance, finance, leadership, and public speaking. In 2020, Scott has undertaken a new challenge of establishing his own private wealth management firm.
Scott has lived over half his life with a hearing impairment, giving him firsthand experience of the ‘social and emotional impacts of hearing conditions. Having developed hearing loss as a young adult, Scott understands the challenges on both a personal and professional level. For this reason, Scott is passionate about Soundfair’s mission.
Soeren Iversen
BOARD DIRECTOR
Soeren joined the Soundfair Board in November 2022. He is currently an Executive Director and Board Member at Smartline Medical. Soeren brings over 20 years of experience in Business Management and Strategy, with a wealth of experience in the healthcare sector.
Soeren’s strengths lie within strategy, leadership, innovation and improvement.
Suzanne Waldron
BOARD DIRECTOR
New to the Board in March 2023, Suzanne Waldron is a behavioural change facilitator, interviewer and curator. Working globally with influential leaders, her focus is on embedding healthy relationships within ethical systems. For business, community and culture. She’s an active ambassador for RUOK?, Nakuru Hope, she’s a Creative Director for Museum of Freedom and Tolerance, former curator for TEDx. A twice published author, Suzanne has also been nominated for Western Australian of the Year for her community work.
Jason LaBresh
BOARD DIRECTOR
Jason LaBresh joined the Soundfair Board in March 2023. He is a Senior Partner and Managing Director at BCG with over 20 years consulting experience supporting senior executives in leading organisations around the world, with a particular focus on public sector clients but significant experience in the private sector. He has extensive experience working in social services, health and disability sectors (including extensive work with the NDIS). Jason was the leader of BCG’s public sector and health care practice in Australia from 2014-2017, and led the public practice across the Asia Pacific region from 2017-2021. Prior to his career in consulting Jason was a qualified attorney in the US (specialising in complex commercial transactions).