Hearing Practitioner Australia‘s bi-monthly bulletin to keep the Australian hearing sector updated on new appointments and personnel changes, nationally and globally.
HEARING IMPLANTS AUSTRALIA ROLE FOR LILLY LEAVER
Ms Lilly Leaver became a provisional implant audiologist at Hearing Implants Australia in March 2025, helping people reconnect with sound through cochlear and other implants. She is pursuing a PhD in auditory plasticity and hearing loss, funded by a Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship. In December 2024, she was elected as graduate research student representative on the MQ Academic Senate and the MQ Academic Senate Research Committee. Previously Leaver designed and led auditory neuroscience courses for over 200 students. She engages in public outreach and hearing health advocacy through @thehearinglady, using social media to raise awareness about the industry.
LIAM HICKSON JOINS VICTORIAN HEARING AS SENIOR AUDIOLOGIST
Mr Liam Hickson has joined Victorian Hearing as a senior audiologist at its Melbourne CBD, Clayton, Malvern and Brighton clinics. He holds a Masters of Clinical Audiology from the University of Melbourne (2010) after completing a Bachelor of Science. Hickson fell in love with audiology in 2003 when he took a school holiday job at Widex hearing aids. He worked at Bloom from 2011 to 2013, AudioClinic from 2013 to 2017, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital’s Vestibular Investigation Unit in 2017, then Melbourne Audiology Centre as a clinical audiologist/clinical support from 2017 to 2024.
EXPERIENCED EDUCATION LEADER APPOINTED TO NEXTSENSE BOARD
Education leader, Ms Jane Simmons PSM, has been appointed to the NextSense Board. With more than 35 years’ experience in public education leadership positions, she recently retired as deputy director-general of the ACT Government’s Education Directorate and has had numerous executive leadership positions with the NSW Department of Education. Simmons is a member of several jurisdictional and national boards and committees, including the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Board, and is an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University and the University of Canberra.
NEW CEO FOR COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS OF MEDICAL COLLEGES
The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges, the peak industry body for Australia’s medical colleges, has appointed Ms Jodie Long as its new CEO. The organisation noted her proven track record in executive roles across healthcare, professional associations, and healthcare corporations, previously serving as CEO of the Australasian Sonographers Association for several years and, most recently, Speech Pathology Australia.
HEARING AUSTRALIA RE-APPOINTS BOARD CHAIR ELIZABETH CROUCH
Hearing Australia has re-appointed Ms Elizabeth Crouch AM as chair of its board for three years. She has served on the board since September 2020 and was appointed chair on 10 April 2022. With a background in the public and private sectors including in health, Crouch has a strong commitment to supporting and promoting the work of Hearing Australia and its delivery of quality care to its clients. Managing director Mr Kim Terrell congratulated Ms Crouch on her reappointment and thanked her for her leadership and guidance, which will support Hearing Australia in continuing to provide world leading research and hearing services for the wellbeing of all Australians.
AUDITORY SCIENCES COMPANY MAKES KEY APPOINTMENT
French biotech company Cilcare, specialising in auditory sciences, has made Dr Bettina Cockroft its new chief medical officer. She has had senior roles in large pharmaceutical companies and biotech organisations, currently serving on the board for two US public biotech companies. Previously, Dr Cockroft was chief medical officer at Auris Medical, where she led clinical development programs focused on ear disorders, including tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.
Do you have career news to share? To be featured, email details to HPA editor Helen Carter at helen.carter@primecreative.com.au.