People on the move – February 2022

Welcome to People on the move – February 2022, Insight’s monthly bulletin to keep the Australian ophthalmic sector updated on new appointments and personnel changes.

If you’d like to tell the market about a new person in your company, practice, or clinic, please send the person’s name, position, image and a short description about their role to editor Myles Hume for consideration at myles.hume@primecreative.com.au.

April Petrusma – Optical Dispensers Australia

April Petrusma has been appointed CEO of new optical dispensing professional body Optical Dispensers Australia. The organisation launched in January and now has over 1,200 members and 15 corporate partners. Petrusma is also a senior lecturer at the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing and is a qualified Optical Dispenser with a degree and background in marketing. She has extensive experience working as an optical dispenser and practice manager in both corporate and independent practice settings.

Karen Francis – Bausch + Lomb Surgical

Karen Francis has recently been appointed as Clinical Support Manager ANZ. Her new position with B+L is designed to direct and shape clinical focus across Australia and New Zealand with an emphasis on education. Karen has a nursing background, starting her journey in eyes with the Bausch+Lomb vision care business in 1997. She moved into surgical ophthalmology as Territory Manager in 2009, after which she rejoined the business as Clinical Support Specialist in 2018. With her years of experience and zeal for ophthalmology, Karen said she was excited about working with her new clinical team as they strive to provide high caliber support to the B+L business and the ophthalmology community.

Justine Cain – Diabetes Australia

Diabetes Australia recently appointed Justine Cain, as its new CEO. Cain, who commenced in the role at the end of 2021, has more than two decades of senior executive experience within the health and human services sectors. Her experience includes executive management roles in operations and strategy for one of Australia’s largest health insurers, director of integration with a national assistive technology company within the aged care and disability sectors, as well as significant experience leading large scale national health services.

Ryan Myers – Bausch + Lomb

Ryan Myers has joined Bausch + Lomb as a Surgical Territory Manager and will support the Queensland territory. Trained in Sydney as an orthoptist, and after working for several years he moved into ophthalmic sales for both diagnostic and surgical portfolios in Western Australia. Now settled in Brisbane, Ryan has 10 years of experience in the industry and is extremely passionate about surgical ophthalmology.

Megane Diforte – Zeiss

Megane Diforte has joined Zeiss as Surgical Marketing Manager for the Medical Technology Business. Megane comes to the role with experiences in the optical and surgical industry in Europe, Asia and Australia. This role will support the strategic direction taken by Zeiss in the surgical space and contribute to the introduction of fully connected and integrated approach with new data management innovations across devices, workflow solutions and software applications.

Alessandro Zanardo – Thélios

Luxury eyewear maker Thélios has named Alessandro Zanardo as its new CEO. The company was previously a joint venture between French luxury goods company LVMH and Marcolin, but LVMH took full control of the entity in December 2021. Zanardo started his career at Ferrari in 2002. He then joined Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in 2007. Between 2010 and 2021, he held a series of positions at Luxottica Group, such as business and development director in Russia, country manager in South Africa, and, most recently, general manager in Brazil.

Dr Angelica Ly – Brien Holden Vision Institute

Dr Angelica Ly has commenced at Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) as Principal Research Optometrist. She was the former Lead Clinician (Macula) at Centre for Eye Health and a Lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney. She maintains an ongoing presence in macular disease related clinical research and continues to collaborate with CFEH and SOVS as an adjunct lecturer, UNSW Sydney. Her new role entails seeing participants for clinical trials and ensuring trials are conducted to the highest standards. This enables her to remain perpetually engaged as an optometrist, and to apply the scientific method and technology to solve pertinent clinical problems.