Welcome to People on the move – March 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.
Dr Joel Naor – Opthea
Melbourne biopharmaceutical company Opthea has appointed Dr Joel Naor as Chief Medical Officer, effective 1 March 2022. California-based Naor is an ophthalmologist and and has over two decades of experience leading clinical development programs that target retinal conditions. In his most recent role, he served as Vice President of Clinical Science and Development Operations at Kodiak Sciences Inc. Previously, he was the Chief Medical Officer for Macusight until the company was acquired by Santen in 2010, and subsequently served as Vice President and Head of Global Medical Affairs for Santen. He has also held leadership positions at Allergan, QLT and Stem Cells Inc.
Andrew Sedgwick – SightGlass Vision
Following finalisation of the SightGlass Vision joint venture between CooperCompanies and EssilorLuxottica, the company announced Mr Andrew Sedgwick as its CEO. He was most recently Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategy for CooperVision and has held posts as president of CooperVision’s European and Americas regions during his two decades with the company. He was among three eyecare industry veterans appointed to executive leadership positions, with Mr François Bloquiau becoming chief financial officer. He wad previously CFO of EssilorLuxottica Brazil. Balthazar Masurel joins SightGlass Vision as vice president of Strategic Marketing after most recently leading the global myopia control and presbyopia category marketing for Essilor.
Glaucoma Australia CEO Ms Annie Gibbins is leaving the organisation after four and a half years. Gibbins, first appointed in 2018, came to the role with an agenda to reform and modernise the organisation, overseeing a dramatic rise in referrals and a crucial integration with Oculo platform. As a result, she has helped GA drive greater risk awareness and improve treatment adherence. She’s also helped raise the profile of the organisation with Governor-General Mr David Hurley becoming its patron, and INXS band member Mr Kirk Pengilly an ambassador. Gibbins will now spend more time on her other passion to empower women to achieve business success. She also hopes to spend more time with her grandchildren and perform administrative work for the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing, operated by husband Mr James Gibbins.
Dr Amira Howari – Primary Care Diabetes Society of Australia (PCDSA)
PCDSA has welcomed Dr Amira Howari as its newest board member. Having lived with type one diabetes for almost 30 years, Amira arrives with her lived and clinical experience as a senior clinical optometrist specialising in diabetes, working in interdisciplinary primary care settings. She has taken up a number of roles including Diabetes Australia ambassador, member of the Diabetes and Endocrine Network at the agency of Clinical Innovation (NSW Health), University of New South Wales guest speaker and clinical supervisor and former Optometry Australia Board Councillor (NSW/ACT).
More reading
People on the move – February 2022
People on the move – January 2022
People on the move – December 2021
