ASOHNS has a CEO

At the Annual General Meeting in Adelaide earlier this year, I outlined the rationale for hiring a chief executive officer. Such an appointment will take our Society to another level of representation within the Health Departments of Australia as well as asserting our position and standing with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons as part of the Service Agreement in delivering training to Registrars in our specialty.

A month later the CEO selection process began with my seeking advice and guidance from the Urological Society of Australia & New Zealand and the Australian Orthopaedic Association who are like-minded organisations. I was introduced to Mr Graeme Rogers of Boyden Global Search and the CEO position was advertised after developing a job description.

Stuart Miller as your Vice-President was given the task of administering this process and I want to acknowledge his input and attention to detail.

There were approximately 80 applicants and Boyden Global Search narrowed the list down to 12. By teleconference this was further narrowed down to a final four applicants. Interviews were undertaken on Friday, 26 October by Stuart Miller, Vince Cousins, Niell Boustred, Neil Vallance and me.

• He has three children aged nine to 15 years. His wife is a doctor working in Emergency Medicine at the Royal North Shore Hospital.
• He began his career as a teacher with a Diploma of Physical Education and later a Bachelor of Human Movement, teaching in Toowoomba, Queensland and Essendon, Victoria.
• He played representative rugby and cricket and had a season as a club professional at the Hythe Cricket Club in Kent, England.
• On his return to Australia, he became Health Education and Promotion Officer with the NSW Department of Health.
• From 1988-1991 he was NSW Manager of Jump Rope for Heart Campaign.
• From 1991-1997 he was Executive Officer of the Malcolm Sargeant Cancer Fund for Children.
• From 1997-1999 he was Chief Executive Officer of the Sudden Infant Death Association (SIDS) NSW.
• From 1999-2003 he was Executive Manager of Recruiting & Consulting Services Association.
• From 2003 to present he has been NSW Manager of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
• During the above period he obtained the additional qualification of Master of Management from the University of Technology Sydney.
  

So Mark is an experienced executive with exposure to teaching, service industries and membership organisations. He will begin his new role at ASOHNS in January immediately after the Australia Day weekend.

It was interesting times but the contract is signed, sealed and delivered and I think he'll be good for ASOHNS. As I foreshadowed at the AGM, there will be a membership fee increase but in returnwe shall have our specialty better represented at government and community level. This will benefit ultimately your practice in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery.

ROB BLACK

President