Strong governance
The MDFA board provides strong governance oversight in accordance with Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission principles.
Professor Sanchia Aranda AM
Chair
Professor Sanchia Aranda AM is an experienced and well-respected senior executive and board director across national and international organisations, predominantly in the health, education, research, disability and for-purpose sectors. Professor Aranda has led the establishment of new and redesigned organisations, implemented robust governance frameworks, and led the transformation of ideas into actions to achieve greater impact. She is currently the Board Chair of Scope Australia, a disability service provider, and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance. Professor Aranda started her career in nursing and became the first nurse to lead Cancer Council Australia as its CEO.
Professor Aranda is driven by a desire to make a positive difference and ensure there is equity of access and outcomes for the most disadvantaged in our communities. Professor Aranda also has a personal connection to macular disease with both her parents having age-related
macular degeneration.
Associate Professor Wilson Heriot
Associate Professor Wilson Heriot is a vitreo-retinal specialist based in Melbourne, and the director of Retinology Institute. Wilson has honorary appointments with the University of Melbourne in the Ophthalmology Department of Surgery, and Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences. He is also a Principal Investigator in Vitreoretinal Research at the Centre for
Eye Research Australia (CERA). Wilson is a past recipient of MDFA research grant funding – see this
link for more info on his project.
Assoc Prof Alex P Hunyor MB BS (Hons), FRANZCO
A retinal specialist with expertise in vitreoretinal surgery and macular disease.
Gillian Shea B.Bus CA
Gillian is a Chartered Accountant and Registered Company Auditor with over 25 years of experience as a finance professional working for several of largest accountancy networks globally.
Emma Cleary B.Bus, CA, GAICD
Emma is a Chartered Accountant with a strong commercial background who has helped to manage growth and change in a number of large businesses.
Ms Susan Williams BAgrSc, MPH, CFRE
Susan is the Executive Director of Philanthropy and Planned Giving for St Vincent’s Curran Foundation and has extensive fundraising experience across a multiple of health issues.
Kristina Ward
Kristina Ward is the Manager for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at ACCIONA, a global infrastructure and renewable energy company. Her previous work roles have traversed learning and development, vocational education, business operations, and financial management.
Kristina is legally blind and lives with Stargardt Disease, an inherited macular condition. She was diagnosed in her mid-thirties while raising two young children. Kristina is a valued member of Macular Disease Foundation’s Community Reference Group.
Kristina is also a Board member and Treasurer for Women With Disabilities Australia.
Ms Kylee Hall
Ms Kylee Hall has over 20 years of senior executive leadership in medical technology and ophthalmic health. Kylee is currently the Executive Director of Frisken Vision Foundation, that focuses on research into vision science and optical imaging.
Kylee was previously CEO of Cylite Pty Ltd and led the transformation of an Australian deep-tech medical device company from an R&D start-up into a commercially viable manufacturer of breakthrough optical coherence tomography (HP-OCT) technology. She has also worked at Carl Zeiss Pty Ltd and Device Technologies in ophthalmic diagnostic and surgical equipment across Australia and New Zealand. Kylee began her career as an orthoptist.
Dr Linda Swan
Dr Linda Swan has over 30 years’ experience working in senior executive and leadership roles in healthcare, with extensive knowledge of the health system and experience as a medical doctor. Linda is currently the CEO of the for-purpose organisation, Go Gently. Linda was Group Chief Medical Officer at Medibank Private and Clinical Research Director at pharmaceutical company, Merck Sharp & Dohme. Linda has also worked as a GP, board member, and in government advisory roles.
