Our people
Meet the NextSense leadership team, board members, ambassadors and honourees who are helping us redefine what’s possible every day.
Our team
From the classroom to the boardroom, our team is committed to delivering the world’s best hearing and vision services to people of all ages, right across Australia.
Learn more about our Vice Patrons, who play an important role in supporting our ambitions.
The Hon John Howard
Vice Patron | OM AC
The Hon John Winston Howard OM AC served as Australia’s 25th Prime Minister between March 1996 and November 2007. He is the nation’s second longest serving Prime Minister, was a Member of Parliament for 33 years, and was Treasurer in an earlier government.
During his term in office, Mr Howard made significant reforms in workplace relations, taxation, privatisation and welfare, and implemented national gun control laws.
Mr Howard is a Companion of the Order of Australia and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian award in the United States—by President George W Bush. In January 2012, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Mr Howard to the Order of Merit. In 2013, he received the Japanese Award, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
Michael Easson
AM
Michael Easson AM graduated with a BA (Hons) in Politics from the University of NSW, and has a PhD in history from the Australian Defence Force Academy, an MSc in urban development from Campion Hall at the University of Oxford, and a PhD in transport planning from the University of Melbourne.
He co-founded EG Funds Management in 2000 and has served on boards in insurance, water, energy, property management, and transport infrastructure. He is currently serving on the board of the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation.
Michael was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1997.
Michael was born with auditory nerve deafness and is greatly impressed with the work of NextSense.
Hon Sam Mostyn
Vice Regal Patron
Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Ms Sam Mostyn AC was sworn in as Australia’s 28th Governor-General on 1 July 2024.
A businesswoman and community leader, Ms Mostyn is known for her exceptional service to the Australian community. She has a long history in executive and governance roles across diverse sectors, including business, sport, climate change, the arts, policy and not-for-profit.
Learn more about our Vice Patrons, who play an important role in supporting our ambitions.
The Hon John Howard
President | BEc, LLB, MAICD
Mr Dinte is a property developer with extensive experience in commercial, retail, industrial and residential development, acquisition and management in both Australia and the United States of America.
Mr Dinte is a Director of Souths Cares. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centres. Mr Dinte joined the board in 2000, was appointed a Vice President in 2009. In December 2019, Mr Dinte was appointed President and Chairman of the Board. He is also a Life Member of NextSense.
Mr Matt Pearce
Vice President | BEc, LLB, MAICD
Mr Pearce has an extensive career in media and events. He has worked in newspapers and magazines and, for the last 18 years, events.
He has strong mergers and acquisition experience and sits on a number of industry boards. He has been involved in hearing services in Victoria for the last 25 years, previously serving as Chairman and Board Director for Taralye and Taralye Foundation. Mr Pearce joined the board in 2018 and was appointed a Vice President in 2021.
The Hon Robyn Parker
Vice President | DipEd, DipTeach, GAICDMs
Robyn Parker has over 30 years of public sector experience. Beginning with roles in child and family services across a number of disadvantaged communities, Robyn spent 14 years as a TAFE teacher of child studies and as a CEO of ageing and disability organisation.
She also spent 12 years as an MLC, MP and Cabinet Minister in the NSW Government. Currently, Robyn serves as a non-executive director of several not-for-profit and government boards such as Hume Housing and Hunter Local Land Services. Robyn joined the Board in 2019 and was appointed Vice President in 2024.
Clinical Professor Catherine Birman OAM
Directors | MBBS, PhD, FRACS, GAICD
Clinical Professor Birman is one of the most experienced cochlear implant surgeons in the world, having performed almost 2000 cochlear implant procedures for children and adults from three months to well over 90 years.
A pioneer in the field of cochlear implants, particularly for children with complex medical conditions, paediatric and adult outcomes, Clinical Professor Birman is the Medical Director of the cochlear implant program at NextSense and a board member.
She has been a past Chairman of the NSW Australian Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, past Secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Otolaryngology Society, and has served on a number of hospital and NSW government committees. In 2017, she was awarded the New South Wales Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year. In 2018, she was awarded the ASOHNS Society Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the Art and Science of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
Mr Charles M Cowper
Director | BA, LLB, FAICD
Charles Cowper is a solicitor and former partner of national commercial law firms, Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Gadens Lawyers. He is currently a consultant to global law firm Dentons.
He is an acknowledged expert in mergers and acquisitions, corporate law and governance. He has held board positions in a range of for profit and for purpose organisations including in education, on the Council of Shore School and in disability, as a director of Royal Blind Society of New South Wales. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Charles joined the board in May 2017.
Mr Rod Jackson
Director | MBA, BEc, GAICD, FCPA, FFIN
Mr Jackson is non-executive director of a range of businesses. Domestically, Mr Jackson is a Director of NextSense, NGM Group, FINSIA, Searson Buck Group and Chair of the ODEO Group.
Internationally, he has been Chair of Westpac Europe Ltd and is Adviser to Executive Global Network in Singapore. In financial services, Mr Jackson worked as an executive at Westpac Banking Corporation for over 40 years, 11 of which was spent in Asia and Europe. Mr Jackson has been a chief financial officer (CFO) or chief operating officer (CEO) for the last 20 years and retired from the role of CFO of Westpac Institutional Bank in January 2021. He joined the NextSense Board in 2023.
Ms Jane Simmons PSM
Director | BMus, MEd (Admin)
Ms Jane Simmons PSM has more than 35 years’ experience in public education leadership positions, with significant expertise in leading others through change.
Ms Simmons recently retired as Deputy Director-General of the ACT Government’s Education Directorate and has held a number of executive leadership positions within the NSW Department of Education. Ms Simmons is a member of several jurisdictional and national boards and committees, including the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA) Board, and is an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University and the University of Canberra. In 2020, she was awarded a Public Service Medal for her services to education.
Learn more about the leadership team who drive NextSense forward.
Chris Rehn
Chief Executive | JP, BBus, DipAppSc
Chris has led NextSense since 2010 and has deep expertise in steering a wide-ranging and complex program of work across clinical service delivery, research and education in sensory disability.
He has spearheaded the organisation’s growth, its merger with seven other businesses and its continued development of Australia’s largest and most comprehensive cochlear implant program. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the health industry, having worked across public, private and not-for-profit hospital and health management. And he is well recognised for his longstanding leadership and involvement with cochlear implantation in Australia. Chris is a Harvard Club Australia Non Profit Fellow. He has an unwavering commitment to, and passion for, the health, disability, and not-for-profit sector.
Shy Bastianpillai
Chief Financial Officer | FCPA, FCMA (UK), CGMA
Shy is an accomplished financial executive, having held a number of senior financial management roles with multinational organisations.
She joined RIDBC (now NextSense) in 2016 from BAE Systems, where she spent 10 years in senior finance roles. Shy has extensive experience and a proven track record in financial management and business transformation, and is a people-focused leader, with a passion for coaching others.
Hockman Chang
Director, Technology, Operations & Property | B Const Mgt, MRE, Dip App Sc, Cert Risk Mgt
Hockman has extensive experience and expertise within the project and program management disciplines.
Prior to joining RIDBC (now NextSense) in 2013, he held senior management roles in a number of ASX Top 50 multinationals across a range of industries, including property, construction, operations, risk and work health and safety.
David Eljiz
Chief Operating Officer | BCom, LLB, GDLP
David Eljiz commenced working with NextSense in July 2022. He is an accomplished executive leader with significant experience in service delivery, change management, organisational strategy and operations management.
Prior to joining the organisation, he held senior leadership roles in the education and legal sectors. David has extensive expertise working with major non-profit, commercial and public sector clients across a range of industries including disability, education, health and aged care.
Professor Greg Leigh AO
Director, NextSense Institute | DipTeach, BEd, MSc, PhD, FACE
Professor Leigh has built an impressive career specialising in education for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
He is currently Chairman of the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee. He is a former National President of the Education Commission for the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf and is Chair or Co-Chair of the International Steering Committees of both the Asia-Pacific Congress on Deafness (APCD) and the International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED).
Neha Sharma
Director, People and Governance | BScience (Psychology), LLB and GDLP
Neha commenced working with NextSense in August 2023. Prior to joining NextSense, she has held leadership roles in the not-for-profit, government and legal sectors.
Neha has extensive experience in change management, workplace relations and human resources and has expertise in employment law, school law, child protection law, organisational governance and compliance. She has worked with major not-for-profit, commercial and public sector clients across a number of industries including education, disability and healthcare.
Nicole Smith
Director, Marketing and Communications | BHSHM, MBus
Nicole Smith is a senior marketing and communications executive with over 20 years’ experience, ranging across industries and sectors including not-for-profit, information technology, retail and sports.
In her roles she has successfully led major organisational change responses, built brand campaigns and marketing initiatives designed to help organisations grow, driven internal and external communication strategies to improve engagement and change management, and developed organisational strategy. Nicole joined NextSense, formerly RIDBC, in 2015, managing the organisation’s strategic and internal stakeholder communication. In her current role as Director, Marketing and Communications she leads the marketing, communications and brand function, and recently spearheaded the organisation’s rebrand from RIDBC, and its group of companies, to NextSense.