Management Team

Vision 2020 Australia is governed by a Board of Directors who bring a wealth of experience to help us achieve our mission.

Board of Directors

• The Hon Dr Barry Jones AO (Chair)
• Professor Hugh Taylor AC (Deputy Chair)
• Professor Brien Holden, OAM (Deputy Chair)
• Ms Sandra Bailey
• Dr Iain Dunlop
• Janet Holmes à Court AC
• Mr John Jeffries
• Professor Brian Layland OAM
• Mr Gerard Menses
• Ms Sheila O'Sullivan
• Professor Richard Smallwood AO
• Ms Belinda Sullivan
• Professor Deborah Sweeney
• Mr Anthony John Wright

CHAIR: The Hon Dr Barry Jones, AO, FAA, FAHA, FTSE, FASSA, FRSA, FRSV, FAIM

Former Member, Victorian Legislative Assembly (1972-77); Former Member of the House of Representatives (1977-98); Former Minister for Science (1983-90); Australia's Representative to UNESCO in Paris (1991-95); Former National President, Australian Labor Party (1992-2000, 2005-06); Vice Chancellor's Fellow, Melbourne University.

Barry is a writer and broadcaster, and serves on four medical research boards. He is the only person to have been elected as a Fellow of all four Australian learned Academies. His best-known book is Sleepers, Wake! Technology and the Future of Work (1982), which ran to 26 impressions. He also wrote the Dictionary of World Biography (1994) and an autobiography, A Thinking Reed (2006).

DEPUTY CO-CHAIR: Professor Hugh Taylor, AC, MD (Melb), MB, BS (Melb), BMedSc (Melb), DO (Melb), FRANZCO, FRACS, FAAO, FACS, FAICD

The Inaugural Harold Mitchell Chair of Indigenous Eye Health and Chairman, University of Melbourne; Director, World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness, Director, Vision CRC; Chair, Western Pacific Region International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness; Director for Advocacy, International Council of Ophthalmology.

Hugh is a practising ophthalmologist who has been actively involved in research and teaching for 30 years and has published over 500 papers.

DEPUTY CO-CHAIR: Professor Brien Holden, OAM, BappSC, LOSc, PhD, DSc

Chair and CEO, International Centre for Eye Care Education; Fellow, American Academy of Optometry; Fellow, Victorian College of Optometry and Diploma Contact Lens Practice (DCLP); Scientia Professor, School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW; Director and Deputy CEO, Vision Cooperative Research Centre; CEO, Institute for Eye Research; Chairman, Global Optometry Giving Sight; Chairman of the Board of Management, VisionCare NSW; Chair, WHO's Refractive Error Working Group, Vision 2020: Right to Sight Global (2001-present); Chairman/CEO, International Centre for Eyecare Education (1998-present); Member of Executive and Assistant Treasurer, Optometric Vision Research Foundation (1973-present); Member, Advisory Board of the Australian Centre for Diabetes Strategies (2003-present); Honorary Life Member, New Zealand Contact Lens Society; Fellow, Body of Fellows of the Contact Lens Society of Australia (1997-present).

DIRECTOR: Ms Sandra Bailey, LLB (Melb)

Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC); Co-Chair, NSW Aboriginal Health Partnership (between the Aboriginal community and the NSW Department of Health); Co-Chair, Aboriginal Health Priority Taskforce; Member, NSW Health Care Advisory Council.

Sandra is a member of the Yota Yota nation with a background in law and Aboriginal health and a strong involvement in the Aboriginal community sector. She has been involved in a number of Aboriginal community organisations at local, regional, state and national levels, including the Medical Service at Cummerangunja in southern NSW. She has lectured in legal studies in Aboriginal community colleges and cultural awareness programs. Sandra also worked as a solicitor with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and was head of the Victorian Aboriginal Issues Unit of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

DIRECTOR: Dr Iain Dunlop, MBBs (Hons), FRANZCO, FRACS

President and a Member of the Board of Directors of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and a RANZCO Federal Councillor. He is Chairman of the Sydney Hospital Medical Staff Council, a Visiting Medical Officer to Sydney Eye Hospital and Director of Canberra Eye Hospital.

He is a member of the Federal Government's Professional Service Review Panel, the Australian Day Surgery Council, the Medical Devices Working Group and the Ophthalmic Prosthesis Clinical Advisory Group. Iain has served on the Orthoptic Board of Australia at Federal and State levels.

DIRECTOR: Janet Holmes à Court, AC

Chairman Heytesbury Pty; Chairman, John Holland Group; Chairman, West Australian Symphony Orchestra; Chairman, Australian Children's Television Foundation; Chairman, Urban Design Centre of Western Australia; Commissioner, Tourism Western Australia; Governor, Sony Foundation Australia; Board Member, Rio Tinto WA Future Fund.

COMPANY SECRETARY: Mr John Jeffries, BBus, JP

National Director, CBM Australia; Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors; Director, Centre for Eye Research Australia; Director, Servants in Hawthorn.

DIRECTOR: Professor Brian Layland, OAM, BSc (Opt. Sc), ASTC, FIO

Chair, Institute for Eye Research; Director, Aboriginal Visions Programs (NSW); Board Member, International Centre for Eyecare and Education (ICEE); Board member, Vision CRC; Secretary, Optometric Vision Research Foundation (OVRF); Member of the Council; Optometrist Association Australia (OOA - NSW) since 1955; Former National Vice President, Optometrists Association Australia (OAA) (1971-89); Former Australian Representative, International Optometric and Optical League (IOOL) (1974-87).

Brian is an optometric practitioner, active in the scientific and professional communities. In education he is a visiting lecturer and committee member of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Optometry and Vision Science, and is a Visiting Professor through the Cooperative Research Centre of Eye Research and Technology. He is a member and chairman of many professional committees involved with the government at the state and commonwealth levels. Chief Architect and Overseer Treasurer, Board of VisionCare NSW' and move to previous paragraph.

DIRECTOR: Mr Gerard Menses, BA (Hons), MA, MAPsS, MAICD, FAIM

Chief Executive Officer, Vision Australia (formed with the merger of the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Royal Blind Society of NSW, Vision Australia Foundation and National Information and Library Service); Director, Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA).

Gerard has served on the South Australian Social Justice Advisory Committee; the National Business Services Reform Implementation; the Queensland Disability Funding Review; the South Australian Government's Vision 2020 strategic economic plan, and several other ministerial and economic advisory bodies. He has a background in psychology and family therapy and helped found an international journal of family therapy. He also developed an approach to residential care that is now used internationally. Gerard was named by the Australian Institute of Management as 2001 Professional Manager of the Year, Queensland.

DIRECTOR: Ms Sheila O'Sullivan, BA (Monash), FPRIA, MIPRA

Chairman, Socom Pty Ltd; Board Member, Museum of Victoria.

Sheila is one of the most respected issues managers and communication analysts in Australia. Since the early 1990s, she has won Victorian and/or national Public Relations Institute of Australia awards every year. Her international, award-winning campaigns have covered government relations, community relations, internal communications and media relations.

DIRECTOR: Professor Richard Smallwood, AO, MD, FRACP, FRCP, FACP (Hon)

Chair, National Blood Authority; Chair, Victorian Ministerial Taskforce for Cancer; Chair, Specialist Eduction Accreditation Committee of the Australian Medical Council; Deputy Chair, Bio21 Scientific Advisory Council; Member, Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council; Former President, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (1996-98).

Richard is the former Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and held the role of Vice President of the World Health Organization (WHO) Assembly in Geneva. He has had over 30 years involvement in the teaching of undergraduates and postgraduates, and has published over 250 clinical and scientific papers. Richard also has a longstanding association with the National Health and Medical Research Council.

DIRECTOR: Ms Belinda Sullivan, MBA

CEO, The Eye Foundation (affiliated with RANZCO); Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD); Member, Fundraising Institute of Australia; Member of the Advisory Group, Kookaburra (Peter Cousens' First Australian Musical Theatre Company).

Belinda's passion and drive to make a significant difference to our Australian community began while she investigated serious crime, as a detective in the New South Wales Police Force. Since then Belinda has been focused on international and domestic sustainable development, raising funds and advocating for best practice programs that empower people to reach their full potential. Belinda has an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management and is dedicated to running social sector organisations with the same accountability as businesses.

DIRECTOR: Professor Deborah Sweeney, BOptom PhD

Associate Professor and Chief Executive Officer, Vision Cooperative Research Centre; President (and former Secretary and Member of the Executive) of the International Society for Contact Lens Research; President (and former Secretary and Treasurer) of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators; Secretary General of the international Keratoprothesis (KPro) Study Group; Secretary of VisionCare NSW; Treasurer and Member of the Optometric Vision Research Foundation; Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry; and Member of ARVO; Member, Optometrists Association Australia; Member, Contact Lens Society of Australia.

Deborah received her Bachelor of Optometry from UNSW in 1980, subsequently taking up the position of Professional Officer within the School of Optometry. She became Manager of Basic Research at CCLRU, successively taking on the roles of Deputy Director, Director of Basic Research, and Executive Director. After the establishment of CRCERT in 1991, she was Executive Director of the centre.

DIRECTOR: Mr Anthony John Wright

Board Member, Royal Tasmanian Society for the Blind and Deaf; Board Member, Tasmanian Paralympic Committee; Founding President, Tasmanian Sport and Recreation Association for people with a Disability (TasRad).

For the past 13 years Tony has held the position of Executive Officer of Royal Guide Dogs for the Blind Association of Tasmania and has been secretary since 1994. With a background in Civil Engineering and business Tony is involved with the local Chamber of Commerce, for which he has acted as President, Treasurer and Public Officer.

Audit and Finance Standing Committee

• Mr John Jeffries (Chair)
• Mr Richard Forbes (Independent)
• Janet Holmes à Court AC
• Professor Brian Layland OAM

Corporate and Governance Standing Committee

• Mr Gerard Menses (Chair)
• Dr Iain Dunlop
• Ms Sheila O'Sullivan
• Ms Belinda Sullivan
• Debbie Sweeney

Our Team