SECTION VIII Board 2025-2027
2025-2027 ICD Section VIII Board Members
Back row (L-R): Graeme Ting (Registrar), Rick Sawers AM and David Crum ONZM (International Councillors)
3rd row (L-R): Tom Tseng (Immediate Past President), Ian Meyers OAM (President)
2nd row (L-R): Petrina Bowden (President-Elect), Jenny Ball (Editor & Regent WA)
Front row (L-R): Anu Polster (Regent VIC), Sabrina Manickam (Regent NSW)
Not pictured: Jonathan Christo (Regent SA)
3rd row (L-R): Tom Tseng (Immediate Past President), Ian Meyers OAM (President)
2nd row (L-R): Petrina Bowden (President-Elect), Jenny Ball (Editor & Regent WA)
Front row (L-R): Anu Polster (Regent VIC), Sabrina Manickam (Regent NSW)
Not pictured: Jonathan Christo (Regent SA)
On 9 May 2025, at the Section VIII induction ceremony and dinner held at the Parmelia Hilton Hotel in Perth, WA the Section VIII Board for 2025-2027 was installed. Dr Tom Tseng (NSW) transferred the Presidential chain of office to Prof Ian Meyers OAM (QLD). Dr Graeme Ting (NZ) stepped into the position of Registrar as Dr Petrina Bowden (QLD) took on the position of President-Elect. Dr Jenny Ball remains Editor for Section VIII. Dr Sabrina Manickam was welcomed as the new Regent for NSW replacing Tom Tseng. Dr Anu Polster was welcomed as the new Regent for Victoria replacing Rob Adams. Dr Jonathan Christo remains the Regent for SA. The next changeover of officers will take place at the ICD induction ceremony in 2027 at the time of the Australian Dental Congress.
NZDA YOUNG DENTISTS ACTION GROUP
SPEAKER DEVELOPMENT DAY
Article by Sarala Meenken, Event and Programme Manager
SPEAKER DEVELOPMENT DAY
Article by Sarala Meenken, Event and Programme Manager
Section VIII of ICD has proudly sponsored the NZDA Young Dentist Action Group (YDAG) Speaker Development Day since 2016. The Young Dentist Action Group consists of young NZDA members who we envision as future leaders within our profession. The Speaker Development Day is a crucial part of their development, setting them on the right path. By the end of the day, they leave with the skills and confidence to present to a wider range of audiences. We hope they will, in turn, become involved in further leadership opportunities at the local branch level, within the community, among their colleagues, and for several, at the NZDA Board level.
The 2025 NZDA YDAG Speaker Development Day took place on Saturday 22nd February in Auckland. Twelve young dentists from across the country participated in the event, which was facilitated by Belinda Bryant from Influence Coaching. The day was highly successful, with participants acquiring new skills and building confidence through practice and presentations among their peers. “Speaker development day was amazing, I had low expectations of it and feel quite confident speaking publicly so was unsure how it would help, but wow, my expectations were well exceeded. I picked up on so many important bits that could improve my public speaking and really feel as though everything I learnt on that course I could easily apply to the next time I was required to publicly speak. I could not recommend this course more for anyone, whether a complete novice or a long time, almost professional public speaker, anyone will pick up the tips. Hope to use and harness
further my skills at some point in the future.” Rose Wu, Wellington representative. “I found it very enjoyable, and I particularly liked the public speaking workshop.” Souhei Chan, Taranaki Branch representative.
The group's initial planning meeting took place the afternoon before the Speaker Development Day. It was a very productive session, as this year's new group is full of enthusiastic young dentists eager to make a difference. Like the previous group, this year's members decided to break into smaller working groups to
achieve more. This year's working groups are: 1. Employment, 2. Resources & Publications, 3. Education, 4. Social Media & Promotion. These groups will certainly have their work cut out for them. It's inspiring to see the passion of these young dentists and their willingness to put in significant effort to drive change.
A big thank you to ICD for their continued support.
The 2025 NZDA YDAG Speaker Development Day took place on Saturday 22nd February in Auckland. Twelve young dentists from across the country participated in the event, which was facilitated by Belinda Bryant from Influence Coaching. The day was highly successful, with participants acquiring new skills and building confidence through practice and presentations among their peers. “Speaker development day was amazing, I had low expectations of it and feel quite confident speaking publicly so was unsure how it would help, but wow, my expectations were well exceeded. I picked up on so many important bits that could improve my public speaking and really feel as though everything I learnt on that course I could easily apply to the next time I was required to publicly speak. I could not recommend this course more for anyone, whether a complete novice or a long time, almost professional public speaker, anyone will pick up the tips. Hope to use and harness
further my skills at some point in the future.” Rose Wu, Wellington representative. “I found it very enjoyable, and I particularly liked the public speaking workshop.” Souhei Chan, Taranaki Branch representative.
The group's initial planning meeting took place the afternoon before the Speaker Development Day. It was a very productive session, as this year's new group is full of enthusiastic young dentists eager to make a difference. Like the previous group, this year's members decided to break into smaller working groups to
achieve more. This year's working groups are: 1. Employment, 2. Resources & Publications, 3. Education, 4. Social Media & Promotion. These groups will certainly have their work cut out for them. It's inspiring to see the passion of these young dentists and their willingness to put in significant effort to drive change.
A big thank you to ICD for their continued support.
INAUGURAL GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP (GOHL) INSTITUTE PROGRAM
The Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Institute is a program aimed at individuals who wish to advance oral health agendas in their own countries and to gain a broader understanding of the global oral health system. Previously titled the “Senior Dental Leadership Program” and managed by the UK based charity the Global Child Dental Fund (GCDF), the program transitioned to ICD in 2024 and was rebranded as the ICD Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Institute.
The institute’s one-year program seeks to instil strategic leadership skills to support implementation of solutions for improving oral health and systemic wellness worldwide. The inaugural 2025 ICD program includes a full year of international delegate engagement, virtual sessions and a one-week residential course. It features a blend of theoretical inputs, provocations, practical exercises, peer engagement and a systems thinking approach to strategic leadership. The 2025 program began in January, focusing on leadership development, project-focused interdisciplinary collaboration, and the creation of a sustainable global network of leaders and alumni. The 2025 one-week residential course was held in Boston April 27 – May 2 and was attended by 18 delegates (pictured above). The inaugural cohort of delegates is a diverse group of practitioners, educators, industry entrepreneurs, and humanitarians representing ten countries and various backgrounds.
Delegates from Australia and New Zealand
Drs Stephen Liew from Victoria and Rianna Clarke from New Zealand are two of the 20 dentists from around the world participating in the 2025 ICD GOHL Institute program.
The institute’s one-year program seeks to instil strategic leadership skills to support implementation of solutions for improving oral health and systemic wellness worldwide. The inaugural 2025 ICD program includes a full year of international delegate engagement, virtual sessions and a one-week residential course. It features a blend of theoretical inputs, provocations, practical exercises, peer engagement and a systems thinking approach to strategic leadership. The 2025 program began in January, focusing on leadership development, project-focused interdisciplinary collaboration, and the creation of a sustainable global network of leaders and alumni. The 2025 one-week residential course was held in Boston April 27 – May 2 and was attended by 18 delegates (pictured above). The inaugural cohort of delegates is a diverse group of practitioners, educators, industry entrepreneurs, and humanitarians representing ten countries and various backgrounds.
Delegates from Australia and New Zealand
Drs Stephen Liew from Victoria and Rianna Clarke from New Zealand are two of the 20 dentists from around the world participating in the 2025 ICD GOHL Institute program.
Dr Riana Clarke was born and raised in Ireland and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin as a dentist in 1991. She completed a master’s in dental public health at University College Cork in 1997. In 2004, Rianna moved with her family to New Zealand where she initially worked part-time in the School Dental Service and part-time in private practice. In 2016, Dr. Clarke took a role in the New Zealand Ministry of Health as the National Clinical Director, Oral Health.
Dr Stephen Liew is the Immediate Past President of ADA Inc. Stephen is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with Order of Merit, the HWA Health Sector Leadership Program and a member of the Australasian Society of Association Executives. A dentist with experience in both the public and private sectors, he has volunteered in a variety of programs in locations such as Nepal, Central Australian Aboriginal communities and rural Victoria. Clinically, he is a partner at Camberwell Dental Group and Monash University Health Services, leading a team of 27 staff. Stephen is a Fellow of ICD Section VIII.
SECTION VIII INDUCTION CEREMONY AND DINNER
International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour (Sydney)
26 September 2023
New Fellows inducted in Sydney on 26 September 2023 (listed below in alphabetical order) with Section VIII President Tom Tseng: Khaled Ahmed (QLD), Poppy Anastassiadis (SA), Abdul Aziz (NZ), Paula Bacchia (VIC), Mahmoud Bakr (QLD), Donna Batchelor (NZ), Christopher Bourke (ACT), Craig Brown (NSW), Anthony Craig (QLD), Sandro D'Adamo (VIC), Fabrizio Damiani (SA), Alan Deutsch (NSW), Prashanth Dhanpal (NSW), Jodie Dobson (VIC), Andrew Flatau (NSW), Amy Fung (VIC), Vaibhav Garg (SA), Andrew Gikas (VIC), Sophie Halpin (NSW), Kenneth Hooi (NSW), Jay Hsing (QLD), Emma Jay (NSW), Yong Kho (NSW), Rohan Krishnan (NSW), Som-Ling Leung (QLD), Mathew Lim (VIC), Clare Lin (VIC), Trudy Lin (SA), Simrit Malhi (NSW), Stephen Moate (NSW), Martin Nash (NSW), Jodie Olivier (NSW), Wayne Ottaway (TAS), Angelo Pacella (VIC), Evangelos Papageorgiou (SA), Melanie Patney (NSW), Gregory Peake (ACT), Ajith Polonowita (NZ), Archana Pradhan (SA), Kerrie Ann Punshon (VIC), Alessandro Quaranta (NSW), Mehdi Rahimi (NSW), Rohan Rodricks (NSW), Vicki Rozos (NSW), Sal Shahidi (NSW), Dileep Sharma (NSW), Robert Shea (SA), Michael Smith (VIC), Catherine Snelling (Honorary) (SA), Ravi Srinivas (NSW), Jeremy Sternson (VIC), Karen Such (ACT), Katy Theodore (VIC), Mohit Tolani (NSW), Darren Townsend (SA), Andrew Tucker (VIC), Dushy Umakhanthan (VIC), Rajiv Verma (NSW), Joe Wang (NSW), Felicity Wardlaw (VIC), Arosha Weerakoon (QLD), David Whelan (VIC), Brian Whitley (NZ), Rebecca Wong (VIC), Albert Yaacoub (NSW), Evelyn Yeung (VIC), Jessica Zachar (QLD), Khaled Zoud (NSW).
The 2023 ICD induction ceremony and dinner were held at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour (Sydney) on September 26th at the time of the FDI and Australian Dental Congresses. The evening was attended by 160 ICD Fellows and their guests. 69 new Fellows, as listed above, from throughout Australia and New Zealand were inducted on the night which is a record number of inductees at a Section VIII induction ceremony (“covid catch up”).
Unfortunately, a few Fellows who had planned to attend for induction had to cancel at the last minute. Consequently, a total of ten Fellows were inducted in absentia. Six active Fellows were inducted in absentia: Sofie Bui (QLD), Ioan Jones (TAS), Rachel Martin (VIC), Jane Pinchback (SA), Alistair Soon (QLD) and Heiko Spallek (NSW). Four Honorary Fellows were inducted in absentia: William Alimani (Democratic Republic of Congo), Alastair Sloan (VIC), Janet Wallace (NSW) and Ringo Wanzirendi (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Special guests at the dinner included Guest Speaker David Goldsmith and Joan Goldsmith, Fellows Graham Toulmin AM and Wendy Toulmin AM, ADA President Stephen Liew and Susanna Liew, RACDS President Susan Wise, NZDA President Amanda Johnston and the ICD Regent for Greece and Cyprus Dimitris Emmanouil. Four ADA state Presidents were present: Vaibhav Garg (SA), Amit Gurbuxani (WA), Jay Hsing (QLD) and Rohan Krishnan (NSW).
Registrar Petrina Bowden opened the evening’s formalities by welcoming Fellows and guests and delivering the Registrar’s report. A ceremonial changeover of Presidents was conducted with outgoing President Rick Sawers AM handing over the chain of office to incoming President Tom Tseng. Tom spoke of Rick’s outstanding service to Section VIII during his two year term as President. Tom concluded his vote of thanks by announcing that Rick has been appointed as the second International Councillor for Section VIII commencing from November 6 when Jackie Robinson steps down as International Councillor. Rick then addressed the new Fellows on the meaning and honour of ICD Fellowship.
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Fellows Graham Toulmin AM and Wendy Toulmin AM attended this special occasion to accept the symbols of ICD Fellowship – the ICD certificate, Section VIII gold key and ICD lapel pin – on behalf of William Alimani and Ringo Wanzirendi of the Democratic Republic of Congo who were inducted in absentia as Honorary Fellows. Graham and Wendy had just returned from the Congo where a very special ceremony was conducted to personally present the ICD certificates, keys and pins to William and Ringo.
Tom announced the departure of Section VIII International Councillor Jackie Robinson after 18 years of service on the Board. Tom also announced the retirement of Section VIII Administrative Officer Ron Robinson at the end of January 2024 and introduced Dr Kavita Lobo as the new Admin Officer for Section VIII.
An ICD Distinguished Service Award was presented to Fellow David Goldsmith (VIC). David is only the fourth Section VIII Fellow to be awarded the prestigious ICD Distinguished Service Award.
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David Goldsmith concluded the formal part of the evening with an inspirational presentation on his extensive volunteer work in the South Pacific islands, “27 Years of Building Bridges”. David’s presentation highlighted establishing and improving sustainable dental services in the South Pacific through collaborations with local organisations and people and a wide network of other collaborators. His presentation illustrated programs in Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands in recent years.
As always, the evening allowed Fellows and their guests time for collegiality which is a highlight of any ICD function. CLICK HERE to see photos taken throughout the evening. CLICK HERE to view the induction program which includes abbreviated bios of the new Fellows inducted in Sydney.
The next ICD induction ceremonies will be held in Christchurch in August 2024 at the time of the NZDA Conference and in Perth in 2025 at the time of the Australian Dental Conference. Invitations with details will be sent to all Section VIII Fellows in due course.
For additional information please contact:
Dr Kavita Lobo, Administrative Officer
[email protected]
ICD Council Office Website
Dr Kavita Lobo, Administrative Officer
[email protected]
ICD Council Office Website
