The appointment of Clinical Associate Professor Matthew Hopcraft

Australian Dental Association

Chief Executive Officer

Clinical Associate Professor Matthew Hopcraft

The ADA is a not-for-profit professional membership organisation. Its members include the great majority of practising dentists, nearly all students of dentistry and a committed cohort of retired dentists.  At a national level, the ADA is governed by the 17 member Federal Council, which is responsible for the strategic direction, vision, and high-level operation of the Association. The ADA maintains an active presence in every state and territory via its Branches who provide education and face-to-face assistance to members, delivering public oral health advisory services, and advocating on issues impacting key stakeholders.

Brooker Consulting was engaged by the Federal Council of the Australian Dental Association (ADA) in July 2016 to support the organisation in its recruitment of a Chief Executive Officer who would oversee the management of all its branches within each Australian state and territory.

Brooker Consulting undertook a comprehensive executive search campaign, combined with print media, to identify and present the very best available candidates for consideration.   After a rigorous assessment process, the ADA appointed Damian Mitsch to the position of CEO.  Damian is a career association professional who has held executive roles in some of Australia’s largest allied health membership organisations, such as the Australian Physiotherapy Association and the Australian Podiatry Council.  Damian has had previous company directorship experience including positions on the Board of Austin Health, the Australian Society of Association Executives, Chair of the National Primary Health Care Partnership, a director of Allied Health Professions Australia and President of The Bridge Inc. He holds an MBA and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

As a result of the nationwide process, the Victorian representative on the Federal Council invited Brooker Consulting to submit a proposal for executive search services when it was necessary to appoint a CEO for the Australian Dental Association Victoria Branch some months later. Brooker was successful in their bid and Clinical Associate Professor Matthew Hopcraft was the successful candidate appointed at the end of the search campaign.  

Matthew is a dental public health expert and has over 20 years’ of experience in a broad range of fields including administration, teaching, research and clinical practice. He commenced his career serving as a dental officer in the Australian Army, before pursuing an academic career, teaching public dental health and general practice dentistry at The University of Melbourne where he was the Director of Clinical Education. He has worked in both public and private dental practices in metropolitan and rural locations, and in a senior administrative position at the Australian Dental Council. 

He took over from a CEO who had led the Victorian branch of the ADA for 26 years.

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Lesley Lightfoot

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P: 0429 381 277

E: lesley@brookerconsulting.com.au

Brooker Consulting is a prominent Australian talent acquisition and leadership advisory firm specialising in appointing interim and substantive CEOs, Board positions and C-suite executives. Our expertise spans the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on biotechnology, research, and health technology organisations.

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