Our Board Members are owners of independent hearing clinics,
who generously donate their time to Hearing Business Alliance
The Birth of an Alliance
"Why can't I find someone who'll answer my question?" ... "If I can't solve this, I'll lose everything."
After years of the frustrations of our marketplace and the bureaucratic decisions affecting our livelihoods, a few of us got together in 2016 and formed HBA. We initially honed in on unethical business practises, and also how government policy was impacting us. We navigated long corridors and tackled some tough issues - and still do.
We're not professional lobbyists,"... we're still audiologists and audiometrists running small, independent practices."
We now have a strong network, advocate and collaborate with many dedicated industry and public service professionals, and nurture those relationships to keep valuable channels of communication open.
Ethics - and transparency - is our core.
Underpinning all that is the loyal support of our Members. We still have a lot of work to do, and invite you to join us.
HBA Board and Executive
Lizette Fourie
Chair
Lizette is an audiologist and independent hearing care business co-owner, employing audiologists and audiometrists in nine clinics throughout Australia. Having clinics spread over five different states brings various business challenges which she has navigated for twelve years. She has gained experience, and received coaching, in most areas of business, including financial management, human resources, operations and marketing. She has a passion for empowering others, especially employees, to reach their potential in their roles. Lizette qualified as a Speech therapist, before changing over to Audiology, and has since worked in various audiology settings gaining experience in clinical practice, before joining her husband in their hearing care business.
Terry Clayton
Treasurer
Terry’s initial contribution to the hearing health sector began in 1997, when he commenced working as a Technician for Australian Hearing. He completed the Audiometry course in 2004 and worked there as an Audiometrist from 2004 to 2013. He started his own independent audiology business in 2013, located in Pialba, Queensland, and is well known for providing a friendly and welcoming service to locals throughout the Hervey Bay and Maryborough region. Prior to commencing work in the hearing health sector, Terry served in the Royal Australian Navy for ten years. He is passionate about providing hearing services to returned Veterans and has extensive knowledge and experience dealing with the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Nicole Bowden, B.Sc, Dip.Aud., MAudA (CCP)
Secretary
Nicole is the principal audiologist and manager of an independent hearing care provider, with over thirty years experience. Since completing tertiary qualifications at the University of Melbourne in 1991, she is dedicated to improving hearing health delivery. She is a member of Audiology Australia, and advocates for small business audiologists and audiometrists. She believes in independent hearing clinics across Australia, what they stand for, and what they can offer. Nicole is recognised as an industry key opinion leader for independent practices and for her forward-thinking and progressive approach to hearing care.
Shukri Abi
Director
Shukri is Founder and Director of Abi Hearing, an independent audiology clinic in Melbourne, specialising in complex hearing problems. She is a member of the Audiological Society of Australia, Independent Audiology Australia, and has a MSc Audiology (Merit), Auckland University, New Zealand. After moving to Australia, she served as a clinical leader and Head of Audiology at Royal Melbourne Hospital for four years. With over eighteen years’ clinical and business audiology experience, she is a great advocate for hearing equality and access. Shukri has an infectious entrepreneurial nature and loves to inspire people to challenge expectations, believe they can achieve anything, embrace their community, and take part in solving the big problems facing our society and planet. She has four young children and treasures family time.
Diana Bienvenu, MA (Audiology), MAudA (CCP)
Director
Diana is passionate about the role small business plays in our industry as well as the importance of providing individualised client-focussed hearing care. She joined the HBA Board in 2020. Following her audiology degree in the USA in 1976, she provided diagnostic audiology services to people throughout Northeast Victoria for many years. In 1998, Diana and her husband Fred formed an independent audiology practice in Northeast Victoria to continue the tradition of high-quality hearing care, both diagnostic and aural rehabilitation, for all members of their community.
Gayle Dicieri
Director
Gayle, a founding member of HBA, returned to the Board in 2020, and also served as Chair from March 2021 to November 2023. She is a director of her family-owned audiology practice in South East Queensland, which has been in operation since 1992. She has been actively involved in the profession since the 1970s, and started her career in Victoria before moving to Queensland in 1988. As well as holding key positions in other peak professional bodies since moving to Queensland, Gayle was in the first group of Audiometrists to attain a Bachelor of Audiometry from the University of New England.
Emma Batrouney (Heale), BHlthSci, MClinAud, MAudA
Director
Emma is the principal audiologist and director of an independent hearing care provider in Glen Iris and Rye in Victoria. She graduated from La Trobe University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Clinical Audiology. Since then, Emma has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Commerce and is currently completing her Doctor of Audiology. She has worked in diagnostic and rehabilitative audiology since graduating and started her own practice to deliver high quality, ethical and exceptional hearing care to the local community. As a new business, Emma found HBA instrumental in supporting its success and wants to support HBA in encouraging others to pursue their careers in independent practice too.
Jane MacDonald, BSC., DipAud., MAud. SA, (CCP)
Chief Executive Officer
Jane is an Audiologist and independent hearing care business co-owner. With over 35 years' experience, and now employing a team of Audiologists and Audiometrists across sixteen Victoria and NSW rural practices, she knows the challenges of rural clinic service delivery. She is a passionate advocate in pursuit of ethics in the hearing care industry, and for equitable opportunity and support for small businesses. Jane understands the legislative processes, has worked with HBA since its inception, is a full member of both Audiology Australia and the Australian College of Audiology and the current Chair of the Hearing Health Sector Alliance. She has worked in diagnostic audiology in Australian and UK public hospitals, and in neonatal diagnostic audiology and adult rehabilitation in rural Australia. She also mentors many graduate intern Audiologists, and supports them with clinic placements.
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Stephen Logan
Business Manager
Stephen is a founding member of HBA, and an experienced sales and business management professional, with experience in both Australian and UK markets. He has a diverse academic background in both business and nursing and has had successful sales and management careers in various hearing/medical/surgical and healthcare sales positions. He holds a Certificate in General Nursing, a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) Accounting and Business/Management from the University of Queensland and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), MBA Executive Distinction from RMIT. Following twelve years as the Sales and Business Unit Manager for Sivantos within the Australian independent hearing market, Stephen established SJL Business Consultancy to offer specialised business consultancy services to the hearing industry.