See Differently
See Differently Incorporated
See Differently is Incorporated under an Act of the South Australian Parliament – Royal Society for the Blind Act 1934 & 1974.
The Board of Management is accountable to the members of the organisation.
A copy of the Act can be found here
See Differently Board is managed by a Governance Charter which outlines the expectations and conduct of the various members.
The Board
- Guides and monitors the business and affairs of See Differently
- Is responsible for setting its strategic direction
- Approves the annual budget, monitors financial performance, and liaises with See Differently’s Auditors
- Undertakes customer feedback initiatives to determine levels of effectiveness and satisfaction of our services
- Establishes and monitors the achievement of corporate goals
- Ensures the integrity of risk management, legal compliance and quality assurance systems
- Reports to subscribers, stakeholders and regulatory authorities and
- Is also responsible for the appointment, remuneration and succession planning of senior executives.
The Board also appoints, conducts and establishes the terms of reference for the relevant sub-committee to assist it:
- Client Advisory Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
- Investment Sub Committee
- Governance and Nominations Committee
- Property Committee
Kate McKeough
B.A, B.Com, LLB
As a lawyer and Partner in the Corporate & Commercial division of HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, Kate is a specialist in companies and securities law and has a broad practice in general commercial law. Kate has previously served as sole Legal Counsel and Company Secretary of ASX-listed Terramin Australia Limited, and currently serves as Deputy Chair of Adelaide based homelessness charity, Catherine House Inc. Kate’s professional skills and experience position her well to assist the RSB moving forward.
- President, See Differently
- Member, Property Committee
Dr Grant Raymond
MBBS, FRANZCO, GAICD
Grant is an Ophthalmologist – Retina Specialist. He is Vice President , Treasurer and a national Board Director of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).He is a past Chairman of the SA Branch of RANZCO. He is a past Captain and Chairman of the Management Committee of Kooyonga Golf Club. He has a special interest in strategic planning and risk management bringing a balanced skill set to assist See Differently navigate the challenging environment currently being faced by the disability and BVI sectors.
Pieter Haverhoek
MAICD
Pieter’s extensive experience in the retail property industry and as a business owner brings a commercial perspective to the table; he is passionate and has a strong commitment to promoting an awareness for the OPK9 program.
- Vice-President, See Differently
- Chair, OPK9 Advisory Board
- Chair, Property Committee
Barry Clarke
FIPA
Barry brings a unique blend of skills to the See Differently Board; he is a qualified accountant, with broad experience in financial management and corporate governance. Barry is legally blind and an See Differently client therefore understands the challenges and support required by people who are blind or vision impaired.
- Vice-President, See Differently
- Member, Finance & Audit Committee / Investment Sub Committee
- Chair, Client Advisory Committee
Ian Campbell
MBA, FCPA, FAICD
Ian’s strategic business and director skills, along with his financial qualifications, enables him to add value to the governance and operations of See Differently.
- Treasurer, See Differently
- Member, Investment Sub Committee
- Member, Property Committee
Kate Berry
Grad Dip HRM, Dip BUS T
As a senior Human Resources Executive with experience in multiple industries, including tourism, Sport, Retail and professional services, Kate brings a commercial mindset and Human Resources expertise to the Board that will assist See Differently maintain its client centric focus.
- Secretary, See Differently
Professor Celia Chen
MBBS, PhD, FRANZCO
Celia is a consultant neuro-ophthalmologist/clinician scientist and brings firsthand experience and knowledge in relation to the needs of people who are blind or vision impaired.
Jane Ford
BA (Journ), BEC, BA – Hons Politics, PhD
As a corporate communications and policy specialist with broad experience in government and the private sector, together with qualifications in international trade policy, journalism, politics and economics, Jane’s insight will assist the Board with achieving its mission and effectively communicating its goals both internally and externally.
Edward Carlson
MBA, BEc
Ed leads the team at Lumination and specialises in building innovative technology companies. Ed’s passion is EdTech and how innovations in the classroom and workplace prepare people for the changing landscape of technological transformation. Prior to Lumination he worked at Google, TRO and various startups – building teams, products and leading growth in the ANZ region.
Damian Papps
FCA
With over three decades of global financial services experience in public and private sectors Damian is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and is an experienced Director having served on several Boards. Since 2011 he has specialised in Healthcare, with a focus on Aged Care and Retirement Living, hospitals, pharmacy, medical specialists, general practice and disability services.
- Executive Director
The See Differently Client Advisory Committee (CAC) is a subcommittee of the See Differently Board, established under the Constitution of the See Differently to assist the Board of Management in:
- Monitoring the provision of services to See Differently clients
- Provide advice and suggestions to assist Management to formulate the Strategic Plan
- Advise on the relevance of service provision, and
- Assisting with research projects
Contacting the committee
You can contact the committee members to provide feedback on See Differently services using the link below.
The current committee comprises:
Chairperson
Michael Hutchinson
Members
- Ashleigh Stodden
- Christine Davis
- David Olney
- Domenico Trimboli
- Lisa Cundy
- Malcolm Lobban
- Michelle Howse
- Mike Linscott
- Patrick Edwards
- Barry Clarke (ex officio)
- Damian Papps (ex officio)
If you wish to make a comment or complaint specific to your personal circumstances please visit our feedback and complaints page.
Michael Hutchinson (Chair)
Michael is the inaugural chair of See Differently’s refreshed and reinvigorated Client Advisory Committee. He first joined the Committee in 2016.
Michael has over 40 years’ experience as a housing and town planning specialist, working in both the public and private sectors.
He lost his sight in 2015. The support of his partner and See Differently have been pivotal to the rebuilding of his life.
In 2017 Michael was elected to the Board of Directors of a leading Disability provider and in 2018 joined their Finance and Audit Committee. Both Directorships are ongoing.
With a clear understanding of the immediate and ongoing impact the dramatic loss of sight had on both he and his partner, Michael is a passionate advocate for peer support and social inclusion programs.
Ashleigh Stodden
Ashleigh is a clinical psychologist who currently works between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the cancer service, and private practice where she supports children, adolescents, and adults with a range of mental health challenges and disabilities. Ashleigh is an NDIS provider and has a passion for advocating for individuals and supporting them to develop the skills to self-advocate – skills that she uses on a daily basis given her own disability.
Ashleigh was diagnosed with complete achromatopsia at six months old, which classifies her as legally blind. Achromatopsia is a rare eye condition characterised by complete colour-blindness (seeing in only black and white), extreme far-sightedness and near-sightedness, significantly reduced visual acuity, photophobia (inability to see in bright light), and nystagmus (involuntary rapid eye movements).
Ashleigh is originally from North Queensland and has called Adelaide home for the last six years. Ashleigh is married and has two “fur-babies” that she loves to spend her free time with.
Ashleigh holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) degree and Master of Psychology (Clinical) degree from James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland. She held a previous position as a management committee member for the Townsville Suicide Prevention Network from 2015 to 2017 and completed both her Honours and Masters theses in the area of suicide risk awareness and prevention.
Ashleigh recognises that low vision brings a unique challenge to life that can be difficult for others to fully appreciate and understand. She feels very passionate about the power of self-advocating and hopes that she can bring a unique skillset to See Differently that encourages others to acknowledge their strengths and aspire to reach their goals. Ashleigh is eager to connect with and learn from other members of See Differently.
Barry Clarke
Barry is one of See Differently’s Board members and an ex-officio member of the Client Advisory Committee. He is a qualified accountant, with broad experience in financial management and corporate governance. Barry is legally blind and a See Differently client; therefore understands the challenges and support required by people who are blind or vision impaired.
Christine Davis
Christine trained as a Registered Nurse and Midwife in England and after further study became a Health Visitor. After Emigrating to Australia in the 1970s she worked as a school health nurse for SA School Health and then transferred to Child and Youth Health running infant welfare clinics and facilitating parenting programs. In 1996 Christine started work at The Second Story Youth Service as the young parent project worker specifically working with at risk young families.
In 2005 Christine left full time work and somehow worked four jobs. She worked on the parent helpline, which is a phone support and information service for parents. At the same time she worked as a lecturer as SA TAFE teaching in the Community Services program. She also ran parenting programs for foster parents and parents of children with challenging behaviours and finally she was the trainer for Marion Council running mandatory Child Protection Programs for the volunteers. Christine finally retired in 2015 due to sudden decline in her vision. She now attends art classes just for pleasure.
David Olney
David is a marketing and communication strategist who is legally blind. He previously taught complex problem solving and strategic culture at the University of Adelaide.
David has spent his professional life empowering people and learning how to persuasively communicate important ideas. He is a podcaster, plays guitar, practices yoga, and listens to a lot of books. He joined the Client Advisory Committee to help people find ways to thrive.
Domenico Trimboli
Domenico has been a member of the Client Advisory Committee for See Differently since 2021.
With nearly twenty years of experience working in a number of finance, data analysis and policy development positions that have delivered significant policy changes and support the needs of diverse stakeholders, as well as over forty years as a customer of See Differently, Domenico brings both his corporate knowledge and change management experience combined with his experience as a client of See Differently to support the role of the Client Advisory Committee.
Lisa Cundy
Lisa is currently the Ministerial Liaison for the SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission and worked in an Executive Assistant role at SAPOL at Assistant Commissioner level. She has worked for an NDIS provider and service coordinator and has always self-managed her own NDIS plan.
Lisa is passionate about supporting people to access and navigate the NDIS process. She works full time with the support of her guide dog Lana and wants to encourage and support blind or low vision people to remain working as long as they wish to.
She likes to spend her spare time going to cafés with friends, walks along the beach/lake and remaining physically active with Lana. Support and advocacy for people to See Differently is extremely important to her.
Dr Malcolm Lobban
Malcolm has been working in the field of Education, Disability, Careers and Counselling for the past 20 years, making a major career change in 1998 following 15 years in Resource Management with the Australian Public Service. Legally blind since he was 19, Malcolm has almost 40 years’ experience in the workforce as a person with a disability and is a staunch advocate for disability rights, anti-discrimination policy and associated legislation. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and First Class Honours degrees in Disability Studies, Graduate Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and LOTE and Diploma of Languages (German) from Flinders University, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Education (Career Development) from UniSA. In 2020 Malcolm also completed a professional Doctorate in Education at UniSA, with the thesis title; ‘Education for all – careers for some?’
Malcolm has extensive experience as a Board Member of several schools and community organisations and was elected to the Adult Learning Australia Board in 2014 for a three-year term following membership of the Access and Participation Reference Group of the SA Training and Skills Commission in 2013-2014. Malcolm hopes to bring a depth of skill to the See Differently Client Advisory Committee in the area of education, especially for people of all ages who wish to ‘finish school’. A passionate supporter of the ‘underdog’, Malcolm is currently employed as Leader of International Education at Unley High School, working with young people from overseas who are learning English as an additional language.
Malcolm is married and has three adult children and four grandchildren. He likes to spend his leisure time with family and enjoys travelling, gardening, playing the piano and reading.
Michelle Howse
Michelle is 56 years of age and has been legally blind since the age of 12. She now has approximately 10% vision and uses a white cane to get about.
Michelle is married with two adult children and one granddaughter and, at the age of 40, when her children were in high school, found herself feeling left behind with technology and needing a new purpose.
With the assistance of the See Differently Employment Services team, she looked into returning to the workforce and was offered a 12-month contract with the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) within the Attorney General’s Department. She has worked for the OPA for 16 years now, moving from a customer service team member to a OPA Information Officer role within the new Dispute Resolution Service.
Her role is to provide information to the public, service providers and professionals on legislation. She visits hospitals, aged care facilities and community groups to present information sessions in person and interact with the public.
Michelle is passionate about upholding the rights of and advocating for people with disabilities.
Mike Linscott
Born in the south of England in 1935, Mike’s early experience in the workforce was as a Police Officer in the British South Africa Police and the British Police Force. He left England for Australia with his wife and four children in 1966.
In Australia Mike has worked for the Department of Agriculture and the Scout Association. He was appointed CEO to the Scout Association, a post he held for seventeen years. His work with that Association led him into development through the growth of the business side of the Scout movement by creating new sources of income such as the establishment of a Marine Dealership to maximise the profits from bottle collections, the development of the Scout Shop into the “Scout Outdoor Centre” and the establishment of the Rymil Conference Centre at Woodhouse, the Scout Association’s main Campsite in the Adelaide Hills.
In the early 1990s Kangaroo Island, like many other farming regions, suffered an economic downturn, which led to huge social problems as banks foreclosed and the farmers’ cash flow dried up. Mike retired from the Scout Association and spent five years working with farmers as a Rural Counsellor on the Island. At the same time, he ran a small business in Tourism and worked as a business consultant.
His experience with development in the Scout Movement led to him being asked to write a proposal for a Development Plan for the Woodcroft College in Morphett Vale. He recommended the establishment of a Development Office and a program that would lead to a secure financial future for the College.
Mike was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Fundraising Institute of Australia and worked towards helping the members meet with many issues. He retired from the College after ten years in 2005.
He is currently Volunteer Treasurer for the Milang and District Community Association and Treasurer for the British South Africa Police Regimental Association.
Mike has Macular Degeneration (Dry type) and as a result has limited vision.
Patrick Edwards
Born in Oberon, NSW in 1943, Patrick moved to Adelaide with his family when he was three years old. Married to Jan for 55 years, they have five adult children and eleven grandchildren.
After leaving school Patrick joined the banking industry where he worked for 35 years. He started as a junior clerk, leaving when he was in senior management. After his banking career, Patrick spent four years with the Salvation Army supervising the fundraising and public relations department. He then undertook four years of theological and pastoral studies before being ordained a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church.
In 2017, Patrick suffered a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (a stroke in layman’s language) in his left eye. With the retina starved of oxygen his vision in that eye deteriorated rapidly. Eight months later, his right eye suffered the same fate, and he now has very little vision remaining. When his grief over the loss eased, he gradually worked to re-establish his life. He formed a support group for blind and vision impaired people and this group has now been meeting monthly for about three years. He resolved to socialise with vision impaired people and support organisations and has established strong relationships within Vision Australia and Blind Citizens Australia. His major learning is that no two vision impaired people are affected in the same way, so there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach in relating to individuals.