MTAA Board election kicks off, setting stage for the next chapter in policy and advocacy

The race for six seats on the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) Board is underway, with 10 candidates nominated as the sector prepares for a consequential period of policy and advocacy.

Four of the nominees are sitting board members seeking re-election, while six are new candidates. The election comes at a pivotal time for the medtech industry, with negotiations for a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) underway with government.

Among the candidates is Peter Hawkes, Cluster Lead for Johnson & Johnson MedTech Australia & New Zealand, who brings extensive experience across the Australian and APAC medical technology landscape. Hawkes led the Surgery business for J&J MedTech in Australia since 2022, having previously held marketing and business development leadership roles across APAC. Following Sarah Najdek’s promotion to President of Surgery in APAC in January 2026, Hawkes was appointed to his current position.

“Australia’s MedTech sector is delivering breakthrough technologies that address unmet patient needs, but innovation only improves outcomes when patients can access it,” Hawes told Health Industry Hub. “We need modern reimbursement pathways that support patient access and clinician choice, a sustainable private health system, and policy frameworks that are fit for the era of AI, digital surgery and robotics. As an MTAA Board Director, I would advocate for the reforms needed to ensure Australia’s health system is ready for the next generation of medical technology, so patients can benefit from innovation sooner and more equitably.”

Matthew Bain, General Manager of Vantive Australia & New Zealand, is also seeking a seat on the MTAA Board. He previously led Baxter’s Kidney Care business in Australia and New Zealand as General Manager of Renal Care before assuming the leadership role at Vantive following the company’s separation from Baxter.

“The MedTech sector is facing a transformative period as we work with policymakers to reimagine how healthcare is delivered in Australia,” Bain told Health Industry Hub. “We must do more as an industry to speak up publicly and advocate for increased access to the life-changing innovation medtech offers and avoid a scenario where pressures to lower costs drive that innovation offshore. We all know people who have experienced the benefits of world-class medtech, and I’m inspired to bring the members of the MTAA even closer together to improve access to the innovation we create and advocate for them and their teams who are committed to improving outcomes for patients.”

The four sitting Board members seeking re-election are Pat Williams Vice President & Country Manager, ANZ / Korea of Edwards Lifesciences, Chelsea Cornelius CEO of Stratos MedTech, James Doyle Senior Director, Foot & Ankle, Sports Medicine and Trauma at Stryker, and Mick Trevaskis Executive Vice Chairman of Device Technologies Australia.

The remaining nominees comprises senior executives from across the medtech industry, including Adam Bicego of Solventum (formerly 3M Healthcare), Troy Burke of Boston Scientific, Jacob Coverdale of W. L Gore & Associates, and Kristy Frappell of OncoBeta Therapeutics.

The election will determine the six directors who will join the MTAA Board following the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November 2026. Under MTAA’s governance rules, half of the board must retire by rotation at each AGM, with directors limited to a maximum tenure of six consecutive years.

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