John commenced as CEO of Complementary Medicines Australia in July 2023. He is an experienced business leader, with a wealth of experience across Public Affairs, Government Relations, Corporate Affairs, media communications, and law, finance and governance.
John is passionate about natural health and has worked in the complementary medicines sector since 2018, including as a CMA Board Director since early 2020. He has served as the Chair of the CMA Political Committee, showcasing his strong advocacy capabilities and commitment to advancing the interests of the sector.
John was previously Head of Public Affairs at Blackmores Group and has served in a Senior Adviser capacity for the Australian Government across the Health, Industry/Innovation/Science and Environment portfolios.
Prior to this, John worked in media and financial consulting. He has a Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Journalism, Diploma of Financial Services and a Graduate Certificate of Applied Corporate Governance and Risk Management.
John is a graduate of the Governance Institute of Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Dr Catharine (Cathy) Avila recently joined the Regulatory Team at CMA. She has experience in many branches of Complementary Medicine from regulation and new product development in industry, clinical naturopathic practice and an academic career. Catharine’s research focused on clinical trials of complementary medicine ingredients and products, and the safety of herbal medicines, enabling her to strengthen the scientific expertise of the team. Catharine lectured in Herbal Medicine and Nutrition among other scientific disciplines at Southern Cross University and contributed to the complementary medicine program at the University of Tasmania.
Alice is an experienced event planner with a proven track record of successfully planning and executing a range of events.
Alice joined CMA in 2013 and is responsible for coordinating all aspects of CMA events from initial planning to final execution.
Amanda’s qualifications include an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathy and Bachelor of Health Science (Complementary Medicine).
Amanda’s role as regulatory and technical associate at CMA sees her contributing to maintaining fit-for purpose regulation of the complementary medicines sector, which provides the perfect intersection between her interest in complementary medicines and an avenue to contribute more broadly to the health of the community.
With over 17 years of experience in Quality and Compliance, Samina brings extensive expertise in GxP, regulatory affairs, and sustainability to Complementary Medicines Australia. Trained in project management and an experienced change manager, Samina has a proven track record in driving product quality procedures, regulatory compliance to both local and international regulatory guidelines.
Her strategic mindset and dedication to responsible practices are key to driving CMA’s mission to elevate the complementary medicines sector through innovative and sustainable solutions. Diverse experience in the public sector ensures that Samina overachieves in advancing the complementary medicine sector and communicating scientific and regulatory requirements to all stakeholders.
Miho is a qualified naturopath with 20 years’ experience in the medical and complementary medicines industries. As CMA’s Export and International Development Manager, Miho is responsible for raising the international profile of the Australian CMs industry and managing export and trade issues affecting CMA member companies. In this role, Miho works closely with various Federal and State government agencies and international stakeholders to maximise the export potential of the industry.
Miho is also responsible for facilitating international events and engagement, such as trade shows and incoming/outgoing trade delegations. She has successfully organised the Australian pavilion at the China Healthplex, the preeminent health supplements expo in the Asia-Pacific region, since 2018.
Lucy is a regulatory affairs professional with a background and training in complementary medicines. Her career spans working in integrative medicine settings, Government regulatory affairs working directly in complementary medicines, and in industry regulatory affairs roles. Her passion is in driving positive change in policy that achieves a diverse marketplace of competitive, quality products that are accessible and can be relied upon by a wide range of Australians.
Barbara is an experienced governance and compliance professional who has worked both locally and overseas in a variety of industries including consumer goods, IT, banking and finance and complementary medicine. She was the first Head of Compliance appointed to Blackmores Limited.
Carol joined CMA in 2014 and is the Head of Finance.
Carol has over 26 years’ experience in accounting after graduating from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. Prior to that Carol obtained an Associate Diploma in Accounting at Nowra.
Her experience ranges from working at the Department of Foreign Affairs as the budget coordinator, to the construction industry where she spent 11 years before moving to the not-for-profit sector.
Prior to taking on the role of CMA’s Head of Member Engagement, Paul spent six years with Direct Selling Australia handling membership, marketing, events and any other hat that could fit on his head.
Throughout his career, Paul has worked all over the world and obtained a wealth of experience, with roles exposing him to sales, marketing, event production, graphic design, content creation, video and audio editing, talent acquisition and tech training. Despite possessing a strong understanding of technology, Paul emphasises that building relationships with people is the single most successful trait in his long and diverse career.
Originally from the US, Paul has called Australia home since 2004.
Copyright © Complementary Medicines Australia Limited 2024-2025 All rights reserved ABN 49 169 036 088 | Designed by White Peak Digital
