Meet your new ADA Board

Voted in at the ADA’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 26 November, the Board welcomes Dr Susan Wise to its ranks. She will bring her distinctive expertise and considerable experience to the body responsible for making financial and operational decisions for your Association.

Dr Chris Sanzaro
Chair/President & Board Director

Chris was elected as Deputy Chair / Vice-President of the ADA Board of Directors in 2023; he was elected to Federal Executive for 2020-2023 and has been a Federal Councillor since 2014. Chris served as ADATas Branch President in 2013-14 and was elected to the ADATas Council from 2011 to 2023. Chris serves on the Policy committee and chairs the Recent Graduates Advisory Panel & the ADA Advisory Committee. Chris is a Graduate of the AICD, and Fellow of the ADI, PFA, and ICD. Chris currently runs a private dental practice in Launceston, Tasmania.

Dr Angie Nilsson
Deputy Chair/Vice-President & Board Director

Nominated to the then-Federal Council by Queensland and NSW, Dr Angie Nilsson served in Tasmania as Branch President. The Clinical Director of Oral Health for Northern NSW, Angie is currently Chair of the Policy Committee and has served on the Finance, Risk & Audit Committee and several committees and working groups. She is a fellow of the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr Peter Day
Board Director

The first independent member of the then-ADA Federal Council, Mr Peter Day has held numerous governance and management positions in mining, manufacturing, food, and financial and regulatory services industries across Australia and internationally. Peter’s career has included board positions on significant ASX-listed companies such as Alumina, Centro and Ansell Limited, as the Deputy Chairman of ASIC, the regulator for companies in Australia and a position on the Takeovers Panel, the independent body that considers takeover disputes in Australian public companies.

Dr Andrew Gikas
Board Director

A dentist in private, teaching and public practice, Dr Andrew Gikas is Clinic Director at the Melbourne Dental Clinic and holds an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor position at the University of Melbourne, in addition to being a Visiting Medical Officer in dental services at the Alfred Hospital. After various regional group and committee roles, Andrew was elected to the ADA Victorian Branch Council in 2012, serving as Branch President in 2016-17. A member of the Dental Education and Training Committee, and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Andrew was elected to Federal Council in 2020, Federal Executive in 2022 and the ADA Board in 2023.

A/Prof. Sharon Liberali AO
Board Director

The Director and Senior Consultant of the Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital, Associate Professor Sharon Liberali is the Program Convenor for Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry at the Adelaide Dental School, and Principal Dentist at Health Partners Dental. In 2019, Sharon received a Distinguished Service Award from the Federal ADA and in 2020 from the SA Branch of the ADA. In 2023, she was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours receiving an Officer of the Order of Australia and listed on the COVID-19 Honour Roll.

Dr Susan Wise
Board Director

A specialist periodontist in Melbourne, Dr Susan Wise is a Past-President of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the ADA Victorian Branch and a former ADA DHF Advisory Board Member. Susan is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was awarded the ADA Valuable Service Award in 2021 and the 2024 Distinguished Service Award from the ADA Victorian Branch for her services to dentistry.