Dr Jonny Taitz, Chair

Jonny Taitz has a distinguished career in paediatrics and provides the SMILE Board with valuable hands-on experience dealing with children with rare conditions. He is currently the Assistant Director of Clinical Operations and Staff Specialist Paediatrician at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick. Jonny is registered as a Specialist Paediatrician in Australia, South Africa and the UK. He also lectures in Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of NSW.

Jonny is probably best known as the paediatrician who treated accident victim Sophie Delezio. His interests range from rural paediatric health issues to his involvement with children’s charities such as the Humpty Dumpty Foundation and the Violet Foundation Supporting Meningococcal disease.

"As a practising paediatrician I am confronted by patients affected by rare childhood disease on a regular basis. While we have made great strides in research and treatment in this area, I find it difficult to tell parents of children with rare diseases that we don't have a cure yet. SMILE is working to change that."

Lyndall Beville

Lyndall Beville is co-founder and Chair of the SMILE Foundation. Since graduating with degrees in Arts and Law in 1995, Lyndall has worked in the fields of public relations and community education, specialising in corporate social responsibility. Her most recent role was in Corporate Communications for international healthcare company Bayer. Blessed with three beautiful, healthy daughters, she has a heartfelt commitment to enhancing children’s lives through SMILE. She is also passionate about inspiring others along their philanthropic journey.

 

Helen Hamilton-James

Helen Hamilton-James joined SMILE as Financial Director in November 2007. She has extensive auditing and advisory experience in the finance industry as a Partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Her background includes an Honours Law degree from Aberdeen University, Scotland and a Graduate Diploma in management from the Australian Graduate School of Management. Helen is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales. Her key responsibilities include leading the Deloitte NSW Assurance and Advisory social responsibility project, focusing on health services.

Benita Kam

Denis Tracy

Denis Tracey is the author of Giving it Away: in Praise of Philanthropy (Scribe 2003) and many other articles and papers on philanthropy. He was the first CEO of the Melbourne Community Foundation and has held senior posts at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne) and the University of Sydney.

“I was attracted to SMILE because of its innovative and imaginative approach to an important social problem and because of the dedication of its founders and the other board members. I feel honoured and happy to participate.”

Professor Elizabeth Elliott

Marlyn Robertson

Marlyn Robertson has 30 years experience in business and general management in Manufacturing Industry. Prior to relocating to Australia in 1981, she gained a degree in Economics from Edinburgh University then worked for Pye Unicam (a Philips Electrical Company) and Proctor and Gamble in their UK headquarters. She joined Dow Corning, the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of silicone chemicals, in Sydney and held various positions, including Plant Manager of the company’s only manufacturing plant in Australia, Managing Director Australia & New Zealand and Global Operations Director of the Business Services Division.

She became a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Directors and on retirement was appointed for two years as a non-executive director to the Board of Transgrid, the NSW State owned corporation responsible for the transmission of high voltage electricity across NSW and into SA and Qld.

Marlyn became aware of the SMILE Foundation at their launch in July 2007, was impressed by the organisation’s strategic focus and professionalism and has been a donor and enthusiastic supporter since.

 

 

 

Dr Ray Khouri

Dr Ray Khouri is co-founder and Executive Director of Dental Corporation, Australia and New Zealand’s largest dental services organisation. Dr Khouri studied at the University of Sydney where he earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree in1990 and has had a 17 year career in clinical dentistry. During this time he acquired, grew and sold a number of dental practices across Sydney.  More recently he has been Director of Dental Services for the dental arm of large corporate healthcare provider, a role which included establishing multiple dental practices from start-up.

Dr Khouri has dedicated his professional career to ongoing patient care and understands the importance of delivering treatment in the most comfortable and compassionate manner.

Dental Corporation is the SMILE Foundation’s largest corporate supporter with over $70,000 raised and donated in the past 2 years.

“There are many similarities between Dental Corporation and the Smile Foundation which initially attracted us to explore how we may be able to support SMILE’s valuable work. We are both providers in the healthcare industry offering services to improve well being and enhance quality of life. Most importantly we are both in the business of giving people a reason to smile.”