Advisory Board

Dr Rick Olive AM

RFD, Chair

Qualifying as a dentist in 1975 with BDSc (Hons) from the University of Queensland (UQ), Dr Rick Olive then undertook specialist training in orthodontics. After a further couple of years as a lecturer at UQ he entered specialist orthodontic practice in 1981, retiring in 2016. He has been the ADA nominee on the Advisory Board of the ADA Dental Health Foundation (previously the Australian Dental Health Foundation) since 2014.

Dr Mark Hutton

Since graduating from Adelaide University in 1975 Mark Hutton has practised in rural South Australia and has had experience on many boards and committees. He has served two terms as ADASA President and been a member of several ADASA Committees. He was an ADA Federal Councilor for many years, ADA Federal President, and was a member and chair of many ADA Committees. In addition, he has been a Board Member and examiner of the ADC and is a Board Member of the Australian Dental Research Foundation.  Mark has also been a member of various government and university advisory committees. He has served on many not-for-profit organizations in his local area and continues this service as a Board Member of “Four Reasons Why.”

Dr Chris Wilson

Dr Chris Wilson has been on ADA NSW Council since 1999 after becoming involved in his local ADA Division (Newcastle) in 1986. Chris has served as ADA NSW President and has participated in many other ADA NSW and Federal Committees over the years. After finishing dentistry at the University of Sydney in 1979, Chris worked for 18 months as a salaried dental officer then went to work for a private practice in Raymond Terrace, six months later he bought the practice and still practices there on a full-time basis. When not working, one of Chris’s regular activities is a yearly charity motorcycle ride for the Royal Flying Doctor's Service to raise money for their Dental Outreach Program which helps bring dental services to remote communities.”

Dr Neil Hewson

Recently retired after many years as a Federal Councillor, Neil Hewson has chaired and served on many Federal committees. He is a past Federal President and later served on Federal Executive for a further three years. Neil was a co-author of the paper that successfully proposed the establishment of the ADA Foundation and subsequently served on the Advisory Board as Vice-Chair. Neil was an ADAVB Branch President and has been on and chaired most Victorian Branch Committees. He was only the second Australian to be elected as FDI Speaker of the General Assembly, has served on FDI committees, has been a board member of the Australian Dental Research Foundation and was chair of the highly successful Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre.

Dr Susan Wise

A specialist periodontist in suburban Melbourne, Dr Susan Wise is the current President of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, past President of the ADAVB and she currently co-chairs the Australian Dental Health Foundation Victoria Committee. Dr Wise has demonstrated to and examined postgraduate and undergraduate students in periodontics, and she is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was the recipient of the 2021 ADA Valuable Service Award.

Mr. Bradley Abraham

An experienced Board Director, Bradley Abraham is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Dental Association SA Branch. He was formerly the Chief Executive Officer and Director of The Royal Institution of Australia and was the driving force behind the development of it as Australia’s first dedicated science multi-media outlet. This includes the establishment of Australia’s Science Channel, the acquisition of Cosmos Magazine and relaunch of Scinema International Science Film Festival. Specialising in change leadership, Bradley has had over 25 year’s senior management experience in the not-for-profit sector, and he is a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors, Bradley has served on many Boards and Committees.

Dr Gavin Quek

A practicing dentist who graduated from The University of Adelaide in 2021, Dr Gavin Quek currently serves as ADA Tasmania’s Secretary and Chairs their Governance and Oral Health Promotion Committee. He is also Vice- Chair of the ADA Inc’s Oral Health Committee. Gavin is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders ANZ. Gavin is a passionate volunteer and is currently one of the volunteers under the ADA DHF’s Adopt a Patient program. Gavin recently gave a TEDx speech about how curiosity drives contribution and about how oral and general health are so closely connected. He was recently awarded the Premier’s Young Achiever of the Year 2023 and was named Hobart’s Young Citizen of the Year 2023.

Dr Denise Salvestro

Denise graduated BDS from Sydney University in 1974. Before retirement from clinical practice, Denise worked as a general dental practitioner in Australia, UK and Italy, with the final twelve years of her practising career spent working in remote communities in the Northern Territory where she and her partner were also involved in setting up pro bono oral health promotion and dental service delivery programs. A member of ADA since graduation, Denise served on the Recent Graduate Committee ADANSW in the late seventies, during which time she chaired the Working Committee for compiling a Glossary of Dental Terminology for Health Fund Members – the template for the current Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary. For seven years Denise was a member of the then named CPD Committee of the Federal body and while in the Northern Territory, served several terms as President of ADA NT branch and was a professional officer for Dental council NSW 2010 to 2021.