Australian Society of Ophthalmologists welcomes Katrina Ronne as the first woman in its CEO role

The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) announces the appointment of Katrina Ronne as its first woman chief executive officer (CEO) in the organization’s 43-year history,¹ a milestone in the society’s leadership that coincides with International Women’s Day on March 8.

Ronne, who has served as ASO’s general manager of policy and strategy for much of the past decade, assumes the role following significant contributions to the society’s advocacy efforts. She joined ASO at a critical time after the 2009 ‘Grandma’s Not Happy’ campaign, which successfully reversed the federal government’s proposed 50% cut to the Medicare patient rebate for cataract surgery, according to an ASO news release.¹ Ronne brings extensive experience in government advocacy and campaign development, particularly in medico-political policy formulation, honed through her work with the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ) and Salaried Doctors Queensland (SDQ).

Outgoing CEO Kerry Gallagher AM emphasized that Ronne’s appointment signals ASO’s ongoing evolution. “It is an exciting time for the ASO and marks a new era in our medico-political advocacy,” Gallagher said. “Time and again, she has been responsible for developing policy and submissions to effectively communicate the ASO’s position on critical issues affecting Australian ophthalmologists and their patients.”

Gallagher will remain involved with the ASO, now serving on its Board of Directors as executive vice chair.

ASO President Peter Sumich, MBBS (Hons), FRANZCO, acknowledged Gallagher’s leadership in shaping the organization’s medico-political advocacy. “For the past 16 years, Kerry has been an advocate and champion of the issues impacting Australian ophthalmologists and their patients—and most, if not all of those battles, were won,” Sumich said.

The announcement aligns with International Women’s Day, which this year emphasizes the theme ‘Accelerate Action’ to address systemic barriers and biases that hinder gender equality.

Incoming CEO Ronne acknowledged the ongoing challenges. “Each and every one of us can be agents for change, whether we take small or significant steps of action,” she said. “Start small and join the conversations this week on ASO socials, where we have been celebrating and recognizing the achievements of women in ophthalmology, as nominated by their peers.”

For more information on ASO’s advocacy efforts, visit www.asoeye.org.

Reference

1. ASO marks International Women’s Day with historic CEO appointment. News release. Australian Society of Ophthalmologists. March 7, 2025. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.asoeye.org/index.cfm?module=news&pagemode=indiv&page_id=2776479

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