After five years on Ophthalmology New Zealand’s (ONZ’s) board, initially as treasurer and more recently as vice-chair, Dr Sonya Bennett was appointed chair at its recent AGM.

Dr Bennett trained as an ophthalmologist in Auckland and Hamilton and completed fellowships at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. A consultant ophthalmologist at Greenlane and founding director of City Eye Specialists, specialising in angle closure glaucoma, uveitic glaucoma and glaucoma drainage, she is also a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland.

She is passionate about teaching aspiring ophthalmologists, she said, and as chair of ONZ is particularly looking forward to working on major issues such as registrar training in the private sector, ophthalmology workforce retention and public-private partnerships. “I am committed to growing the influence of ONZ and therefore improving the way that ophthalmic care is practised and delivered in New Zealand.”

Dr Bennett thanked Dr Dean Corbett for his “tireless leadership, especially through some tumultuous times” as former ONZ chair over the past seven years. Dr Corbett remains on the board together with Drs Malcolm Carey, Michael Merriman and Mike O’Rourke.

Outside ophthalmology, Dr Bennett has been an amateur violinist for many years and has recently added cello to her repertoire. She also “accidentally” took up karate a couple of years ago and said she has surprised herself that she enjoys punching and kicking so much!