Our Board Members

Norah holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University and is a Chartered Accountant.

Norah is amongst Australasia’s most experienced and respected executives and directors, with an in-depth knowledge of the aged and health care sector. Norah also holds extensive experience as the highly-respected former CEO and former Director of Summerset Group, an NZX and ASX-listed company named Australasia’s best retirement village operator four years running.

Norah has a strong background across business leadership and management, strategy, corporate finance, governance, tax and accounting. Norah was President of the Retirement Villages Association (NZ) for seven years and made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2014.

Norah was also a Non-executive Director of Ingenia Communities Group, Evolve Education Group Limited, and chair of the Audit Committee for Methven Limited. Norah stepped down as CEO of Estia Health in November 2018 and remains on the board as a Non-executive Director. Norah is currently Chief Executive of Heritage Lifecare Limited.

Appointed CEO and Managing Director of Estia Health in July 2022, Sean previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO since October 2018. 
As COO, Sean led the Workforce, Funding and Procurement Teams, together with P&L responsibility for Estia Health's homes. He oversaw the successful commissioning of three new homes and consideration of future growth opportunities. His leadership through a complex period of change during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Aged Care Royal Commission ensured Estia Health’s resilience.

Sean worked with the Chief People Officer to develop and implement Estia Health’s employee attraction and retention strategy. He embodies Estia Health’s values, ensuring the purpose “To enrich and celebrate life together” guides all decisions.

With over 15 years' industry experience, Sean started as an Asset Manager at AMP Capital, managing the integration of multiple acquisitions that formed Opal Healthcare. As Head of Commercial at Opal from 2010, Sean oversaw business growth through acquisitions, development, customer acquisition, communications and marketing.  

Sean holds a Bachelor of Economics from UNSW, is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia and a graduate from the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD.

Harley holds a MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales.

Harley has extensive experience in healthcare and seniors living and is the Principal of AHB Capital. AHB’s advisory clients include public market investors, private equity, and some of Australia’s largest aged care and seniors living businesses. AHB’s projects include advice on acquisitions, divestments, capital raising and development feasibility.

Harley is also the founder of Safety Leadership – a consultancy that specialises in improving workplace safety in the health and aged care sector. 

Before AHB Capital and Safety Leadership, Harley was a senior executive at Opal Healthcare.  Harley was Opal Healthcare’s Chief Financial Officer, Head of Corporate Services and Chief Commercial Officer.  At Opal, Harley had responsibilities for; financial performance, budgeting and strategy, risk, clinical governance and workplace safety, and acquisitions, greenfield and brownfield development. 

Harley was previously an investment banker at UBS and Goldman Sachs, and a finance lawyer at Allens Linklaters.

Charles Lawson is a Managing Director on Bain Capital’s Asian Pacific Private Equity team. He covers Australian consumer & healthcare including Bain’s investments Virgin Australia and Estia Health and was previously a director of Retail Zoo.

Prior to joining Bain Capital, he worked at Advent International in New York where he focused on investments in technology, media and telecommunications sectors. Before Advent, Mr. Lawson spent several years as a management consultant with Bain & Company in Sydney and New York where he advised clients in a broad range of industries. He began his career as a lawyer, working as a Judge’s Associate (Clerk) at the Federal Court of Australia. Charles received an MBA from The Wharton School and holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney.

After more than 25 years with KPMG, JoAnne now holds a portfolio of Board roles including private and listed entities.

Her current Board positions include publicly listed entities Challenger Limited (since 2012) & Qualitas Limited (since 2021). She is also a member of the Approved Provider Board for Estia Health and Chairs the Audit & Risk Committee for the Investor Board for Bain Capital.

A Chartered Accountant, JoAnne was a Partner with KPMG for more than 15 years, with experience across the audit, insolvency and advisory divisions. Her final management role was leading one of the two national advisory divisions as a member of the firm’s leadership team. JoAnne retired in 2011 as a senior client partner in the Advisory practice with KPMG in Melbourne working with both private and public sector clients in large complex projects.