National Seniors appoints ‘business-focused’ CEO  

Dagmar Parsons takes over from Michael O’Neill as chief executive, while the consumer peak has also appointed Sarah Saunders to the new role of chief advocate to ramp up lobbying.

Dagmar Parsons takes over from Michael O’Neill as chief executive, while the consumer peak also appoints a chief advocate to ramp up lobbying.

Dagmar Parsons
Dagmar Parsons

Consumer lobby group for older Australians National Seniors has announced the appointment of Dagmar Parsons as its CEO.

The peak said that Ms Parsons, a mechanical engineer with an MBA, comes to the organisation with an impressive 20-year career in the mining and petrochemical industries.

Ms Parsons replaces Michael O’Neill who was National Seniors CEO for 10 years.

“To support the organisation’s advocacy activities and to ensure its long term sustainability, Dagmar will grow National Seniors’ commercial operations,” the peak said yesterday.

Sarah Saunders
Sarah Saunders

It said the appointment of a business-focused CEO represented a significant shift for the organisation but the board was certain of the move.

“It is vital that this 40-year-old organisation is not only relevant but sustainable into the future,” said chairman David Carvosso.

“In a field of strong candidates Dagmar’s experience and strategic focus clearly shone through.”

To strengthen National Seniors’ focus on advocacy the organisation’s lobbying and media activities the peak’s public affairs director Sarah Saunders had been assumed the newly created role of chief advocate.

“Working with two CEOs, Sarah has driven our organisation’s lobbying activities behind the scenes for over a decade,” said Mr Carvosso. “Few people share her depth of knowledge and expertise in this area.”

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Tags: advocacy, aged-care-reform, consumers, dagmar parsons, michael-oneill, national-seniors, sarah saunders,

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