Simon DePaoli (pictured, left, with Life Member Dr Pat Aldons on the Gold Coast, October 2024) exits the Board "with great pride, and some sadness" as his term ends.

Simon DePaoli understands all too well the discomfort and embarrassment that chronic wounds can cause. The departing Wounds Australia Board Director – and, for the past year, its Chair – witnessed his father's struggle with diabetic foot disease, which would eventually cost him part of his foot.

Simon, who lived overseas at the time, only became aware of the severity of his father's condition on a visit.

"I think dad found it hard to talk about what was happening to him, and was perhaps embarrassed to reveal he was struggling," Simon says. "I also think he probably hoped it would heal by itself.

"Everything I've learned since joining Wounds Australia tells me that was never going to happen."

After his father passed away in 2017, Simon sought out a voluntary position with Wounds Australia in the hopes of helping others learn about the potential impact of chronic wounds.

Charting success

Simon joined the Board in 2018, and says he has enjoyed playing a part in steering the organisation through significant periods of change, especially following nationalisation and corporatising the organisation in 2015.As a qualified Chartered Accountant and Partner at leading business advisory company Moore Australia, it's perhaps no surprise that Simon is particularly proud of helping to achieve financial stability; Wounds Australia reported its first profit since nationalisation at its 2023 AGM.

"Securing Wounds Australia's financial future has always been a top priority for the Board, and I feel we have made significant progress towards achieving that goal, especially in the last 18 to 24 months," Simon says. "Financial stability means increased impact, which in turn means more lives improved, and that's the reason we all do this."

Making an impact

Another personal highlight for Simon has been the extraordinary growth of Wound Awareness Week in scale and impact, with member and public support for the Week peaking in 2024.

During Simon's tenure, advocacy efforts during the Week and beyond have reached new heights, taking Australia's hidden chronic wound epidemic right to the heart of policymaking. In 2023, almost 30 years of work to put chronic wounds on the national health agenda bore fruit in the announcement of a Chronic Wound Consumables Scheme that will offset the costs of dressings and other products for select cohorts.

"The Scheme is a much-needed step in the right direction and we applaud the government for recognising the problem," Simon says. "The next step will be to expand the Scheme to help even more Australians living with hard-to-heal wounds, and I hope to see that happen very soon."

Raising care standards

Another priority is professional education. Simon says he would like to see wound care become its own formal specialty in medicine, and believes overhauling processes for recognising credentialling and continuing professional development will be essential to ensuring better wound care.

Exploring fresh challenges

CEO Jeff Antcliff has enjoyed a close working relationship with Simon since joining Wounds Australia in January 2024.

"Having a supportive, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Board Chair makes my role much easier to execute," Jeff says. "It has been a genuine pleasure working with Simon and I thank him for his many years of service to the organisation."

Simon says he will be taking a break before seeking a new opportunity with another not-for-profit in the health sector, but looks back on his tenure with pride.

"I'm grateful that peak bodies like Wounds Australia exist to shine a spotlight on underserviced sections of our community, such as people living with chronic wounds," Simon says. "While I'm sad to be leaving, I'm also pleased to have helped the team achieve their mission of minimising the harm caused by chronic wounds.

"I'm looking forward to a fresh challenge in coming months."

Changes to the Wounds Australia Board will be announced on 23 October 2024. Read more about the Board.