Painaustralia is pleased to announce today's appointment of Major General Duncan Lewis AO, DSC, CSC as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Major General Lewis is a former Australian military officer, Secretary of the Department of Defence, diplomat and intelligence chief and from 2014 to 2019 was the Director-General of Security and head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).
Prior to that appointment, he held the post of Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
He is a retired Australian Army officer, and formerly Special Operations Commander Australia (2002–2004) and National Security Adviser.
Major General Lewis said it was a great privilege to take up the position of Chair of Painaustralia which this year is celebrating 10 years advocating on behalf of people who live with chronic pain.
"This is a critical time as we finally have a national approach to pain management in Australia with today's important announcement that all Australian governments have endorsed the National Strategic Action Plan," he said.
Major General Lewis will take over the Chairman's role from Em Professor Ian Chubb AC who was elected to the position in 2019.
Professor Chubb said Major General Lewis is a distinguished and eminently qualified appointment that will lead Painaustralia forward in its next chapter.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my term as Chairman of Painaustralia, it has been a time of genuine achievement and I know that I am leaving the organisation in excellent hands," he said.
"I eagerly look forward to the implementation of the National Strategic Action Plan and am delighted that Health Minister Greg Hunt launched the Action Plan at today's Painaustralia's Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management event.
"The National Strategic Action Plan is the result of years of dedicated work and extensive and comprehensive consultation and I would like to thank all of Painaustralia's members and particularly our founding members, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, the ANZCA Faculty of Pain Medicine, the Australian Pain Society and the Pain Foundation (formally known as the Pain Management Research Institute) for their commitment to the Action Plan.
As the new Chair, Major General Lewis said he would focus on implementation of the National Strategic Action Plan.
"While there is now greater awareness of pain and pain management than ever before, we need to continue to ensure that more is done for the 3.4 million Australians living with chronic pain," he said.
"I look forward to working with the medical, health, academic, research and consumer members and stakeholders in Painaustralia to make a real difference for those living with chronic pain."
