Sam has led OTA as Chief Executive Officer for over four years, commencing in September 2018, and was appointed by the Board to steer and position OTA to represent, support, strengthen and resource the continually evolving occupational therapy profession.

Over the past four years Sam has led, developed and grown a highly skilled team who have successfully achieved solid growth and increased awareness and representation of the profession with key stakeholders, agencies and government agencies and ministerial portfolios.

Sam has over 25 years of experience as both a senior leaders and Board Director working across corporate, professional services and not for profit organisations. She has a breadth of experience collaborating with multi disciplinary teams across sectors and understands the nuances of complex and competing political environments. Sam strives to work with members, government and stakeholders to create collaborative solutions for an engaged and resilient profession.

Sam is a natural communicator with high level business development skills demonstrating consistently strong growth, with a strong focus and belief in continual learning and development and looks for opportunities to develop her team to be inspired leaders and to be at the forefront of innovation in their sectors.

In her spare time Sam is an enthusiastic but inconsistent golfer, sings in a choir, collects art and has her hand full wrangling office dog Rosie, the wild dog Poppy, and the real boss Kitty. She is the very proud mum of Tom.

Commencing with OTA in 2016, Lea Rawlings is experienced across the association with roles as WA Divisional Manager, Special Project Manager, and General Manager, Divisions. Currently as Chief of Staff in the Office of the CEO, Lea works closely with CEO Samantha Hunter, the Office of the CEO team members and Senior Leadership teams to represent and collaborate with the portfolios to ensure delivery of the current Strategic Plan and supporting the development of our next strategy. Lea plays a key role in embedding organisational strategies into the day-to-day operations of OTA, including the Reconciliation Action Plan and the OTs in Action social justice groups.

With a bachelor's degree in Health Science and qualifications in Workplace Training and Assessment combined with Lea's 20 years of experience, particularly in public health settings, high level stakeholder management, membership and project management, she ensures that OTA is always performing optimally and serving our members, stakeholders and profession with utmost care and professionalism.

When Lea is not juggling kids sport and dog walks, she likes to get on the tools and enjoys a hands-on approach to home renovating.

Alex Reynolds is an accomplished executive and people leader with over 15 years of experience in management and executive leadership positions. With a background in operations, education and membership across both private and not-for-profit sectors. Alex’s most recent role was leading business transformation at the Australian HR Institute.

During her professional career, Alex has driven change and transformation through a focus on organisational growth, this encompasses technology solutions and evolution, change management, process improvement and cultural shift to deliver agile and customer-centric organisations. With a proven track record of effective relationship building and communication to build individual, team and organisational capability Alex has also successfully fostered cultures of high performance and meaningful engagement.

Alex is passionate about health and wellbeing, prioritising her daily run, sporadic attempts to practice yoga and ensuring her two active girls make it to their sporting, and many social, activities.

Michelle is a passionate and focused occupational therapist with extensive experience within clinical and professional leadership roles, working for over 15 years within the public mental health sector in South Australia. Michelle has a Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of South Australia.

Michelle has been working for OTA since 2021 in several positions including Lead Mental Health Advisor, Manager of Professional Practice, and General Manager of Occupational Therapy.

As Chief Occupational Therapist, Michelle is the lead professional and clinical expert at OTA, leading a team responsible for the provision of professional practice, and policy and advocacy. This includes professional standards, scope and endorsement programs, as well as being responsible for the learning and development program.

Outside of work, Michelle is a mother of three children and enjoys playing netball, listening to podcasts and spending time with family.

Cynthia began her journey with OTA in 2018 as an Accountant and has since evolved into the pivotal role of Finance & Risk Manager. With five years of unwavering commitment to OTA's success, Cynthia's responsibilities extend beyond traditional finance functions.She now oversees compliance, financial planning, and budgeting, showcasing her comprehensive understanding of organisational dynamics. As a qualified CPA, Cynthia brings a wealth of expertise to her role, contributing significantly to OTA's financial stability.

Cynthia has recently incorporated risk management into her portfolio, demonstrating her proactive approach to ensuring the association's resilience. Cynthia's dedication to continuous improvement is evident in her commitment to enhancing financial transparency and governance within OTA. Under her guidance, the association now adheres to a higher standard, setting a benchmark for excellence in financial practices. Her role as Finance & Risk Manager reflects her passion for contributing to OTA's success and her commitment to maintaining the association's financial health and strategic objectives.

Cynthia is a foodie and coffee lover and loves to explore new cafes and restaurants around Melbourne. She is the go-to person for coffee advice for new starters in the office and she loves travelling interstate and overseas.