Heather Roberts takes the helm as inaugural CEO Dr Sandra Vale departs after more than two decades advancing allergy care in Australia.
The National Allergy Council has appointed Heather Roberts as its new chief executive officer following the departure of Dr Sandra Vale, who has played a central role in shaping Australia’s national allergy policy and education initiatives over the past 22 years.
Dr Vale, the council’s inaugural CEO, has stepped down to pursue a new role in nutrition research and program implementation, ending a tenure that helped establish the organisation and secure ongoing federal government support for allergy care.
Ms Roberts brings more than seven years of experience working with the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and the National Allergy Council, alongside more than a decade in the government health sector.
She joined ASCIA in 2019 before moving to the National Allergy Council when it was established in 2022.
With qualifications in public health and project management, Ms Roberts will oversee the council’s ongoing work to improve allergy prevention, management, and care across Australia.
The council has also appointed Krista Wood as chief operating officer. Ms Wood has worked with the organisation since its establishment in 2022.
In announcing the leadership changes, ASCIA, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), and the National Allergy Council acknowledged Dr Vale’s contribution to allergy and clinical immunology, particularly her role in developing the National Allergy Strategy and establishing the council.
Dr Vale began volunteering with A&AA in 2004, before joining ASCIA in 2010 as an education project officer. She helped develop ASCIA’s online training programs and educational resources between 2010 and 2016, before becoming National Allergy Strategy manager in 2016.
Her work helped drive the development and implementation of the National Allergy Strategy, which emerged from Australia’s first Allergy Summit in Sydney in 2014.
The summit brought together clinicians, patient organisations, and other stakeholders to identify priorities for improving allergy care.
The following year, ASCIA and A&AA developed the National Allergy Strategy and presented it to federal parliament, laying the groundwork for a coordinated national approach to allergic disease.
In 2019, the strategy helped prompt a federal parliamentary inquiry into allergies and anaphylaxis.
The inquiry resulted in the 2020 Walking the Allergy Tightrope report, which outlined recommendations to improve allergy prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management across Australia.
The Australian Government formally responded to the report in 2023, outlining actions to address its recommendations.
A major milestone came in 2022 with the establishment of the National Allergy Council, a partnership between ASCIA and A&AA, with Dr Vale appointed inaugural CEO.
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The council and the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) received four years of Australian Government funding to support improvements in allergy care, education, and research.
Earlier this year, both organisations secured a further two years of federal funding, extending support from 2026 to 2028.
ASCIA CEO Jill Smith acknowledged Dr Vale’s leadership and contribution to the sector in a statement.
“Your determination, relentless work ethic and expertise have enabled us to progress so far over this time,” the statement said.
The organisations also highlighted Ms Roberts’ understanding of the council’s priorities and her established relationships across the allergy sector.
Ms Roberts is expected to build on existing partnerships and collaborations as the council continues implementing national initiatives aimed at improving allergy care.
ASCIA and A&AA said they looked forward to working with the council under the new leadership team.
The transition comes as the National Allergy Council enters its next phase, with renewed federal funding providing continuity for its work to address the growing burden of allergic disease in Australia.
