Introducing AMT’s new CEO

We are thrilled to announce that AMT has appointed a new CEO, Adele Braun. This is the culmination of an exhaustive search that commenced in March. And what better way to introduce Adele than in her own words.

Over to you Adele …

Introducing Adele

I’m so very excited to be stepping into the CEO role at AMT. I know I have big shoes to fill. Rebecca Barnett is staying on for a few months as part of a planned handover and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

From my very first days, I’ve received such a warm welcome from the AMT team and Board, and I’m really looking forward to connecting with members over the coming days, weeks and months.

So, who on earth is Adele?

Where it all began

The origin story starts way back when I was 17.

I was in a serious car accident that landed me in hospital, then in rehab for three months, followed by another six months of outpatient rehab when I finally went home. Over the years since, I’ve had multiple surgeries and leaned on all kinds of allied health therapies to keep my body moving and manage pain. But it was remedial massage that made the biggest difference for me – it gave me relief and support that nothing else quite matched.

That experience shaped everything that came after. It’s part of why my husband Jamin (a physiotherapist) and I decided to open a physiotherapy and massage clinic together in Melbourne in 2009: I knew firsthand what a difference that kind of care could make. And a few years later, it’s what inspired me to retrain myself, so I could help people the same way massage had helped me. I completed my Diploma of Remedial Massage at the Australian College of Fitness and Bodywork in December 2013, and then spent over 10 years working as a practitioner alongside running the clinic.

In 2025, I made the difficult decision to step away from clinical practice and de-register myself. I also made myself redundant from the business I’d helped to build. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, either financially or emotionally. But it opened the door for me to go back to where my career had actually started many years earlier: the community and not-for-profit sector.

The path back

Since then, I’ve worked with a volunteer organisation, a community palliative care provider, and I also currently work two days a week for local government (please don’t hold that against me!). Along the way I’ve picked up experience in stakeholder engagement, communications, event coordination, and operational management – skills that I’m excited to now bring into my three-day a week role with AMT.

There are plenty more stories from the various roles I’ve held over the years but I won’t bore you with all of them just yet. There’s plenty of time for that in the future!

Life outside of AMT

Away from work, I’m kept on my toes by my three children – Zahara, Jarryn and Azalyn – and by Benson, our 12-year-old Labrador Retriever, who is great company while I work from home. (It also means I can keep a close eye on him as he is super mischievous, especially when it comes to food!). I have recently become more interested in learning about all things astronomy, even going so far as to join a local observatory which is proving to be very enlightening!

I love working with people, connecting with community, and engaging with characters from all walks of life. I’m a curious thinker, a bit socially awkward at times, a bit of a magpie (I love glittery, sparkly, bright things!) and I genuinely enjoy being busy and productive.

Above all, I’m incredibly passionate about the massage therapy profession and seeing massage recognised as the health profession it truly is, not simply a “nice to have” modality.

Looking ahead

Given where my own journey started, it probably won’t surprise you that I don’t just believe in the value of massage therapy in theory – I’ve lived it. That’s the perspective I’m bringing into this role, and I can’t wait to get to know more of you over the months ahead. I hope I will be able to connect with lots of you at the upcoming AMT conference in Sydney.