Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Dr Stephen Liew and Samantha Cheetham, two Australians currently in key global leadership roles, admit they don’t want to waste a moment of this opportunity. By John Burfitt
History was made in September 2024 when two prominent Australians were appointed to important global dental leadership roles. Dr Stephen Liew was elected as speaker and chair of the FDI World Dental Parliament and Samantha Cheetham became the new president of International Dental Manufacturers (IDM).
Leadership roles are not new for either. Dr Liew was formerly federal president of the Australian Dental Association, and Cheetham is currently both director of the Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA) and CEO of dental manufacturer SDI.
Twelve months since the Melbourne-based pair took on their international positions, they reflect on their respective journeys through the Australian dental landscape including how they’re approaching their global work with a spirit of cooperation.
Stephen Liew
“I actually knew of Samantha’s products through SDI long before I met her. I was using the adhesive Riva Bond for a long time and knew of some of the company’s managers through trade shows, and then we finally met in person.
“The thing that impressed me about dealing with Samantha is SDI is a family company and that shows in how they do business. There is a genuine commitment to Aussie dentistry, and the fact they sell Victorian-produced dental products into 100 countries around the world speaks volumes.
“When I was federal president of the ADA and Sam was on the ADIA board, we would cross paths and discuss what we were working on. Sometimes we would confess some things were easier than others to work with each other on, but I always felt like I was speaking with someone on the same wavelength.
“We’re both driven and want to make a difference within dentistry. She has a focus on research and innovation, and when you hear her speak, it’s from a place of wanting to make our jobs as practitioners easier. She understands there’s a long arm to the work SDI does—from how they develop a product through to how it can benefit the patient.
We’re both driven and want to make a difference within dentistry. [Samantha] has a focus on research and innovation, and when you hear her speak, it’s from a place of wanting to make our jobs as practitioners easier.
Dr Stephen Liew, chair, FDI World Dental Parliament
“Samantha and I landed our new roles—me as speaker of the FDI World Dental Parliament and she as president of the IDM—in the same month last year.
“The FDI World Dental Parliament forms global oral health policy to inform the World Health Organization and United Nations.
“We caught up in Istanbul, Turkey on a boat cruise when my appointment was announced. We congratulated each other, but instead of idle chitchat, we were soon exchanging ideas of how much of a difference we could make in our new roles.
“We understand the big significance of this time when two Aussies are in key global leadership positions and know this probably won’t happen again for a long time; it’s often hard to get an Aussie into such roles. And when appropriate, the fact we’re in Melbourne, I hope we can meet up for a coffee at times to chat through how we can work together more closely.
“A title doesn’t define your importance, but I think mutual respect and having trust in each other’s insights makes a big difference to how we can assist each other when we can. We’re both attending the World Dental Congress in Shanghai this month so that will be a great opportunity to express our ideas to other key dental leaders and, hopefully, get the wheels turning on them.”
Samantha Cheetham
“Dentistry is probably in my DNA as my parents started SDI in 1972, and then I joined the company in 1990 as a sales rep and worked my way up. I became CEO in 2015, and now work alongside two of my brothers. My father Jeffery is chairman.
“I first became aware of Stephen years ago when people in the Melbourne profession were talking about this dynamic dentist making his mark at the ADA. We got to know each other through his time at the ADA and mine on the board of the ADIA.
“I recall being impressed he had such a clear goal for dentistry and that was for universal health care. From a manufacturing point of view, he was keen to discuss how to get the best products to dentists and the patients they were treating.
“Stephen is highly driven and has taken on various roles out of a genuine commitment to advancing the dental profession in Australia and improving access to oral healthcare for all. He communicates on these issues with such clarity and conviction that people are compelled to listen.
I recall being impressed [Stephen] had such a clear goal for dentistry and that was for universal health care. From a manufacturing point of view, he was keen to discuss how to get the best products to dentists and the patients they were treating.
Samantha Cheetham, president, International Dental Manufacturers
“Last September at the FDI World Dental Congress in Istanbul marked an exciting milestone for both of us. I was appointed president of IDM, and Stephen was elected speaker and chair of FDI. Having both roles represented by Australians underscores Australia’s growing prominence as a global leader in dentistry—showcasing the country’s commitment to delivering world-class care using high-quality products and leading dental care. IDM represents about 2000 companies globally and I’m driving strategy and want us to have a lot more involvement with the FDI and WHO about sustainability which is becoming very important globally.
Universal oral health care for everyone is the goal. We are, of course, approaching it from slightly different directions, but we both want to influence governments on better processes to make things easier for better oral health care across the world.
“I’m looking forward to Stephen and I attending the World Dental Congress this month in Shanghai, and I’ll be having Stephen to one of our sessions. He is so passionate about driving his goals and is such a great communicator, so I know he will make a great impression. I’m determined to increase the ways our organisations can cross paths because, in the long run, it’s all about better oral health care.”
