Starkey's Executive Team

William F. Austin

Owner and CEO

William F. "Bill" Austin is the Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Owner and CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies. He has more than 50 years of experience in the hearing industry.

William F. Austin turned Starkey Labs, a small earmold company he purchased in 1970 for $13,000 into Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the U.S.

No matter how much success he achieves in business, William F. Austin will always be remembered for his generosity and steadfast belief that the gift of hearing can change the world. He founded Starkey Hearing Foundation on his vision: So the World May Hear. He works with the Foundation on dozens of hearing missions every year, having visited more than 100 countries to give the gift of hearing. With his support, Starkey Hearing Foundation continues to impact more and more lives around the world each year.

William F. Austin has received many honors for his philanthropic work, including: the Horatio Alger Award, Mexico's Aztec Eagle Award, the Jefferson Award, the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award, the National Caring Award, and the Humanitarian Award from Variety International.

Learn more about Starkey Hearing Foundation

Tani Austin

Chief Philanthropy Officer

Named Female Philanthropist of the Year and honored at the First Ladies Summit at the UN General Assembly in 2015, Tani Austin has helped develop a sustainable world hearing health program to deliver the gift of hearing to people in need around the globe. In her role as Chief Philanthropy Officer, she executes Starkey Hearing Technologies’ humanitarian efforts, focusing on empowering communities to create ownership over local hearing health services.

Participating in dozens of hearing missions every year with her husband, Starkey Hearing Technologies Founder and CEO William F. Austin, Tani Austin has visited over 100 countries to provide hearing aids and hearing care. Her relentless efforts have guided Starkey Hearing Foundation to become a global leader in developing sustainable, community-based systems of hearing healthcare.

Tani Austin holds more than 30 years of experience in the hearing industry, including: maintaining her own hearing aid practice for 10 years and serving as the Illinois Department of Public Health Practicum Examiner for the hearing aid dispensing of state licensing, Secretary of the Illinois Hearing Society and on the National Board of Certification in Hearing Sciences.

Tani Austin’s commitment to philanthropy goes beyond hearing. By supporting a multitude of both local and global charitable causes, her inspiring vision and selfless dedication helps change countless lives.

Brandon Sawalich

President

Brandon Sawalich began his career at Starkey Hearing Technologies in 1994 and has led various teams throughout the organization including customer service, marketing and sales. As President, Brandon Sawalich leads a global team of over 5,000 employees with facilities in 23 countries.

Brandon Sawalich uses his vast industry experience and understanding of our customers and employees to position Starkey Hearing Technologies as the premier provider of better hearing solutions. He works with the Executive Team and leaders throughout the organization to define and implement Starkey Hearing Technologies’ strategic direction, support the company’s mission and goals, and grow partnerships around the world.

Brandon Sawalich is the chairman of the Hearing Industries Association.

Achin Bhowmik, Ph.D.

Chief Technology Officer & Executive Vice President of Engineering

As Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Engineering for Starkey Hearing Technologies, Dr. Achin Bhowmik leads the company’s research and product development efforts. Prior to joining Starkey, Dr. Achin Bhowmik was vice president and general manager of the Perceptual Computing Group at Intel Corporation. There, he was responsible for the R&D, engineering, operations, and businesses in the areas of 3D sensing and interactive computing, computer vision and artificial intelligence, autonomous robots and drones, and immersive virtual and merged reality devices.

Dr. Achin Bhowmik holds adjunct and guest professor positions, advises graduate research and lectures on human-computer interactions and perceptual computing technologies at the Liquid Crystal Institute of Kent State University, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley, where he is on the board of advisors for the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership. Dr. Achin Bhowmik has over 200 publications, including two books and 34 issued patents.

Sara Burdak, Au.D.

Chief Audiology Officer

Dr. Sara Burdak joined Starkey Hearing Technologies as an audiologist on the Hearing Research and Technology team in 1999. Over the last 16 years, Sara Burdak has worked to bring impactful programs to our global customer base. She is responsible for developing and aligning Starkey’s global audiology strategy as it relates to education and training programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and customer and industry relations. Sara Burdak earned her bachelor's degree in audiology and speech sciences from Michigan State University, her master's degree in audiology from Wayne State University, and her Au.D. from the Arizona School of Health Sciences.

Bill Courtney

Chief Financial Officer

Bill Courtney holds over 30 years of experience in retail strategy, global financial infrastructure and medical device leadership. His extensive finance experience spans across manufacturing, operations, IT, supply chain, and other functions throughout a variety of industries and companies, such as Hertz, Best Buy, Barclays Global Technology and Operations, and most recently, Medtronic.

During his time as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Global Operations & Business Services at Medtronic, Bill Courtney was responsible for financial and strategic support to teams throughout the world.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Elon University (Elon, North Carolina), and his MBA in finance from the University of Pittsburgh — Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business in Pittsburgh. Bill Courtney’s experience, knowledge and attitude is vital in bringing us to a new level of efficiency, transformation and excellence in hearing healthcare.

Dave Fabry, Ph.D.

Chief Innovation Officer

As Chief Innovation Officer, Dave Fabry, Ph.D., leads end-to-end innovations within our clinical audiology department. His collaboration with our engineering and marketing teams allows Starkey Hearing Technologies to continue to design and provide superior products.

Dave Fabry received his Ph.D. in hearing science from the University of Minnesota. Subsequently, he divided his career between academic/clinical roles at the Mayo Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the University of Miami Medical Center, and several industry positions. He served as President and Board Member of the American Academy of Audiology and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the American Auditory Society.

Additionally, Dave Fabry has served as Editor-in-Chief of Audiology Today since 2008 and is a past Editor of the American Journal of Audiology and Section Editor of Ear and Hearing. He is licensed as an Audiologist in Minnesota, Florida, and Rwanda.

His 30+ years of industry experience and proven ability to implement forward-thinking concepts is instrumental in shaping the future innovations at Starkey Hearing Technologies.

Chris Hillman

Chief Operations Officer

With over 20 years of experience developing, transforming and leading global businesses and world-class operations, Chris Hillman is responsible for Starkey Hearing Technologies’ operational execution. In his previous role as Vice President and General Manager of Global Services Supply Chain for GE Healthcare, Chris Hillman successfully executed the aftermarket equipment business’ commercial operations, supply chain and operations strategies.

Prior to GE, Chris Hillman held multiple leadership positions at Scientific Games and Motorola where throughout his career, in addition to his operational responsibilities, he led or co-led a number of large scale business transformations. He holds a B.A. in business from DePaul University.

Mary Jeffries

Chief Strategy Officer

As Chief Strategy Officer, Mary Jeffries is responsible for Starkey Hearing Technologies’ strategy formulation, strategic planning and key enterprise initiatives.

Mary Jeffries has 30 years of experience leading business transformation initiatives for billion dollar conglomerates, start-ups, private equity and venture capital firms; including C-level leadership roles for name brands like Polaroid Corporation, Weber Shandwick, St. Paul Venture Capital and ZINK Imaging. Most recently, Mary Jeffries served as Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Interim Chief Technology Officer.

Mary Jeffries received her B.A. in business and accounting from the University of Northern Iowa and is a CPA (inactive).

Chris McCormick

Chief Marketing Officer

Since joining Starkey Hearing Technologies in 1988, Chris McCormick has worked and excelled in multiple sales, service and marketing positions with Starkey's mission in mind — to serve our customers better than anyone else. Chris McCormick’s deep knowledge of Starkey and our customers and consumers allows him to lead our marketing efforts to a new and unified global level. His leadership and vision drives Starkey's strategy to strengthen our brand loyalty and values to our customers and their consumers. Chris McCormick earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from the Herberger College of Business at St. Cloud State University.

Paul Phillips

Executive Vice President of International Sales

As Executive Vice President of International Sales, Paul Phillips leads our efforts in growing and developing our markets throughout the world. For the last 24 years, Paul Phillips has given his time and talent to Starkey in many capacities in the United States, Europe and New Zealand. Having worked in sales, marketing and retail roles, he has a deep understanding of how and why we provide better hearing around the globe.

Paul Phillips holds a B.A. in international business and economics from Temple University.

Doug Reynolds

Chief Information Officer

With more than 25 years of executive-level experience in information technology, Doug Reynolds is responsible for aligning Starkey Hearing Technologies' Computer Systems and Information Technology. His passion for strategy, execution, results and accountability is instrumental to the company's success in the rapidly changing industry.

Doug Reynold’s Previous experience includes leadership roles at companies such as Prudential Insurance, Delta Dental, Best Buy, Allianz, Regis Corporation, and, most recently, Digineer. Doug Reynolds received his bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University (Minnesota) and holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota).

Lisa Richards

Chief Customer Officer

Lisa Richards has been a champion in the field of hearing healthcare for more than 20 years and is currently serving as Chief Customer Officer for Starkey Hearing Technologies. In her role, Lisa Richards is responsible for developing Starkey Hearing Technologies' customer relations teams and expanding corporate resources and operations globally. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership and is a proven expert in the areas of cross-departmental process improvement, team building and organizational development. Richards' primary objective is to advance the company’s vision — which is to "serve our customers better than anyone else."

Lisa Richards holds a B.A. in marketing and psychology from Upper Iowa University.

Steve Richards

Executive Vice President of North American Sales

Steve Richards is responsible for growing Starkey Hearing Technologies’ North American revenue and market share. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Steve Richards has a proven track record in sales and management. He began his career as a hearing aid technician in 1985 and joined Starkey Hearing Technologies in 1992 as a field sales representative for Omni Hearing Systems, a Starkey subsidiary located in Carrollton, Texas. Steve Richards has held a number of leadership roles in the company including Vice President of Network Development, Managing Director of Starkey Texas, Managing Director of Audibel and Senior Managing Director of Exclusive Networks.

Thomas Ting

General Counsel

Tom Ting holds 14 years of extensive legal and business experience gained in various company settings. During his time as General Counsel at Sun Country Airlines, he provided legal counsel and business consultation to management teams.

Prior to Sun Country, Tom Ting held essential counsel positions at Moneygram International, Polaroid Corporation and Petters Group Worldwide. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and he holds a B.A. in medical ethics from Davidson College.