Dr. Roberts became Chief Executive Officer of Cochlear Limited in February 2004. Cochlear is the international leader in the development, manufacture and sales of cochlear implant systems which enable hearing people to perceive most environmental sounds and speech.

Cochlear’s business spans three regions – the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific – with a distribution and service network that reaches more than 80 countries across five continents.

Cochlear’s head office – incorporating manufacturing facilities, principal research and development activities, and the Asia Pacific regional office – is located at Lane Cove in Sydney, Australia. In addition, Cochlear has regional offices in Denver, United States and Basel, Switzerland, as well as sales and distribution offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and China. An additional research facility in Belgium was purchased in 1999.

Dr Roberts has worked in the medical device industry for over 26 years, initially with the Nucleus Group of companies, including positions as: Vice President, Telectronics Inc (cardiac pacemakers); President, BGS Medical Inc, based in Colorado, USA (an orthopaedic company specialising in implantable electrical bone growth stimulators) and CEO, Domedica Pty Ltd, based in Sydney (artificial kidneys). He was a Vice President of Electro-Biology Inc, based in New Jersey USA, which at that time was a NASDAQ listed orthopaedic company specialising in fracture healing. He was also Executive Vice President of ResMed Inc.

Dr Roberts is a founding (non-executive) Director of ResMed Inc (NYSE and ASX ticker RMD) and is also a (non-executive) Director of Portland Orthopaedics.

Dr Roberts holds a BE in Chemical Engineering with Honours from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from Macquarie University and a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of New South Wales.