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Need help? Call us on (+44)1 264 313 110
Need help? Call us on (+44)1 264 313 110

Our story

Hearing Direct was co-founded by Gary Hill, Joan McKechnie and Stuart Canterbury in 2010 to revolutionise the hearing aid industry by offering pre-programmed hearing aids to the estimated eight million Britons with mild to moderate hearing loss. The aim was to offer quick and easy hearing checks online and provide hearing aids for as little as 10 per cent of their cost on the high street.

Hearing Direct is dedicated to helping the hard of hearing enjoy the sounds they love and through a team of hearing specialists provide great products at an affordable cost.


Meet the people behind Hearing Direct

 

Joan McKechnie - Lead Audiologist - HearingDirect

Joan McKechnie - Lead Audiologist

After qualifying as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist Joan has spent most of her 20 year career in hearing-care related roles. She has a wealth of experience within the hearing aid and hearing rehabilitation fields and has worked in manufacturing environments with two hearing aid companies helping to develop  products and roll out new technologies. Joan has been involved with Hearing Direct since its launch and enjoys the online retail environment which seeks to provide easier access to hearing products and accessories. She is HCPC registered. 

Stuart Canterbury - HearingDirect

Stuart Canterbury - Co-Founder

Stuart joined the hearing aid industry just at the start of the digital revolution in the mid 1990s.  He was part of a team that transformed one of the minor manufacturers in to a major player in both production and retail of high technology hearing aids.  This journey included working on public / private programmes to accelerate the uptake of high technology hearing aids across a wide distribution.  This passion for improving the value and access to good quality hearing lead to the foundation of HearingDirect.  After almost a decade and hundreds of thousands of customers we are starting to establish online sales as a practical, cost-effective channel to provide great hearing to all those who need help.

Gary Hill - HearingDirect

Gary Hill - Co-Founder

Gary comes from 16 years’ experience in the hearing aid industry in both manufacturing and retail. Before co-founding HearingDirect, Gary was Marketing Director for a leading global hearing aid brand; GN ReSound where he worked for the UK sales division and latterly in their global headquarters in Copenhagen. He was responsible for developing and launching major global hearing aid models, conducting extensive research into the needs of the hearing impaired community and their performance demands of hearing aids and other devices.