Key Capabilities:

• Accredited and experienced corporate governance practitioner and consultant
• Sound knowledge of data governance
• Proven leadership abilities, with excellent collaborative people skills and management of government and community stakeholders
• Committed to overseeing compliance with regulatory requirements

Concise Overview of Professional History:

• Responsible Gambling Fund Trust – Chair
• Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District – Chair
• Relationships Australia NSW Ltd – Chair
• Inclusive Boards Pty Ltd. – Managing Director
• Australasian Spinal Cord Injury Network – Executive Director
• Corporate Governance Specialist – Principal Advisor
• Parramatta Mission – General Manager
• Dtecht Pty Ltd – Managing Director
• CBHS Health Fund Ltd – Chief Executive Officer

Milestones:

• Chaired ISLHD Board through the COVID-19 pandemic while delivering $1B worth of health services to the satisfaction of NSW Ministry of Health
• Raised $1.5 million for research projects in 2017.
• Grew Parramatta Mission from $8M to $20M turnover in 4½ years through building key government relationships.
• Awarded the 2005 CRC Association Excellence in Innovation Award for Dtecht and raised $3.7M funding from venture capitalists.

Value Proposition:

• Experienced CEO, Director and Chairman with commitment to personal integrity.
• A strong determination to succeed at every challenge faced.
• Builder of organisational capacity through collaborative relationships.
• Outstanding strategic planning and governance experience delivering sound outcomes.
• Thorough understanding of the challenges of NFP and Government organisations.

Directorships*

NSW Health Fund Association – represented all private health insurance firms in NSW.

• Director (1997 – 2001)
• Chairman (2000–2001)

Achievements: Led the development of benefit provision for private mental health services in NSW and supported the introduction of the private health insurance rebate.

 

HIRMAA – represented all closed membership health funds in Australia.

• Director (1997 – 2004)

Achievements: Advocated for NSW-based health fund members to the Ministry of Health and Health Minister to deliver the best outcomes for members.

 

Australian Health Service Alliance Limited – a PHI industry clearing house

• Director (2002 – 2004)
• Audit Committee Member (2002 – 2004)

Achievements: Negotiated contract terms with all private hospitals and medical facilities in Australia for services provided to private health fund members.

 

Australian HealthCover Pty Limited – a subsidiary of CBHS Health Fund Ltd

• Chairman (1999 – 2004)

Achievements: Created the strategy and structure for the admission of additional private health fund members to CBHS Health Fund. Now called CBHS Corporate Health Fund.

 

Dtecht Pty Limited – spun out of the Capital Markets CRC to develop technology to detect fraud in health transactions.

• Managing Director (2005 – 2006)

Achievements: Awarded the 2005 CRC Association Excellence in Innovation Award for Dtecht and raised $3.7M funding from venture capitalists.

 

Net Grammar School Pty Ltd – a senior high school delivered over the internet.

• Chairman (1998 – 2008)

Achievements: Worked closely with the NSW school regulator to develop rules and regulations for the registration of non-government schools in NSW.

 

Foodbank NSW/ACT Ltd – a food rescue charity

• Director (2008 – 2014)
• Audit Committee Member

Achievements: Supported expansion by including fresh produce from farm gates (particularly from the Riverina) and moved to a new warehouse three times larger, with assistance from the NSW government.

 

Relationships Australia NSW Limited – supporting family and personal relationships.

• Chairman (2013 – 2022)
• Governance Committee and Audit and Finance Committee Member
• Chairman of subsidiary companies RASE Pty Ltd and RANSWIP Coy Pty Ltd (2020 – 2022)

Achievements: Led RANSW growth from $18M to over $40M annually, diversified the board, helped create the RA National Council, and served as a member (2020 – 2022).

 

Australasian Spinal Cord Injury Network Ltd – supported research into recovery of spinal injury across Australia and New Zealand.

• CEO (2015 – 2018)
• Executive Director (Jan 2019 – Jun 2019)

Achievements: Developed strategic, operating, and financial plans for 2015–2018, secured NSW government funding, and participated on the Council of the Health Science Alliance at UNSW.

 

Swimply Australia Pty Ltd – a subsidiary of Swimply Inc.

• Chairman (2019 – 2022)

Achievements: Performed all duties required by Swimply Inc. to maintain company registration in Australia.

 

Inclusive Boards Pty Ltd – a company director development business encouraging diversity in board appointments.

• Managing Director (2018 – 2024)

Achievements: Candidates participated in 20 discussions each year to enhance their suitability for board roles.

 

St Andrews House Corporation – a retail property trust owning and operating Town Hall Arcade and the adjacent Office Tower.

• Director (2018 – 2023)

Achievements: Guided management through COVID-19 challenges, maintained trust distributions, reduced vacancy rates from 20% to 10%, and initiated the Office Tower redevelopment proposal.

 

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District – runs 8 hospitals and 58 medical centres on the south coast of NSW.

• Board Chairman (2021 – present)
• Chair of the Finance and Workplace Performance Committee
• Chair of the Nomination Committee

Achievements: Delivered high-quality health services during the COVID pandemic, established a new medical research institute, and oversaw hospital projects in Shellharbour and Nowra.

 

Responsible Gambling Fund Trust – advises the Minister on responsible gambling in NSW.

• Trust Chairman (2023 – present)

Achievements: Developed a new strategic plan, revised the Trust Deed, and oversees “GambleAware” to educate and support the community in responsible gambling.

Executive Roles:

Corporate Governance Specialist (June 2011 – present)

With the backing of 30 years’ experience as CEO of five very different organisations I have been consulting with a range of organisations. I have facilitated courses for the Australian Institute of Company Directors and am accredited by NSW Education Standards Authority to teach governance to private school councils. I have taught Corporate Governance, Finance for Directors and Risk and Strategy to various commercial and not-for-profit directors around Australia and Fiji.

Australasian Spinal Cord Injury Network (Nov 2014 – Jan 2019) – Chief Executive Officer

The ‘Spinal Network’ was established in 2008 to bring together clinicians and scientists researching in the field of spinal cord injury to foster collaboration among them to assist people to recover from spinal cord injury. The Spinal Network had a wide reach across Australia and New Zealand and was highly valued by government at State and Federal level.

Responsibilities:

• Full management, strategic advancement and risk management.
• Foster collaborative relationships in the SCI research community.
• Secure ongoing funding.
• Facilitate the establishment of a national spinal cord injury registry.
• Facilitate national and international clinical trials.

Achievements:

• Brought together all spinal units across Australia and New Zealand to enable collaborations and cohesion.
• Developed strategic, operating and financial plans for 2015 – 2018.
• Secured NSW government funding through the Office of Health and Medical Research.
• Participated on the Council of the Health Science Alliance at UNSW.

Parramatta Mission (December 2006 – June 2011) – General Manager (CEO)

Parramatta Mission was established over 50 years ago by the Methodist Church in Parramatta and now incorporates the Parramatta Benevolent Society established by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1810. It was a complex organization delivering over 100 government funded programs and 20 self-funded programs.

Responsibilities:

• Full management, strategic advancement and risk management of Parramatta Mission.
• Development of strategic objectives and funding plans.
• Liaise with local, state and federal government funding agencies.

Achievements:

• Reorganized the financial structure and balance sheet of PM to make it the only Uniting Church Parish Mission in NSW generating a surplus from a sound financial foundation.
• Developed Australia’s first charity-based capital adequacy scheme with Deloitte Actuaries to enhance the financial information for management decision making.
• Created UnitingCare Community Housing to manage a portfolio of 140 community housing properties.
• Grew turnover from $8M to $20M and staff from 120 to 250 by winning new government programs and driving greater productivity and efficiency.
• Conceived, purchased and renovated 6×2br apartments to accommodate families of sick children at Westmead opposite the Children’s Hospital. Delivered on time and on budget.
• Negotiated the $7.3 million redevelopment of Hope Hostel by the NSW Government, now housing 36 homeless men in a purpose-designed facility including the only 6-bed intoxicated persons unit in greater Western Sydney.
• Oversaw growth of mental health services throughout the Blue Mountains, North Western Sydney and Central Coast, including two HeadSpace centers at Mt Druitt and Parramatta.
• Reorganized Lifeline Western Sydney from a $250,000 annual loss to a small surplus by developing their educational services unit to provide fee-for-service courses.
• Grew fundraising from a net $45,000 p.a. to $750,000 p.a.

Dtecht Pty Limited (December 2004 – October 2006) – Managing Director

Dtecht Pty Ltd (an IBM business partner) was a world leading edge fraud risk management company which developed high speed processing technology combined with expert domain knowledge of health transactions and fraud pathology to identify potentially fraudulent health claims prior to payment for public and private payers of health transactions. Dtecht identified significant fraud within the private health insurance payments system.

Responsibilities:

• Full management, strategic advancement and risk management.
• Complete the product development.
• Sign up customers in Australia and globally.
• Secure ongoing venture capital investment.

Achievements:

• Awarded the 2005 CRC Association Excellence in Innovation Award.
• Completed the product (Ancillary) on time and on budget.
• Signed up the initial customers.
• Completed two rounds of venture capital funding ($3.7M).
• Awarded a government Commercial Ready Grant of $2.7M (May 2006).
• Established office and teams.
• Achieved all VC funding objectives.

CBHS Friendly Society Limited (Nov 1996 – Sept 2004) – Chief Executive Officer

CBHS is a member-based private health insurance fund initially established for staff of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) in 1951. At the time I left, it was the third largest restricted membership fund in Australia with an annual income in 2004 of $120 million. That year it paid over 350,000 claims totaling $110,000,000.

Responsibilities:

• Full delegation of authority to manage CBHS.
• Ensure that all claims are paid correctly.
• Grow membership by 5% per annum.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements at all times.
• Represent the interests of members to government.

Achievements:

• Restored sound financial management — CBHS was about to breach minimum solvency levels for the second time in 12 months when I took control in Nov 1996.
• Managed administration costs below 6% of contribution income against an industry average of 11% (“It is other people’s money” — only spend what adds value).
• Developed a new health fund computer system on time and on budget, supporting the industry transition to electronic processing (HICAPS).
• Re-engineered claim processing procedures to reduce a two-month backlog to paying claims on the day of receipt.
• Managed investment of $48 million to maximize income within the regulatory structure.
• Grew membership from 32,000 to 50,000.
• Participated in several government inquiries to determine the best outcome for private health insurance contributors, including the Reinsurance Review (twice), new solvency and capital adequacy arrangements, several ACCC consultations, and presented at PHIAC/IAA seminars.

Employment prior to Nov 1996:

• • St Andrew’s Cathedral School
  • August 1992 – November 1996
  • Director of Development & CEO of St Andrew’s Cathedral School Foundation Ltd.
  • AMP Representative
  • January 1989 – August 1992
  • Selling financial products.
  • Anglican Board of Education
  • March 1988 – December 1988
  • Advised the Board on its restructure and developed the strategic plan.
  • St Thomas’ Anglican Church
  • January 1986 – February 1988
  • Pastoral Assistant.
  • Aushome Conveyancing Services
  • Principal — January 1984 – December 1985
  • Student
  • January 1978 – December 1983
  • Moore Theological College and University of New England.
  • A.M.L. & F
  • January 1976 – December 1977
  • Personal Assistant to the State Manager.
  • Gingie Pastoral Company
  • March 1974 – December 1975
  • Jackeroo.

EDUCATION

• University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School – Graduate Certificate in Corporate Governance – May 2022
• University of New England – Master of Commerce (E-Commerce) – 2005
• Australian Institute of Company Directors – Company Directors Diploma – 2002
• University of Technology Sydney – Bachelor of Business (Marketing major) – 1997
• Australian College of Theology – Diploma in Theology – 1990