Mr David Gonski AC - NEHTA Chair

David Michael Gonski AC is an Australian public figure and businessman. The Sydney Morning Herald has described him as "one of the country's best-connnected businessmen". David Gonski AC has degrees of Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales. He practised as a solicitor with the firm of Freehills from 1977 to 1986, becoming a partner at age 25, before leaving to co-found an investment bank. His current positions held include: Chair, Investec Wentworth Pty Ltd and Investec Bank (Australia) Ltd, Coca-Cola Amatil, Australian Stock Exchange; Director, Westfield Group, ING Group, Singapore Airlines. Outside of business he is Chancellor, University of New South Wales; Chair, Board of Trustees, Sydney Grammar School; President of the Board of Trustees, Art Gallery of New South Wales; and Chair, National Institute of Dramatic Art and the Australia Council. He was Director, John Fairfax Holdings, 1993-2005 and Director, ANZ 2001-2007.

Dr Peggy Brown

Dr Peggy Brown is currently the Interim Chief Executive, ACT Health. She is also a Member of the Health Workforce Australia Board. She trained in Medicine and specialised in Psychiatry, and has significant clinical and administrative experience, having worked both within Australia and internationally. She has provided leadership in national mental health policy development and implementation over the past decade, including chairing the committee that oversees key national mental health safety and quality initiatives. From 2007 – 2009, she led a national project to reduce, and where possible, eliminate the use of seclusion and restraint in mental health services across Australia. Dr Brown is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Australian National University, a surveyor with Australian Council of Healthcare Standards and a former state winner of the Queensland Telstra Business Woman of the Year award.

Mr Matthew Daly

Mr Matthew Daly has worked in the Health System in Australia for over 30 years. These roles have been broad, covering appointments in both the public and private sectors, community and acute care, metropolitan, rural, and teaching hospital settings. Matthew has tertiary qualifications in Health Administration and holds a Bachelor of Business Degree from Charles Sturt University.

He has been particularly active in management training through involvement in Academic courses at the University of Technology, Sydney, and the University of Tasmania, whilst supervising trainees in workplace based graduate training programs in Sydney South West Area Health Service and the Australian College of Health Service Management.As Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor since 2007 with the University of Tasmania, Mr Daly has worked with the Faculty of Health Sciences on numerous projects including undergraduate student placements, teaching methods developed through the use of Simulation Centres, and translating research into workforce redesign.

Dr Mary Foley

Prior to being appointed NSW Health Director-General Dr Mary Foley was the National Health Practice Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia.  She was foundation Chief Executive of St Vincent’s & Mater Health Sydney (2001 -2008), leading the merger of public and private hospitals and affiliated medical research institutes.  Previous to this Dr Foley held senior corporate positions in private health care and was awarded Business Woman of the Year (NSW) for her achievements in this sector. She was also awarded the Centenary Medal by the Federal Government for service to Australian society in business leadership (2003).

Prior to her corporate career, she was a senior public servant, commencing with the Federal Public Service in Canberra and subsequently with the NSW Public Service attaining the position of deputy head of the NSW Department of Health and department head status as the Executive Director of the Office of Health Policy.

Professor Jane Halton

Professor Jane Halton is Secretary of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. She is responsible for all aspects of the operation of the Department including the provision of advice on and administration of Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Aged and Community Care, Population Health, regulation of Therapeutic Goods, plus hospital financing and Private Health Insurance. She also has responsibility for leadership on health security issues, including matters related to bioterrorism. Professor Halton is a member of the board of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and a Commissioner of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Sydney and the University of Canberra.

Dr Tony O’Connell

Dr Tony O'Connell is Director-General of Queensland Health.  He joined Queensland Health in August 2009 and previously acted as Deputy Director-General - Health System Performance in the NSW Dept of Health. He directed the NSW Government’s major redesign program for Health, the Clinical Services Redesign Program. His background is as a clinician for 28 years as an intensive care specialist and anaesthetist. He has been on the examination panel for the national College.

He has been involved in state-wide system change for two decades and his major achievements have been facilitating significantly improved access performance for both emergency and elective patients in NSW in the face of rising demand for services, and best-ever surgery performance in QLD. He has led teams receiving Premier’s awards for excellence in public service in two states.

Ms Lynda O'Grady

Ms Lynda O'Grady is Principal of the management consultancy firm, Advanced Management Services, which provides consultancy and business advisory services on strategic and organisational issues for clients across a wide range of industries and sectors. Lynda most recently held roles at Executive/Managing Director level at Telstra. These included Executive Director of Convergent Solutions and Chief of Product. Prior to that, Lynda was Commercial Director of Australian Consolidated Press; and General Manager of the Business Systems Division of Alcatel Australia. Ms O'Grady is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently a member of the Council of Bond University; a member of the Board of Advisors of Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre; and director of Screen Queensland and Auscript Group Pty Limited. She also served on the Board of TAB Queensland for five years prior to its listing and on the IT&T Board of Advisors to the New South Wales Treasurer. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree gained at the University of Queensland.

Mr Jeffrey Moffet

Mr Jeffrey Moffet is a highly experienced health administrator who has occupied senior leadership and management roles in the health sector for the past decade. He has extensive management experience overseeing health service delivery in rural and remote Western Australia, in particular the vast Pilbara and Kimberley regions. He held a clinical position as a physiotherapist in Darwin in the early 1990s.

Mr Kim Snowball

As Director General of Health, Mr Kim Snowball leads the provision of public health services in Western Australia. A Certified Practising Accountant by profession, he has held a number of senior executive positions across the public and private health sectors, and provided consultancy services to State and Territory Governments. He was Chief Executive Officer of the WA Country Health Service from September 2007, was appointed Acting Director General of Health in January 2010 and Director General in July 2010.

Mr David Swan

Mr David Swan is the current Acting Chief Executive, SA Health and has extensive experience in the health industry, including four years as the Executive Director, Operations, SA Health. He has over 20 years experience as a Chief Executive in the public and private health care system in Australia, including two years as Chief Executive of the Southern Adelaide Health Service and over four years as Chief Executive of the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide prior to his current appointment. He is an Associate Fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Executive, and has also held Directors positions on the Women's Hospitals of Australasia; Australian Private Hospitals Association; and State President of the Private Hospitals Association of Tasmania.

Dr Pradeep Phillip

Dr Pradeep Philip commenced as Secretary, Department of Health Victoria on 10 July 2012.  Prior to working for the Department of Health, Dr Pradeep Phillip was Deputy Secretary of the Policy and Cabinet Group at the Department of Premier and Cabinet.  He has extensive experience in both state and Commonwealth Government, including as Director of Policy in the Prime Minister’s Office and as Associate Director-General in the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet. He first joined government as an economist with the Commonwealth Department of the Treasury, having been a tutor and lecturer at the University of Queensland, Griffith University and the Australian National University.