2022 Leadership 2040 Conference

Secretary (CEO) – Department of Health (Tasmania), Commissioner of Ambulance Services, BA(Hons) LLB(Hons) LLM, Barrister and Solicitor (HCA, SupCt VIC), Solicitor (SupCt Qld)

Kathrine’s 20 plus year career as a lawyer and executive has spanned the private and public sectors, including 14 years travelling throughout Australia and overseas with Australia’s corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), with senior executive responsibility for various operational divisions (Enforcement, Consumer Protection, Corporate Services and Registry Operations (Digital Transformation)) across ASIC.

A move to Tasmania brought with it the opportunity to shift from the Commonwealth to the State Service, and in February 2014 she commenced as Deputy Secretary (Budget and Finance) at the Department of Treasury and Finance, one month prior to Tasmania’s first change in State Government for over 16 years. Kathrine led her Treasury Division through the delivery of four State Budgets in just over three years, whilst quickly coming up to speed with the Tasmanian business and community context.

In 2017, Kathrine was appointed as Acting Secretary for the Department of Justice and was confirmed in the role in early 2018. In the role, Kathrine was responsible for overseeing 1400 plus employees across 29 locations, with portfolios spanning the Courts, Corrections, Worksafe Tasmania, Consumer Protection, Planning and Building Regulation and a $340M capital programme.

In September 2019, Kathrine was appointed as Secretary for the Department of Health and is now responsible for the delivery of a $2B health service including public hospitals, district health services, Tasmania Ambulance, mental health and public health, encompassing over 14,000 employees across Tasmania.

In addition to her legal qualifications, Kathrine has completed graduate courses in business and leadership with the Melbourne Business School and Harvard Leadership Program.

Corporate Governance, financial management and transforming organisations to customer-centric delivery are at the heart of Kathrine’s service-oriented career, culminating in 2020 with her role as State Health Commander for Tasmania during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VicHealth CEO, MBBS MPH PhD

Dr Sandro Demaio is the CEO of VicHealth, a medical doctor and a globally-renowned public health expert and advocate. Previously the CEO of the EAT Foundation, the science-based global platform for food systems transformation, Dr Demaio has also held the role of Medical Officer for non-communicable conditions and nutrition at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Demaio originally trained and worked as a medical doctor at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He holds a Masters degree in public health, a PhD in non-communicable diseases, and has held fellowships at Harvard Medical School, Copenhagen School of Global Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Melbourne. To date, he has published more than 40 scientific papers, including coordinating the 2019 Lancet series on nutrition.

Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Secretary- Clinical Quality

Tony is Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Secretary- Clinical Quality, Regulation and Accreditation with the Tasmanian Department of Health, and Professor in Health Services at the University of Tasmania.

Tony holds dual specialist qualifications in Emergency Medicine and Medical Administration. He is a past President of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. He has previously been a Medical Advisor to the Tasmanian Minister for Health, Deputy Head of the Tasmanian School of Medicine, and Tasmanian Branch President of the Australian Medical Association.

He is a member of the Australian Medical Council’s Recognition of Medical Specialties Subcommittee, the Medicare Review Advisory Committee, and the National Medical Workforce Reform Advisory Committee. He is a member of Council and the Audit Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council, and is a Director of the Postgraduate Medical Education Council of Tasmania.

Qualifications:

Fellowship, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (FRACMA), 2021

Fellowship, International Federation for Emergency Medicine (FIFEM), 2019

Masters in Business Administration- Health Management (University of Tasmania), 2015

Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors, 2012

Fellowship, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM), 2003

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (University of Tasmania), 1995

Bachelor of Medical Science (University of Tasmania), 1992

Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer (Chair)

With more than 37 years’ experience as a registered nurse and midwife, Francine is passionate about giving back to the professions as an active member of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) and a Fellow of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM). 

In 2015, Francine completed the Global Nursing Leadership Institute at ICN, the first Tasmanian alumni for the GNLI.  In October of the following year, 30 years to the day that she graduated as a registered nurse, Francine was appointed as Tasmania’s Chief Nurse and Midwife.

Francine served as member and Chair of the Nursing Board of Tasmania/NMBA (Tas) 2005-2010, member National Council ACM 2015, Chair Australian and New Zealand Council of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers 2017-2019, current Chair Florence Nightingale Grants and Awards Committee and was recently appointed for a second term as the International Commissioner for Pathways to Excellence with the American Nurses Credentialing Centre.

Francine has postgraduate qualifications in nursing and midwifery; Graduate Certificate Business (Public Sector Management Program) and in 2021 completed the ANZSOG Executive Fellows Program.

Energy, courage and resilience have been characteristic of her professional leadership in Tasmania, nationally and more recently the international context.

Chief Executive, Ambulance Tasmania

Adjunct Professor Joe Acker is the Chief Executive of Ambulance Tasmania. He has more than 32 years’ experience in paramedic systems, health services, research and academia in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, China, Brunei, and Mongolia.

Joe has a track record of leading complex change and introducing innovative programs, including the amalgamation of 92 emergency ambulance services into one provincial health system in Alberta, implementing community paramedicine and virtual health models of care in British Columbia, and developing a post graduate paramedic management and leadership program at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales.

Commissioner APM

Donna Adams has been a police officer for 35 years and is currently the Commissioner of the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management.

Prior to this appointment Donna has been Assistant Commissioner of Crime and Operations for Tasmania Police before moving on to be Deputy Secretary of the Department.

Donna has been recognised with an Australian Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Tasmania Police Service Medal for diligent and ethical service. Donna received a Commissioner’s Commendation for her work in the aftermath of the devastating 1996 Port Arthur massacre, and has been recognised by the Australasian Council of Women in Policing as an outstanding investigator.

In 2014, Donna was the Tasmanian Telstra Business Woman of the Year and went on to become a joint National winner of the Telstra Business Women Innovation Award.

Donna in her role as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management played a key role in leading the integration of separate policing and fire business and corporate services into a combined business department. In 2019, Donna was appointed by the Head of the State Service as the Lead Negotiator to resolve a long-standing pay dispute involving ten unions.

In 2020, Donna was seconded to the Department of Health as the Emergency Operations Commander for Tasmania Health Services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Donna has a Graduate Certificate in Police Studies (2002), Graduate Certificate in Applied Management (2007) and a Master in Policing (2011).

Deputy Chief Medical Officer

Dr Jodi Glading is a Medical Administrator with an interest in clinical and research governance. She was awarded Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (2017) and is the Tasmanian Department of Health Deputy Chief Medical Officer where she leads the teams of Clinical Governance, Quality Patient Safety Services and Research Governance.

Dr Glading has a Bachelor’s of Science (1999, John Carroll University) and a Masters of Clinical Psychology (2001, UTAS). After working in the juvenile justice system with at risk children, she returned to UTAS to complete a Bachelor’s of Medical Science (2008) and an MBBS (Hons) (2009). She undertook junior doctor training in surgical areas, particularly ophthalmology, before moving into health management/leadership. Most recently she completed a Masters of Health Management (2016, UNSW).

Dr Glading has held leadership roles such as Chair of the Avant Doctors in Training Advisory Committee and the Tasmania Junior Medical Officer Forum. Some current leadership roles are the Chair of the Accreditation Committee of PMCT, the Tasmanian representative on the Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s Interjurisdictional Committee, Nationally Cohesive Health Technology Assessment and the Commonwealth and States and Territories Joint Targeted Calls for Research Working Committee.

Outside of work, Dr Glading is the Chair of the Eastside Lutheran College Board.  

Chief People Officer

Michelle was appointed to the role of Chief People Officer in March 2022. The role provides high level strategic oversight and management of people related reform initiatives across the entire health system, in both health service delivery and corporate areas.

Prior to this appointment, Michelle held a number of senior leadership positions within the Department of Health including Acting Deputy Secretary, Policy, Purchasing, Performance and Reform; Director, Monitoring, Performance and Analytics; Incident Controller, ECC; Acting Director HR (prior to the inclusion of the THS); and Acting General Manager Shared Services. 

Michelle has over 26 years’ experience in the public sector and has also worked in the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management and the Department of Treasury and Finance. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Commerce and has recently reached 20 years as a member of CPA Australia.

A fun fact about Michelle is that she has walked the Camino de Santiago across the top of Spain.

Director Aboriginal Partnerships, Office of Aboriginal Affairs

Caroline Spotswood is the Director Aboriginal Partnerships, Office of Aboriginal Affairs and is leading the Government’s transformation on working with Aboriginal people with two major initiatives – Closing the Gap Priorities and the Pathway to Truth-Telling and Treaty.  

Prior to this role, Caroline was Head of Service at Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education at the University of Tasmania where she worked with a strong Aboriginal team that delivered on the University’s priorities for Aboriginal student success. 

Caroline’s vision is that Aboriginal people are at the centre, working through co-design, shared decision making and bringing the voice of Aboriginal people to the centre of the Government’s decision making. 

Caroline’s aims include facilitating meaningful engagement with Aboriginal organisations and families to ensure that the Closing the Gap strategies, Pathway to Truth-Telling and Treaty, and other important government reforms are actioned in lutruwita/Tasmania.  In her own words, she will be taking a whole-of-government approach, bringing the State Service and Commonwealth colleagues to work in collaboration to get the job done.

Caroline holds bachelor’s degrees in Jurisprudence and Social Work.

Adjunct Associate Professor

Adjunct Associate Professor Kendra Strong was appointed the Chief Allied Health Advisor for the Tasmanian Department of Health in 2017 and has extensive experience as a podiatrist in both public and private settings as well as policy, government relations and workforce planning.  Kendra is driven to support and develop the allied health workforce through education, training and policy.  She led the implementation of podiatry prescribing in Tasmania from 2017 to 2020 and works in partnership with the University of Tasmania to support the delivery of current and new accredited allied health programs of study.  Kendra graduated from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Podiatry (Hons) in 2003 and Charles Sturt University with a Masters of Health Service Management in 2009.  Kendra was appointed as an accreditation assessor for the Podiatry Accreditation Committee in 2021.

Manager Strategic HR Projects, Department of Health

Dorian Broomhall is the Manager of Strategic HR Projects in the newly formed Health Strategic HR, Policy and Innovation team. He is a reformed professional musician with a degree in improvisation, a qualification that is remarkably useful when faced with complex, people-related challenges.

He has recently joined the Department following a four-year stint as the Chief Operating Officer of the training and consultancy company Frontline Mind. He is also an active reservist in the Royal Australian Navy, having served in both full-time and reservist capacities over the last 15 years.

Dorian’s primary role is implementing the One Health Culture Program, and has a deep interest in navigating complex systems, and fostering work environments that allow people to work at their best.

MBChB BSc Med Sci (Sports Medicine) FACEM

Dr Cheryl Martin is an Emergency Physician. She has spent nearly two decades working in a variety of emergency, trauma and critical care settings in both Scotland and Australia. Her other main professional interests are in sports, exercise and lifestyle medicine and the health and wellbeing of her colleagues.

Cheryl has wellbeing portfolios at department, hospital and college level. In 2022 she has had further opportunity develop her leadership skills to effect meaningful, evidence- based change in this area, at the Stanford Medicine Chief Wellness Officer Course.

With a passion for the science, art and practical application of how we might optimise our performance and wellbeing as Emergency Physicians and maintain longevity of practice, The Mind Full Medic Podcast project was born in 2020.

A long-term yoga practitioner, she is encouraged by increasingly robust research supporting a role for this mind-body contemplative practice as a tool for wellbeing. As a yoga teacher she has previously worked with groups and individuals including beginners, office workers and athletes using movement, breathing and relaxation exercises to promote physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Outside of work Cheryl is an avid trail runner and can usually be found exploring the local coastal and mountain trails with her trail tribe. Like her yoga asana practice, she describes running in natural settings as her moving meditation.

Director of Allied Health, North West Tasmania

Elizabeth McDonald is the Director of Allied Health in beautiful North West Tasmania. Her leadership journey as a social worker started at the University of Texas when returning to university after trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up.

Embarking on an Executive Master of Business Administration was a formative challenge along her leadership journey. Elizabeth recognised that though a strong social work practitioner, as she moved into leadership roles, nowhere along the road had she learned or been taught how to be a leader. One of the most memorable moments was understanding the there is a big difference between management and leadership.

Working predominantly in the health care sector, with a few steps out to gain leadership experience, has afforded Elizabeth some fantastic learning experiences. These experiences added to the formation of her leadership style. All her experiences have not been positive but have contributed to her development and continued journey to being a leader.

Enrolled Nurse at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre

Emma Shanahan is a palawa women from lutruwita (Tasmania) working as an Enrolled Nurse with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and for the past 10 years she has been working as the GP Nurse and Chronic disease care coordinator with Aboriginal patients within the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector. She has had the privilege of representing her community at state and national forums, often advocating, and creating a voice within the health care sector for her community. Emma has undertaken additional qualification form Graduate Cert in Chronic Disease Self-Management, Cert 4 in AOD and is currently in her final semester of her Bachelor of Nursing through the University of Tasmania.