Executive team

Peter was appointed as Health Service Chief Executive in October 2021. Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators and has a Master of Business Administration from Otago University.

He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has been a medical professional for nearly 30 years and has worked in hospital and general practice roles in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom including over five years as a Health Service Chief Executive in Toowoomba prior to moving to the Sunshine Coast role.

He also has a background in general management, previously working in the health software industry and as a regional manager for a not-for-profit private hospital group in Auckland, New Zealand.

Joanne was appointed Chief Operating Officer in December 2021. She has broad experience in leadership and management roles, including an extensive knowledge of strategic and operational leadership to provide high-quality, safe, sustainable, patient and family centred care. Joanne has a varied background in different organisations which includes tertiary centre work in metropolitan Melbourne and Perth coupled with regional, rural and remote experience in Queensland.

Joanne holds a Bachelor of Nursing and is a registered nurse with postgraduate qualifications including a Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing, Graduate Certificate in Transfusion Practice, Graduate Certificate in Consumer and Community Engagement, and a Master of Nursing.

Other notable achievements include graduating from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and publishing in the British Journal of Haematology.

Joanne is passionate about health and she uses values-based leadership to build integrated service models to ultimately improve patient and community outcomes.

Julian joined Sunshine Coast Health in January 2022 as Executive Director, Legal and Governance. He has more than 20 years’ experience in public sector corporate law and governance in both Australia and New Zealand. Julian studied a Bachelor of Arts (1985) at the University of Natal in South Africa and law at the University of the Witwatersrand (1998).

He was admitted as a Solicitor in South Africa (1992), as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand (2003) and as a Solicitor in Australia (2012). Julian has interests in leadership development and culture change in the workplace.

Dr Marlene Pearce joined our executive team in 2022 as the Executive Director of Medical Services. She is an experienced Specialist General Practitioner, having worked in rural and regional Victoria and Queensland. Since joining Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) in 2015, Marlene’s time has been marked by diverse roles including General Practice Liaison Officer, Safety and Quality Clinical Lead, Deputy EDMS (Medical Workforce), and operational leadership.

In her current role, Dr Pearce plays a pivotal role in ensuring our organisation delivers safe, high- quality care in collaboration with our consumers and community. She oversees clinical research governance and development while providing professional leadership for medical officers within SCHHS. Dr Pearce’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (UQ 2004), Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (UQ 2008), Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (2014), and a Master of Health Administration (Monash 2021).

Lisa has had a long career in health leadership roles including mental health and addiction nursing, facility management, and as Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery.

She is committed not only to the health and wellbeing of the people in our communities but also in growing support for nurses and midwives to professionally succeed. Lisa recognises that the best outcomes for patients in an interprofessional collaborative approach to care, with a multi- disciplinary team.

Lisa is focussed on investing in the next generation of nurses and midwives, and further promoting the importance of evidence-based practices, training, and development for sustainable services. She believes that being a nurse or midwife is more than just a profession – it’s a lifelong journey.

Gemma commenced in the role of Executive Director of Allied Health in September 2017. Gemma has worked for Sunshine Coast Health since 2005. Gemma has extensive experience in allied health management and leadership, working in dual clinical and leadership roles in New Zealand from 1999 and then in Australia from 2004.

She completed a Diploma in Occupational Therapy in 1991, Master in Human Movement Science at the University of Wollongong in 1995, and completed her Ph.D. through the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2022 completing research on using systems theory to identify the components of an evidence-based framework for allied health leadership development.

Further research interests include allied health governance and structure for optimal functioning. Gemma has published her research in peer reviewed journals including Q1 and Q2 journals.

Karen joined Sunshine Coast Health in 2017 and was appointed Chief Finance Officer in June 2022. Karen holds more than 18 years of experience as a finance leader, and as a management consultant. She has worked with various organisations to implement finance and business performance improvements, spanning funding model reviews, cost saving projects, benchmarking, finance shared services, and organisational redesign.

Karen has worked across the public and private sector as a finance professional and worked overseas at a multi-national financial services company.

Karen is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant (FCPA) with a Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting and Bachelor of Commerce (Banking and Finance).

Hayley Farry joined health in 2011 and was appointed to the Executive Director Workforce in 2018 at Darling Downs Health overseeing learning and development, culture and engagement, workforce planning, workforce relations, recruitment, and workplace health and safety.

During her time at Darling Downs Health, Hayley invested in safety and quality by successfully implementing a partnership with the Cognitive Institute’s programs for Speaking Up for Safety and Promoting Professional Accountability under Darling Downs Health’s Safer Together initiative.

In 2021, Hayley joined the private sector in the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools in the position of Director: People and Engagement Services. Hayley was responsible for employee services, student protection, professional standards, professional learning, and health and safety.

During her time at Toowoomba Catholic Schools Hayley was instrumental in implementing large-scale change in the People and Services Directorate which resulted in improved service provision and governance.

Sharon is a proud Aboriginal woman and comes from a long line of strong Aboriginal women born in Central West Queensland and is connected to the Iningai people. Her father was born in Linaskea, Northern Ireland and arrived in Australia in 1949.

Sharon has been working in Queensland Health for more than 20 years, prior to this she worked in the Community Control sector. Sharon has extensive knowledge on leadership, community and health service delivery and has been integral in building strong relationships with various stakeholders and community.

She is a strong advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and is a key contributor to the design and implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health services across Sunshine Coast Health.

Andrew has a technical background in Electrical engineering systems with further studies in asset management. Andrew started with Queensland Health in 2014 and has worked across several Hospital and Health Services. He commenced with Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service in 2016 as the Director of Assets and Infrastructure after working on the Sunshine Coast University Hospital development as part of the State engineering compliance team.

Andrew has worked across multiple government departments including Police, Education and Public Works in the fields of project, programs and asset management. Prior to joining the public sector Andrew worked for several multinational companies across States and Territories of Australia, in the B2B sector managing commercial supply and service contracts to companies such as BHP, Comalco and Rio Tinto.

Jake has 20 years of experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) across health, banking and consulting industry sectors. This experience includes leading major ICT transformation initiatives such as the Queensland Health new hospitals program, as well as delivering clinical ICT solutions critical to the opening of the Gold Coast University Hospital, Queensland Children’s Hospital and Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

More recently, Jake led the technical delivery of the integrated electronic Medical Record deployment at Sunshine Coast Health and has worked closely with clinical leads in the development of the new health service Digital Health strategy.

Jake has expertise in ICT and Digital Health strategy, planning and delivery in complex health services and as well as loving the Sunshine Coast lifestyle is passionate about helping improve health outcomes for our community and consumers.

Katie Healy is a seasoned health industry planner, passionate change leader, skilled project manager and workforce strategist with experience across both the private and public sectors. Leading large complex major infrastructure projects from business case to commission, Katie has extensive project management experience and has also played a vital role in digital health uplift for major IT infrastructure projects across both metro and regional health services.

Katie’s clinical background and interprofessional education leadership experience allows her to draw from ‘real world’ experience to engage with health leaders and successfully implement change. With data- driven decision-making,

Katie is the senior director and strategist for Sunshine Coast Health and an accomplished graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Bachelors Degree in Speech Pathology and a Master of Health Service Management.

Bekki is a specialist in the communications field with a focus on digital and content marketing, media relations, crisis management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications planning. Known for her handling of complex communication challenges in fast-paced environments, Bekki blends strategic insight with a people-centred approach.

Bekki’s expertise and insight into communications innovations and her passion for current communication trends, place her at the forefront of communication design - integrating traditional media with digital platforms to lead communication strategy and ensure relevancy for the brands that she has represented.

Her ability to convey complex messages that appeal to and engage the public demonstrates her strength in designing campaigns that foster community trust and relationships.