Executive team

Ms Lisa Blackler was appointed Health Service Chief Executive in April 2024.

Before joining us, Lisa was Group Director of Operations at Te Whatu Ora in New Zealand. Lisa has over 20 years of executive and senior leadership experience in the health sector, including tenure at Gladstone Hospital in Women and Children’s health and Perioperative and Outpatient care.

Her leadership approach is influenced by her clinical experience as a nurse and midwife. She has a reputation as a dynamic, respected and results driven leader, with expertise in leading health service delivery in regional, rural and remote settings.

Lisa is deeply committed to building a high performing team and providing better access to care for Central Queenslanders.

Ms Victoria Leov is a healthcare professional with over 15 years’ experience in health, construction and hospitality.

Before joining Central Queensland Health, she worked as Hospital and Specialty Services Integration Lead for Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury in New Zealand where she led efforts to improve healthcare services.

Victoria started her career in Primary Care Nursing. She is still passionate about this field. In 2014 she earned her Master of Nursing. She then took on management and leadership roles. She focused on coordinating care and integrating services across the South Island of New Zealand.

Victoria is known for her strategic planning and management. She is skilled at working with different sectors and leading complex projects. She has improved healthcare delivery, especially in rural and remote areas, showing strong leadership, adaptability, and resourcefulness.

Victoria is committed to achieving high standards in operations. She creates new healthcare solutions and builds strong relationships. She is excited about the role of Chief Operating Officer. She looks forward to using her skills to support the strategic vision and provide excellent healthcare for Queenslanders.

Ms Nicole Trost is responsible for leading financial management and compliance, corporate services and asset management.

Previously, Nicole has served as Director of Finance within Central Queensand Health. She was appointed Chief Finance Officer Assets and Commercial Services in March 2025. She has over 20 years' experience across various industries providing strategic business, accounting and taxation advice.

She has a collaborative approach with a strong focus on supporting the sustainability of our clinical services.

Nicole is passionate about continual business improvement and development. She is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting and Finance.

Professor Gulam Khandaker is an experienced public health physician with over 17 years of expertise in clinical care and public health medicine.

Previously, he led Public Health teams across Central Queensland as Director of Public Health, focusing on communicable diseases and health risk prevention.

In November 2024, Gulam was appointed Executive Director of Medical Services, where he now leads and supports Central Queensland Health’s medical teams in delivering high standards of care. He brings rich clinical and research expertise to his role.

His background includes training at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

Gulam has also contributed extensively to public health research, with over 200 publications and significant work in vaccine-preventable diseases and childhood disability. His leadership and research drive a continuous focus on safe, evidence-based medical services.

Mr Andy Carter is a UK-trained Nurse Practitioner with more than 39 years of nursing experience, both as an emergency and trauma nurse and in leadership roles across the United Kingdom and Queensland.

Before joining Central Queensland Health, Andy worked for 21 years in and around London before moving to Australia in 2007, where he has held various hospital leadership roles. He was appointed Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery in April 2025.

Andy is proud to have the privilege of professionally leading the nurses and midwives of Central Queensland Health.

His passion is growing people. His goal is to empower, support and grow nursing and midwifery capability across the health service.

He is driven by education, training and expanding skills, and providing a workplace culture and environment that enables everyone to be their best, give their best and feel safe in the workplace.

Ms Donna Cruickshank started with Central Queensland Health in June 2022 as our first Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing.

Donna's responsible for delivering on the health and wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Central Queensland. She actively works with our families, communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health partners.

Before joining us, Donna held leadership and executive positions in NSW Health. She gained broad knowledge in Aboriginal health and workforce.

Her work in Aboriginal employment and cultural education has won NSW Public Sector Awards.

Donna holds a double masters in Health Service Management and Planning.

Ms Shareen McMillan leads a team of 48 who work on key workforce projects, functions and activities including:

• strategic planning for workforce, cultural and organisational change, and organisational development including embedding values and staff recognition programs
• occupational health, safety and wellbeing
• recruitment and attraction
• business assurance and establishment management
• employee and industrial relations
• capability and leadership development programs.

Shareen has also worked in various government agencies, gaining extensive experience in:

• organisational and cultural change and development
• corporate services management and reporting
• training and development
• workplace health and safety
• employee and stakeholder engagement.

She has a degree in Communications, Japanese Language and Tourism, receiving high distinctions and a Japanese language award. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Management.

Ms Kerrie-Anne Frakes has more than 20 years’ experience in developing, implementing and evaluating innovative models of care and workforce redesign. These have delivered transformational service changes and improved health outcomes.

She has held an executive leadership role in Central Queensland Health for the past 10 years, currently overseeing the Allied Health professional stream and Quality and Safety portfolio within the health service.

Kerrie-Anne was the first public podiatrist in the Central Queensland region, having arrived in 1999 on a Queensland Health Rural Scholarship Graduate for Podiatry.

She has since held strategic leadership roles as well as operational leadership roles including:

• Executive Director for the Rockhampton Business Unit - including Rockhampton Hospital, Mental Health, Offender Health, Capricorn Coast Hospital and Mt Morgan
• Director of Clinical Support services
• Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Allied Health.

She has won state and national awards for innovative models of care and has an extensive publication history in chronic disease management and service delivery evaluation. She holds Masters qualifications in Health Administration.

She's passionate about regional and rural community capacity with a focus on workforce sustainability and care for patients closer to home.

Mr Heera Bhullar joined Central Queensland Health in November 2024, bringing a wealth of leadership experience to the organization. Previously, Heera served as General Manager of Planning & Funding at Health NZ, where he led regional health system planning, managing a substantial annual budget and a team of 12 senior leaders.

Prior to this, Heera was Director of Health at Ernst & Young, where he spearheaded healthcare transformation initiatives and provided strategic guidance to executive teams.

His extensive career includes senior roles at Kainga Ora, NZ Health Group, and Counties Manukau Health, where he consistently delivered improvements in healthcare service delivery, quality management, and operational efficiency.

Heera holds an MBA, a master’s in health leadership, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health from the University of Auckland. Additionally, he is certified in Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt and Business Consulting from Harvard Business School.