Executive team

Lisa 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.

Anita is a respected and proven leader across the health service, bringing more than 11 years of experience within Central Queensland Health. She has delivered strong outcomes across a range of senior roles, most recently as General Manager Gladstone and Banana, and previously in Quality, Safety and Risk, and Corporate and Support Services leadership positions.

Before joining Central Queensland Health, Anita held roles with Metro North Hospital and Health Service, where she worked across medical education, program management, reporting and service improvement.

She also has experience in service delivery and innovation outside Queensland Health.

Anita is known for her clear focus on patient care, operational performance and working closely with teams to deliver results. She understands the health service, its people and the communities it serves, and brings a practical, collaborative approach to leadership.

Heera 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.

Kate is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant (FCPA) with more than 23 years’ experience across health, government and executive leadership.

Before joining Central Queensland Health, Kate was Executive Branch Manager, Health System Performance with the Australian Capital Territory Health Directorate. In this role, she led the ACT’s health funding and purchasing framework and oversaw the annual service agreement with the local hospital network.

Kate has also served as Chief Financial Officer for the ACT Health Directorate, providing strategic financial leadership across a health system with a budget of more than $2 billion.

She has strong experience in financial stewardship, health funding, performance management, governance, strategic planning and organisational transformation.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management.

Kate’s experience will support strong financial management, long term sustainability and high-quality care for Central Queenslanders.

Ben is a specialist paediatrician with formal training in health service management. He brings experience leading medical services across complex health systems in  New Zealand.

Before joining Central Queensland Health, Ben held several Chief Medical Officer roles across New Zealand. In these roles, he led medical workforce strategy, clinical governance, and worked closely with executive and corporate teams to strengthen clinical operations, workforce capability and patient outcomes.

He is known for his practical and collaborative leadership approach, with a strong background in clinical governance, workforce leadership and service improvement.

Alongside his leadership roles, Ben has held academic and teaching appointments supporting medical education and training.

Keppel is a qualified nurse and midwife with experience in nursing and midwifery clinical practice and leadership across a variety of settings, including rural and remote settings in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Before joining Central Queensland Health, Keppel was Nursing and Midwifery Service Director, Women’s and Children’s, at Sunshine Coast Health. Prior to this role, Keppel has held various leadership roles including Clinical Lead for the commissioning of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Nursing Director for the ieMR rollout at Sunshine Coast Health.  He then went on to work as the Clinical Director at eHealth Queensland supporting the delivery of a variety of clinical solutions to support care delivery, including many digital solutions during COVID-19.

Keppel has always maintained an active engagement in clinical education and continues to volunteer for CRANAplus teaching on Maternity Emergency and Midwifery Up-Skilling program across Australia.  He is also a Clinician Assessor with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.

Keppel has experience in practice development, midwifery, coaching and mentoring, leadership development and team training.  He is a relationship and values based leader who enjoys working with individuals and teams to reach their maximum potential.  An innovative thinker, he has a keen interest in working on implementing strategies that provide efficiency and improve the care we deliver.

Donna 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.

Jonathan is an experienced workforce executive with more than 15 years of leadership across workforce strategy, organisational development, and human resources within the health, government, and consulting sectors.

Prior to joining Central Queensland Health, Jonathan held senior leadership positions leading workforce transformation, organisational change, and service planning initiatives across a range of health and government organisations. He also served in leadership roles with BDO Australia, where he supported complex workforce and organisational reform programs.

Jonathan brings extensive Queensland Health experience, including his role as Director of Workforce at West Moreton Health. In this position, he led strategic initiatives to strengthen leadership capability, enhance organisational performance, and build workforce capacity to support sustainable service delivery.

Throughout his career, he has held a variety of workforce and human resources leadership roles, driving strategic workforce planning, leadership development, and organisational change.

Recognised for his collaborative and consultative leadership style, Jonathan has expertise in workforce planning, organisational design, culture, and change management. He is committed to fostering a capable, engaged, and high-performing workforce that enables the delivery of safe, high-quality healthcare for the communities served by Central Queensland Health.

Kerrie-Anne 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 CQ Health for the past 10 years.

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 and operational leadership roles, including Executive Director for the Rockhampton Business Unit, Director of Clinical Support services and 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.

Amy has extensive experience in clinical governance, virtual care, and service design.

She has led national health programs for private health providers, not for profit sectors and statewide services through the Department of Health, including the establishment of Queensland Virtual Hospital. Amy also played a key role in Queensland Health’s COVID-19 response.

Throughout her career, Amy has developed nationally recognised models of care that support safe and equitable access to services across Queensland.

A highly passionate nurse and midwife, she is committed to improving healthcare through innovation, collaboration and practical solutions that make a difference for consumers and communities.