Executive

Liz MacLeod
Chief Executive

Liz MacLeod is the Chief Executive of the East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS). In her role, Liz leads a team of more than 8,000 staff to deliver health services, from population-based prevention programs through to tertiary level hospital services, for a population of over 725,500 people in Perth’s eastern metropolitan region.

Liz’s extensive experience in complex transformational change saw her play an integral role in establishing EMHS as a new statutory authority within the WA public sector in 2016. She has successfully guided EMHS to become one of WA’s highest performing health service providers.

Liz played a pivotal role in WA’s response to COVID-19 as the Chief Executive for COVID-19 Health Operations, where she led the coordination and oversight of activities carried out by WA’s healthcare providers in response to the public health emergency.

Prior to becoming the Chief Executive for EMHS, Liz was the Executive Director, Commissioning of Fiona Stanley Hospital where she had oversight and accountability for commissioning of the hospital. Liz has held senior leadership roles within WA Health over the last 10 years with particular experience in clinical planning and health service redevelopment.

With a background in physiotherapy and more than 20 years management experience in the health sector, Liz is passionate about the delivery of safe, high quality, consumer-centred care, financial performance and sustainability.

Graeme Jones
Executive Director, Finance and Infrastructure

Graeme Jones was appointed to the role of Executive Director, Finance and Infrastructure at EMHS following a restructure of the Corporate Services portfolio in January 2018. Prior to this role, Graeme was the inaugural Chief Finance Officer for EMHS.

Graeme has held a number of senior leadership roles in WA Health including three years as the Group Director Finance (Chief Finance Officer) WA Health and three years as the Executive Director Corporate Services WACHS.

Previously, Graeme held senior positions in the WA Education Department as Deputy Chief Finance Officer and Director Management Support. It was in this last role that Graeme, together with other key staff, lead the establishment of a shared services centre for the Educating and Training portfolio.

Graeme has also held senior positions in TAFEWA as Director Corporate Services at Central College of TAFE which was located in the Mid-West town of Geraldton.

Graeme has extensive experience in the WA Public Sector. He has a Bachelor of Business Degree in Accounting, Diploma of Management and is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.

Sandra Miller
Executive Director, Safety, Quality and Consumer Engagement

Sandra Miller was appointed as the Executive Director Safety, Quality and Consumer Engagement at EMHS in late 2016, following six years in a similar leadership role with the North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS), with oversight of the governance programs for patient safety and quality, risk management and audit and an active member of the health service executive.

During her time in WA Health, Sandra has held a number of strategic and operational roles in public WA hospitals and health services with a focus on health reform and governance, staff and consumer engagement, continuous improvement and accreditation, and has represented WA in the review of national safety and quality standards. Sandra led the establishment of the Safety and Quality Units at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Sandra graduated from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Information Management and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (Epidemiology and Biostatistics). In 2016 she completed the Company Directors Course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sandra has a keen interest in the professional development and education of health service staff in the principles of continuous improvement and has been a guest lecturer with the School of Public Health at Curtin University.

Anne-Marie Presho
Director, Office of the Chief Executive

Anne-Marie Presho is a Director in the Office of the Chief Executive at EMHS and a member of the health service executive. After spending more than ten years working in the National Health Service in England, Anne-Marie moved to Western Australia in 2006 and has worked in a number of corporate roles across the North, East and South Metropolitan Health Services.

She has broad business experience with oversight of corporate governance, strategic management, project management and finance.

Anne-Marie has a BA Honours Degree in Business and Economics (UK) and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Australia).

Di Barr
Executive Director, Armadale Kalamunda Group

Di Barr is the Executive Director of Armadale Kalamunda Group (AKG) where she is responsible for the delivery of a range of general hospital, mental health and community services.

Di has held a number of strategic and operational roles in WA’s public and private health sector. Before commencing her role at AKG, Di was Director of Clinical Services at Peel Health Campus.

She has previously held a number of leadership roles in the South Metropolitan Health Service, including Group General Manager Safety Quality and Risk, Group General Manager Strategy and Planning, and Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Rockingham General Hospital.

Di is committed to supporting leadership growth and capacity within WA Health and is a Fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management.

She has a keen interest and commitment to safety and quality and is a surveyor with the Australian Council on Health Care Standards (ACHS).

Dr Lesley Bennett
Executive Director, Royal Perth Bentley Group

Dr Lesley Bennett is the Executive Director of the Royal Perth Bentley Group which includes Royal Perth Hospital and Bentley Health Service.

Lesley has worked within the Royal Perth Bentley Group since 2013 in roles including Service 1 Co-Director, Medical Co-Director Safety and Organisational Learning, and Director of Clinical Services. Prior to this, Lesley held leadership roles in the United Kingdom, including Consultant Physician and Senior Lecturer at Oxford University Hospitals. She has a strong focus on leadership, strategic planning and innovation, and has been involved in a number of organisational and cultural change projects throughout her career.

Lesley studied Medicine at the University of Bristol Medical School, and went on to specialise in General Respiratory; Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiectasis; and Sleep Medicine. She has also been published in a number of international medical journals.

John Buchanan
Area Director of Allied Health and Health Sciences

Adj. Associate Professor John Buchanan is the Area Director of Allied Health and Health Sciences at EMHS, and Director of Allied Health for the Royal Perth Bentley Group (RPBG). John holds a strong focus on research and strategic development, and has led a number of reform projects across clinical services to achieve more efficient models of care and better safety and quality outcomes.

John is a Physiotherapist with a higher degree in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. He has worked within the health sector for 37 years (RPBG, Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Health, WA Country Health Service, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and also at hospitals in the United Kingdom) with much of that time spent in a range of leadership roles at Royal Perth Hospital. He is a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), and has held leadership roles within both the State and National offices of the APA, including National Vice President.

John has held long-term memberships of both Notre Dame and Curtin University’s External Advisory Board (Physiotherapy), and lectured on the under and postgraduate programs. He has also facilitated and supervised many RPH staff to obtain higher degrees and developed their research interests, and is an active researcher recently completing a five year clinical trial in Spinal Cord Injury across Australia and New Zealand as principal investigator (RPH). He retains a strong clinical interest in complex tertiary care and major trauma.

Steve Gregory
Area Director Workforce

Steve Gregory was appointed to the position of Area Director Workforce in March 2017 and in November 2018 joined the Executive Team.

As the Workforce lead for EMHS, Steve has oversight of Human Resources (HR), Industrial Relations (IR), Work Health and Safety, Learning and Development (Area Wide) in addition to Integrity and Ethics.

Steve has over 25 years experience working in HR and IR related roles in the public health sector. More recently Steve has held a range of senior leadership roles in WA Health, including as Director HR North Metropolitan Health Service, Director HR South Metropolitan Health Service where he lead the workforce program for the commissioning of the Fiona Stanley Hospital and as the Assistant Director of the Health Industrial Relations Service.

Professor Grant Waterer
Area Director of Clinical Services

Professor Grant Waterer MBBS PhD MBA FRACP FCCP is the acting EMHS Area Director of Clinical Services and acting Director of Clinical Services at Royal Perth Bentley Group. He is also a respiratory physician at Royal Perth Hospital, Professor of Medicine at the University of Western Australia and Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago.

Grant is currently the Chair of the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America Community Acquired Pneumonia Guidelines and a panel member of the ATS/IDSA HAP/VAP guidelines. He has over 150 peer reviewed publications, more than 60 invited international presentations and is on the Editorial Board of 8 journals including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Chest and the European Respiratory Journal.

Philip Aylward
Executive Director, Corporate Services and Contract Management

A business graduate from Curtin University, with a Fellowship of the Australasian College of Health Service Managers, Philip has worked extensively in senior management and leadership positions in Health, both in health services and in key positions within the Health Department. These included Executive Director Procurement, Infrastructure and Contract Management at North Metropolitan Health Service, Chief Executive of the Child and Adolescent Health Service, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Child and Adolescent Community Health and the Perth Children’s Hospital Project.

Philip is a Director of the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University. Philip currently leads the Corporate Services and Contract Management functions for EMHS, which incorporates Data and Digital Innovation, Health Technology Management Unit, Clinical Coding, Procurement and Contract Management, Security and General Services.

Joel Gurr
Executive Director, Clinical Service Strategy and Population Health

Joel Gurr was appointed the Executive Director, Clinical Service Strategy and Population Health at EMHS in February 2019. In his role, Joel provides leadership in Clinical Planning, Innovation and Commissioning, Aboriginal Health Strategy, and Community and Population Health.

Joel’s clinical background is as a podiatrist, graduating with a Bachelor Science – Podiatry from Curtin University, and was Royal Perth Hospital’s Head of Department, Podiatry from 2006 to 2010. He is published nationally and internationally in peer reviewed journals, specialising in diabetic foot complications. Joel has completed a Masters of Business Administration at UWA and the Company Directors Course at the Australian Institute Company Directors.

He has extensive experience in senior strategic leadership and operational roles, including Director of the Justice Health Project at the Department of Health, Director of Operations and Site Management at Fremantle Hospital, Director of Strategic Issues at the South Metropolitan Health Service, and Director Office of the Chief Executive, Fiona Stanley Hospital Commissioning.

Doris Lombardi
Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services

Doris was formally appointed to the Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services position in January 2020. In her role, Doris provides strategic leadership and advice to guarantee the achievement of high standards of practice, clinical care, teaching, training and research in nursing and midwifery.

Doris started her career in the healthcare industry over 30 years ago and has worked in both private and public healthcare. She has considerable leadership experience as a former Co-Director and Director of Operations at Royal Perth Hospital.

Doris is passionate about creating a culture of care and compassion with an unwavering patient focus and provides strategic direction for the largest cohort of staff within EMHS and has implemented programs such as Amazing Nursing and Midwifery Care and Walk a Day in my Shoes.