Our Board

Jane has had a longstanding career in the clinical care of children and is a practiced non-executive Director having held Board positions with Queensland Otology, Hear and Say and Queensland Neurotology, including as Chair and Deputy Chair.

Her clinical speciality extends to paediatric deafness and cochlear implantation, particularly in the areas of successful outcomes, social and emotional development, resilience, and positive mental health, and she has held senior oncology roles in Brisbane, London, Oxford, and Edinburgh where she collaborated with world experts in the field of cancer treatment.  Jane’s governance experience includes playing a key board role in the development of Hear and Say from its inception to its leading position as a premier childhood deafness entity, whilst overseeing the development of Queensland Otology and Attune (now Amplifon), Australia’s leading medical audiology company.  Jane is highly experienced in the governance of organisations and the social facets of paediatric medical management, and being from a rural background, she is adept with the challenges and limitations of health service delivery in isolated regions.

Committee Membership:

• Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee
• Remuneration and Nominations Committee
• Grants Committee (ex-officio)

Michelle is a General Practitioner and Rural Generalist with 15 years’ experience across primary care, emergency medicine and aeromedical retrieval.

She has held senior leadership roles across public, private and not-for-profit sectors, including as State Lead Primary Health Care for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section).  Michelle currently serves as Medical Lead for Care@Home, Tasmania’s virtual care service, where she oversees clinical strategy, governance and service planning and delivery.  She brings a strategic and systems-level perspective, with a strong focus on safety, equity and sustainable models of care, particularly in rural and resource-limited settings.

Committee Membership:

• Remuneration & Nominations Committee (Chair)
• Grants Committee

Sharon is the Chief Operating Officer at Aerofast Australia Pty Ltd, having previously worked as a Chartered Accountant with BDO for more than 25 years.

Her most recent role at BDO was as Director in the company’s healthcare team, looking after large medical groups, hospitals, doctors, and allied health professionals.  Ms. Houghton’s advisory skills extend to management accounting and consulting, business structuring, personal wealth creation, self-managed superannuation, business succession planning, family business, and indirect taxation.

Committee Membership:

• Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee (Chair)
• Remuneration and Nominations Committee

Neal was appointed CEO of the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation in January 2021.  Prior to this role, he was a Program Manager at The Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Fund.

During his time with The Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Fund, Neal helped secure the tax-free status of the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships, establish A New Approach (Australia’s first think tank dedicated to arts and culture), and create the National Assistance Program for the Arts – a nation-wide COVID-19 emergency program supported by 29 philanthropists in every Australian state and territory.

Neal is a former Chair of Yarra City Council’s Arts Advisory Committee, Melbourne Company Snuff Puppets, and Philanthropy Australia’s Arts Funders Network, and is a Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Committee Membership:

• Grants Committee (Chair)
• Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee

Catherine is an accomplished and well credentialed risk executive with experience in investment management, financial services and enterprise-wide risk governance.

She has a strong background focused on embedding risk management frameworks organisationally and using influencing and communication skills to strengthen risk culture. Ms. Parker most recently served as the inaugural Head of Risk and Compliance at Cromwell Property Group, a role established upon her appointment in June 2021. In this role, she was responsible for their enterprise-wide risk management and compliance functions, especially relating to its Australian Financial Services Licence obligations. Catherine is also a director on several not-for-profit boards, including YMCA Brisbane and Mercy Partners.

Committee Membership:

• Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee

Frank is the current Chief Executive of Children’s Health Queensland and boasts more than 30 years’ experience working in health systems, including previous chief executive and senior leadership roles.

His extensive experience in health commissioning and provision in clinical and community settings is complemented by strong managerial and leadership skills, and an applied interest in translational health research. Frank provides a strong connection between Children’s Health Queensland and the Children’s Hospital Foundation, assisting the Board of the Foundation to better understand the priorities and needs of the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service.

Karina is a proud First Nations and South Sea Islander woman, deeply rooted in her ancestral connections to northern New South Wales.

She is an esteemed ABC journalist and holds prominent leadership positions including Chair of BlakDance, Non-Executive Director for ATSICHS Brisbane, and a Non-Executive Director for Deadly Coders, promoting digital literacy among Indigenous youth.

Karina sits on the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Board.

Committee Membership:

• Remuneration and Nominations Committee