The role of the Board is to exercise good governance in the achievement of Northern Health’s stated objectives.
Key aspects of this governance role include:
- setting the organisation’s strategic direction
- establishing a policy framework (primary policy)
- appointing the Chief Executive Officer and monitoring their performance
- evaluating organisational performance
- ensuring organisational accountability and compliance with legislative requirements
- evaluating the Board’s own effectiveness in governance.
The Directors contribute to the governance of Northern Health collectively as a board by attending to business through meetings and a range of informal processes over the year. In addition to the minimum number of Board meetings required to be attended, individuals contribute through participation or chairing the various committees of the Board. Between committee meetings they are often involved in assisting management in the performance of Northern Health functions. Directors also attend significant functions and ministerial events across Northern Health.
Ms Jennifer Williams AM
Board Chair
Jennifer Williams AM was appointed as Northern Health Board Chair on 1 July 2015.
Jennifer is a non-executive director with a number of Board appointments in addition to her Northern Health role. She is Chair of Yooralla and Deputy Chair of the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority and on the board of Barwon Health as well as on the Advisory Board of the Victorian Health Building Authority. She has previously completed 8 years on the board of La Trobe University.
Jennifer has extensive experience in the health sector and has previously worked as a Chief Executive to several large health care organisations including Austin Health (five years), Alfred Health (seven years) and as Chief Executive of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (seven years).
Mr Phillip Bain
Phillip Bain was appointed to the Northern Health Board in July 2017.
He is the former Chief Executive of Plenty Valley Community Health and Your Community Health. He has a long history in the community, vocational education and health sectors.
Phillip is a member of the DJPR Northern Metropolitan Partnerships and is a longstanding Director of QIP, the national quality provider in primary care. Phillip was chair of the State Government task force into Community Health in 2018-19.
Phillip’s professional career includes a lengthy period working with GPs in the north of Melbourne and managing the Goulburn Valley Medicare Local in central Victoria. He has served as a local Councilor and Mayor, and was a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner.
Dr Andrea Kattula
Andrea originally trained as an anaesthetist, working in hospitals in Australia and the United States. She transitioned to a career in safety & quality in healthcare, and brings broad experience in successfully establishing clinical governance systems and processes, leading change, engaging clinicians and supporting clinical leadership development.
Alongside medical and anaesthesia qualifications, Andrea has completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science degree and a Master of Quality Improvement in Healthcare. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), an Associate Fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Managers (ACHSM) and an Affiliate of the Governance Institute of Australia (GIA).
Committed to delivering safer health care, Andrea has served in a range of safety and quality roles over the past 20 years. Most recently these roles have included Chair of the Victorian Consultative Council on Anaesthetic Mortality and Morbidity (2017-2019), Deputy Chair of the Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council (2019-2022), and member of the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality Management Committee (ongoing since 2012). She presently teaches as a Lecturer in the Master of Public Health program for Monash University.
Andrea is also a keen Meals on Wheels volunteer in her local community.
Mr Peter McDonald
Peter McDonald was appointed to the Northern Health Board in December 2016.
He is an executive with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and previously worked as CFO at Austin Health and Alfred Health for 12 years. Prior to that he had a number of senior management roles in Victorian Government departments.
Peter is a Council Member, Chair of the Finance & Resources Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance & Audit Committee at La Trobe University, as well as a Fellow of CPA Australia.
Mr Domenic Isola
Domenic Isola commenced his career in Local Government in 1996 following a career in institutional banking audit in a leading financial institution. He has expertise in financial management, reporting and audit, extensive management skills and experience in governance and risk and strong leadership and public sector experience.
Domenic commenced with Hume City Council in June 1999 and held the positions of Finance Manager and Director, City Governance and Information before being appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer in August 2007, a position he held for 13 years.
He was previously a co-opted member of the former board of Dianella Community Health and Community Chef. During that time he was a member of the Finance and Audit committees and remains a member of DPV Health.
Domenic has led a number of local initiatives and dealt with a broad range of complex matters in the North, and worked with a range of stakeholders including Government Ministers, community health organisations and Government agencies and maintains strong working relationships with community health organisations.
Domenic is a Board Director of Lower Murray Water and member of the Finance and Audit Committee.
Ms Linda Rubinstein
Linda Rubinstein was appointed to the Northern Health Board on 1 July 2019.
Linda is a former trade union official and lawyer with over 30 years board experience, largely related to industry superannuation funds. She worked in a senior role at the ACTU and as the Pro Bono Manager at a national law firm and is a volunteer Community Visitor appointed under the Disability Act 2006.
Mr John Watson
John Watson was appointed to the Northern Health Board in August 2016.
John has had a long career in State and Local Government over more than four decades. He has held several leadership roles in Local Government including Chief Executive Officer of the former Shire of Bulla, Moonee Valley City Council and Hume City Council. John’s Victorian Government roles include periods as a Director, and then as Executive Director, of Local Government Victoria.
John has been Chair of the Victoria Grants Commission since 2012 and was Chair of the Panel of Administrators of the Brimbank City Council from 2012 to 2016. He Chairs or sits as an independent member on the Audit and Risk Committees for a number of Victorian local governments, the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Maryborough District Health Service.
Dr Sherene Devanesen
Sherene Devanesen was appointed to the Northern Health Board on 1 July 2021.
She is a medical practitioner with experience in Health Administration and Corporate and Clinical Governance.
Sherene is currently Chair of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Board and is a member of the Northern Territory Health Governance and Assurance Committee.
Sherene held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Yooralla from January 2014 to February 2021. Prior to that, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Peninsula Health. With over 30 years’ experience in the management of health services and medical administration in Victoria, her experience has provided her with a strong reputation in consumer consultation and engagement and in achieving quality outcomes for human and community services.
Sherene is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management, a Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Community Medicine and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Other former appointments include Member of the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority Advisory Board, Chair of the Wesley Mission Victoria Board, Chair of the Victorian Quality Council and President of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators.
Ms Jo-Anne Mazzeo
Associate Professor Mazzeo was appointed to the Northern Heath Board of Directors in November 2023.
Ms Mazzeo is an Australian Legal Practitioner who works across the health, education and disability sectors to conduct investigations, provide legal advice and deliver training and methods of alternative dispute resolution.
Ms Mazzeo has previously worked as in-house Counsel for the Mental Health Review Board of Victoria and the Disability Services Commissioner of Victoria, has held various positions on State Government Boards and Tribunals, is currently a Legal Member of the Mental Health Tribunal of Victoria and is Deputy Chair of the Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution (within the Department of Education).
Ms Mazzeo is also the Convenor of the Medical Law Program within the Monash University Medical Degree, is a Senior Lecturer at both Monash and LaTrobe Universities, where she teaches health law related content at both undergraduate and post graduate levels, and is a Senior Legal Advisor for the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Ms Mazzeo is admitted to practice in both the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Victoria.
