Executive team

Leena Singh commenced in the Chief Executive role in February 2023.

Leena has over 20 years' experience in senior executive roles in health systems in New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand with particular skills in strategic development, governance, and health systems improvement.

Her wealth of experience includes holding Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer roles in a range of Health Services and other organisations.

Leena is an accomplished leader, known for her ability to build relationships with stakeholders and staff, bringing people together to align to a shared strategic vision.

Leena is committed to helping improve the health outcomes of the local community, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Cameron Duffy was permanently appointed as Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services in December 2022 after acting in the role since August 2022. He has been a Registered Nurse for over 27 years, starting in the private sector on the Gold Coast before commencing with Wide Bay HHS (WBHHS) in 1995.

He fulfilled numerous nursing leadership roles including being the acting Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery for WBHHS from early 2021. During that time, he took a critical leadership role as part of the pandemic response.

Cameron has a Masters of Dementia and has collaborated with university partners on several projects in dementia research.

Susan Henderson commenced as Acting Executive Director of Cairns Services in February 2023.

Susan has over 30 years’ experience in critical care nursing and senior leadership roles across Queensland, New South Wales and the United Kingdom.

She commenced with CHHHS in 2017 as the Director of Intensive Care, Women’s and Perioperative and has been instrumental in strengthening corporate and clinical governance, implementing alternative models of care and local outsourcing to the private sector on a large scale.

She was involved with the commissioning of the Multidisciplinary Preadmission Clinic, hybrid theatre and the twelfth theatre at Cairns Hospital.

Susan is known for her strong negotiation skills, strategic and operational service delivery, and her ability to foster professional relationships with stakeholders and staff.

She is committed to achieving a safe, sustainable future service directions for communities in health.

As acting Executive Director Rural and Remote Services, Linda Bailey is responsible for the operational management of all rural health facilities in the health service.

Linda commenced in the acting role in June 2023 and has more than 30 years' experience working in health.

Linda has held many senior leadership roles over the last fifteen years, including Director of Allied Health and other service Director roles across the health service.

She has a particular interest in clinical governance and provision of quality and equitable health services.

Vijay Bala was appointed as Chief Finance Officer in October 2023.

Vijay is an experienced finance, commercial and operations professional with over 20 years in various organisations across a number of industry sectors. He has also recently launched fintech and healthtech start-ups where his strategic thinking and commercial acumen were critical in building successful businesses.

Commencing his career with Deloitte and PwC, Vijay has worked across APAC and has held national, regional and global roles. Vijay graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy and is a Fellow of the CPA as well as ACCA and holds post graduate qualifications in Statistics in Public Health.

Vijay has delivered exceptional customer experiences and is committed to helping improve the health outcomes of the local community.

Tania Cavanagh was permanently appointed to the role in June 2022 after acting in the position since March 2020.

Tania has worked for over 30 years as a Physiotherapist. This has been in clinical and clinical leadership roles, in both public and private sector health settings, across Australia and overseas in the United Kingdom.

In 2004, she became the Health Service's Director of Physiotherapy and has also acted for long periods in the Director Allied Health role.

Tania is a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and currently a Director on the James Cook University Dental Board.

Don Mackie was appointed in June 2019 and has over 20 years of experience in clinical leadership roles in Australia and New Zealand.

He originally specialised in anaesthesia and has worked in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Most recently, Don held the role of Executive Director of Medical Services and Clinical Governance with the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

Previously, he was New Zealand Ministry of Health Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director General: Clinical Leadership, Protection and Regulation.

Before that, Don was Chief Medical Officer at Counties Manukau District Health Board.

Simone Lukies was permanently appointed in the Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health position in December 2023.

Simone has seventeen years’ experience in the health industry working towards improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

She has done this by working to better systems, strategies, and services, across a variety of disciplines including Pharmacy, Sexual Health, Rheumatic Heart Disease and eHealth projects.

Cheryl Winstanley was appointed to the Executive Director of People and Culture in October 2023.

She has extensive senior level human resource management experience in the public and private sector. This includes working most recently as a Darwin based workplace relations consultant, an Executive Director in the Officer of the Commissioner for Public Employment for the Northern Territory Government, and HR director with the NT Government.

Cheryl is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Masters of Law and Mediation qualifications from QUT.

Dean Davidson was appointed as the Executive Director Strategy, Planning and Infrastructure in January 2024.

He has previously worked for Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) and commenced as the Director Contracts and Procurement in 2016 and since 2017 has held several Executive roles inclusive of the acting Executive Corporate Services, Executive Director Asset Management, Executive Director Strategy, and Investment and for the last 6 months with TCHHS was the acting Health Service Chief Executive.

Dean has a Bachelor of Commerce (Business Logistics, Business Administration & Economics) from the University of Natal, South Africa and a Master’s In Business (MBA) from the University of Otago, New Zealand.