BBus (QUT), FCA, FAICD, FTIA
Board Chair and Chair, Executive Committee
Appointed: 18 May 2018
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026
Chair, Finance and Performance Committee 18 May 2018 to 31 May 2020
Chair, Risk and Audit Committee 31 May 2020 to 31 March 2024

Bernard Curran is a Chartered Accountant and has practised in the areas of taxation and business advisory for a range of clients and industry sectors including healthcare.

He retired as a Partner of BDO on 30 June 2021 after 30 years and continues with the firm in a consulting role. Bernard has held directorships on a number of private company boards and serves as chair and a member of a number of Advisory Boards.

Bernard holds a Bachelor of Business – Accountancy from QUT. During 2017 he was appointed an Executive in Residence – Visiting Fellow for the Accountancy School at QUT. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia.

Bernard has been actively involved in serving on not-for-profit Boards. He was the Chair of Crèche and Kindergarten Association Limited from 2012 to 2017. He also served as a Director of Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority during 2014 and 2015.

He became a Director of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation in 2008 and became Chair of its Board in 2012 until December 2018. In 2017, he was appointed to the Board of Governors of the Queensland Community Foundation. In 2022, he joined the Management Committee of Caxton Legal Centre.

GCertHServMgt
Member and Chair, Board First Nations Health Equity Committee (non-statutory)
Appointed: 18 May 2017
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Adrian Carson joined Metro North Health in May 2017 and has nearly 30 years’ experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health across government and non government organisations. He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, which plays a leading role in the coordination of planning, development and delivery of comprehensive primary healthcare and integrated social support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across South East Queensland.

He has served as CEO of Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), the peak body for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Sector in Queensland, and has previously worked with both the Queensland and Australian Governments. Adrian has held directorships on the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), the QAIHC, Health Workforce Queensland and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane Ltd.

Adrian holds a Graduate Certificate in Health Service Management from Griffith University and is completing a Master of Business Administration from The University of Queensland. In 2024, Adrian was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to Indigenous health through research and development programs

Member and Chair Board Community Advisory Committee
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Aimee McVeigh is the Chief Executive Officer of QCOSS (Queensland Council of Social Service) and a strong advocate for equality, opportunity, and wellbeing for all Queenslanders. As a community lawyer and human rights advocate, Aimee led the successful campaign for a Human Rights Act for Queensland. Aimee has qualifications in communications and law, attaining a Master of Laws (International and Public Law) from the University of Melbourne. Her work as a lawyer focussed on human rights and discrimination, guardianship, estate planning, child protection and domestic violence. Prior to joining QCOSS, she worked in various senior and advisory roles, including at the Disability Royal Commission, Disability Law Queensland and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Legal and Advocacy Service.

Aimee has been engaged by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples as a gender advisor and has worked with a number of non-profit organisations in Queensland, including during the Child Abuse Royal Commission. She was also a state finalist for the 2017 Australian of the Year Awards, and a finalist for the 2019 Australian Human Rights Commission Human Rights Medal.

She has worked across a range of project streams including, child protection, domestic and family violence services, family and relationship services and disability services.

Member and Board Representative of RBWH Foundation
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Hon. Jane Prentice is a former Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2019, representing the Division of Ryan in Queensland. In 2016 Jane was appointed to serve as the Assistant Minister for Social Services with specific responsibility for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Prior to her election to Federal Parliament, Jane served for 10 years as a Councillor for the Brisbane City Council ward of Walter Taylor. She was also Leader of the Opposition and in 2006 Jane was appointed by the Lord Mayor to chair the City’s Water and Sewerage Infrastructure Assets Review. In 2008 Jane was appointed to Civic Cabinet to Chair Public and Active Transport and Economic Development for Brisbane City Council. Jane is also President of Tennis Queensland.

Jane is passionate about using the skills gleaned from years in private enterprise and her extensive political network to support her many voluntary roles including the Queensland Eye Institute Foundation, Zonta International and Friends of BUSHkids. Jane is also the President of Scouts Queensland. For the last three years Jane has served as a member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Before entering public life, Jane owned and managed a successful convention and event management firm and was responsible for organising many of Queensland’s largest events

Member
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Linda Lavarch is an Australian politician and solicitor, and was the first female Attorney-General and first female lawyer to be elected into Queensland Parliament. She was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1997 to 2009, representing the district of Kurwongbah. Throughout Linda’s political tenure she undertook pivotal roles, from serving as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for State Development and Innovation, the Minister for Energy, and the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander Policy, culminating in her landmark appointment as the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General. Linda also held the position of Director of Member services at the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union, and Deputy Chair of the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation.

Linda currently holds the position of Research Fellow at the Australian Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS), Queensland University of Technology.

Across legal, parliamentary and board roles, Linda has promoted and contributed to access to justice, medical research, and reforms to maximise the impact of the philanthropic sector in Australia.

MBBS, FRACGP, GAICD
Member and Chair, Safety and Quality Committee
Appointed: 1 April 2022
Current term: 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2026

Dr Melissa (Meg) Cairns is a Specialist General Practitioner with over 25 years’ experience, currently practising in Ashgrove. Prior to that, she worked in Queensland Health Hospitals in Brisbane and Maryborough, and in General Practice in Brisbane and Toowoomba.

Meg is also a GP Liaison Officer with Metro North Health, Chair of the Brisbane North Primary Health Network (PHN) Clinicians’ Advisory Group and a Member of the Brisbane North PHN Clinical Council.

Meg is a member of a number of Metro North Health and Queensland Health committees including the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council, and the Queensland Paediatric Quality Council. Meg is passionate about improving patient care through collaboration across health sectors and through effective communication and education.

Meg holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Queensland, is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors

LLB, MPH
Member and Board Representative of TPCH Foundation
Appointed: 18 May 2021
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Nera Komaric has worked in the community and health sectors nationally and internationally for 25 years. Nera is an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the School of Clinical Medicine – Primary Care Clinical Unit, at The University of Queensland. She is a co-founder and Director of World Wellness Group, a primary health care social enterprise with its vision to create health equity by delivering health and wellness services in the system, while working on the system.

Her former roles have included Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) Chronic Disease statewide program manager during which she has been instrumental in developing new and innovative strategies in chronic disease management for CALD population. Recently she was a Croatian Government Focal Point in the European Migration Network.

Before that Nera was researching and consulting with international and national authorities on combating trafficking in human beings especially for sexual exploitation for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). She also spent many years working with newly arrived migrants and refugees.

Nera has a background in law, primary health care, public health and Health research. In her 30 year career she has been involved in the design and delivery of services, research and evaluation projects in areas covering CALD health, integrated CALD models of health care, chronic disease prevention and management, and health services research.

Her main interests are in social justice and translating evidence into practice with a special focus on vulnerable populations.

MBBS, FACEM, EMDM, MClinEd, DrPH, EMBA(Hons), GAICD
Member and Chair, Finance and Performance Committee
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Dr Peter Aitken has a background as an Emergency Physician with additional qualifications in clinical education, disaster health and business administration, and most recently was the Executive Director of the Disaster Management Branch in Queensland Health.

He has a long history in emergency and disaster health; across operations and service delivery, teaching and research, and management. He has also served with multiple academic programs, professional committees and research groups within Australia and overseas including as Adjunct Professor with QUT, the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (board member and Vice President), and as Chief Medical Officer for St John Ambulance Australia. He was a leader within his organisation and across government for the duration of the global COVID-19 pandemic, providing clarity, direction and perspective to colleagues and counterparts alike through a variety of roles such as Deputy Chief Health Officer and briefly as Chief Health Officer.

Peter’s strength is bringing people and agencies together to contribute to the goal of keeping communities safe and healthy.

BDSc (UQ), GAICD
Member and Chair, Board Risk and Audit Committee
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026

Dr Poya John Sobhanian (PJ) graduated from the University of Queensland as a Dentist in 2010. As a clinician he is a strong advocate of partnerships and patient-powered preventative healthcare. PJ has undertaken further training and qualifications in Governance from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and in Data Privacy and Technology from Harvard Business School.

PJ has an entrepreneurial commercial background through his former private dental practice Sunvalley Dental. He also has extensive, high-level, Board experience as a non-executive director across a range of industries including Health, Local Government, Natural Resources and Transport.

PJ previously served as a Board Member of the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS) for eight years, and as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of CQHHS for over four years. PJ has also served on the Boards, and Audit and Risk Committees, of Gladstone Area Water Board and Gladstone Ports Corporation. He was also an independent local government Councillor at Gladstone Regional Council as the Chair of the Commercial Services Committee, leading oversight on Council businesses such as the Airport and Water Services, and strategically driving sustainable Economic Development.

In his spare time PJ enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring the many gorgeous trails of Mount Coot-tha.

BA (Hons), PhD, GAICD
Member
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Current term: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028

Dr Shea Spierings is a Research Fellow specialising in First Nations health at the University of Queensland. He is currently a Lead Investigator, and Associate Investigator across a series of projects funded by the Medical Research Futures Fund, Australian Research Council and the Lowitja Institute. Dr Spierings is also an experienced company director holding the role of Deputy Chair for Country to Coast Queensland, which commissions the delivery of primary health services across the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Central Queensland regions to service 900,000 people. He is also a Board Member for Queensland’s health promotion agency, Health and Wellbeing Queensland.

He has previously worked across a variety of sectors including the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Sector, Foreign Policy, Construction and Security. In 2015, he was appointed by the Australian Government to serve as the Australian Youth Delegate to the United Nations (UN).

Dr Spierings holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Queensland and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors