Board of Directors

For 20 years Jack Snelling represented Ingle Farm, Pooraka, Para Hills and surrounding suburbs in State Parliament. Jack served as Speaker from 2006-2010 and Minister from 2010-2017, including five years as Minister for Health. In that time, he developed a deep understanding of health reform and the complexities of running a hospital.

After stepping down from politics, Jack founded a consulting firm providing advice to health technology companies and not-for-profit organisations. He was recently appointed by Baptist Care in South Australia to manage a Health and Well-being Project for the next two years.

Cara Miller is an experienced business leader known for her ability to implement successful and positive change. Before joining NECH, she reformed private radiology services in South Australia by disrupting traditional business models and investing in staff, culture and equipment to yield a patient centric radiology service.

Passionate about health and aged care, she brings her transformation approach to NECH. Always looking to a sustainable future that delivers clinical excellence by all teams for the benefit of patients and residents alike.

Professor Guy Maddern is the RP Jepson Professor of Surgery at the University of Adelaide, Director of Research at the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Director, Surgical Research and Evaluation (incorporating Australian Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures–Surgery) of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

He was trained at the University of Adelaide and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1989. His clinical interests include the development of techniques to manage metastatic hepatic disease and hepatic approaches to optimise resection options. He has over 600 publications in scientific journals, has contributed to over a dozen surgical texts and attracted $65 million of research funding. He is particularly interested in the evaluation of new technologies and in particular surgical technologies.

He is currently Chair of the HTAi (Health Technology Assessment international) Asia Policy Forum, a past President of HTAi and a past Chair of INAHTA (International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment).

Virginia Deegan has extensive experience in health and aged care, having held a diverse range of senior management positions spanning the past 20 years. She is currently Executive Director, Infrastructure at the University of Adelaide, having previously held the role of General Manager at the Royal Adelaide Hospital where she initiated the short term strategic plan, set within the context of the regional framework, recognising resource constraints with a focus on safe and quality patient care delivery.

A disciplined and experienced Board member, Virginia brings strong commercial acumen and a focus on information technology and technological innovation within the sector. Virginia is a qualified accountant and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sonia Bolzon is a highly experienced business owner, legal practitioner and Board member with significant governance and risk management experience. She has been a Partner of Lynch Meyer Lawyers since 1995, with primary expertise in employment and industrial relations, work health and safety, privacy, discrimination and equal opportunities law. Her expertise in these areas has been recognised by her inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Australia list for Labour and Employment Law for ten consecutive years since 2014.

Sonia provides practical and pragmatic advice on all aspects of employment law and regularly advises employers on how to manage industrial and safety issues and deal with Government regulators. She also has extensive experience advising aged care operators on regulations and compliance issues.

A business owner in her own right, Sonia brings significant expertise in commercial and financial management together with exceptional leadership qualities.

Richard Amato is an authentic, empowering and strategic executive who drives performance through the development of a strong commercial and customer centric culture. He has had a successful career working for large national and international companies within the electricity, wine, manufacturing and construction industries, and continues to have an unrelenting passion for ensuring people’s safety and wellbeing.

Richard brings proven capabilities in financial management for large national and international organisations, including public and private in both the commercial and regulated environments. His skill set includes corporate planning, driving growth, strategy formulation and implementation, mergers, acquisitions, business transformation, joint ventures, company performance improvements and restructuring.

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A seasoned finance professional with extensive senior executive experience with diversified corporates and government, including ASX listed and private companies. Uniquely, an extensive knowledge of public sector management and the machinery of government. Broad executive expertise encompassing financial, business improvement leadership, strategy and strategic direction, financial and risk management. Reviewed and developed businesses through innovative and sustainable business growth and extensive M&A experience.
Importantly having experienced a hospital environment, both as a Director and Service Provider.

Julie-Anne is the Chief Executive of the South Australian Housing Trust, where she is responsible for the delivery of housing to over 30,000 tenants across the state, with the goal of fostering inclusive and economically connected communities.

She has extensive experience across South Australian government having worked as the CEO of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), and an Executive in Department for Trade and Investment, Department of Treasury and Finance, Courts Administration Authority and SA Health.

She commenced her career as a Podiatrist and worked clinically before moving through academia and into health leadership. Her career has spanned the public sector in Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and South Australia.

Julie-Anne’s leadership skills have been developed in her various board positions, roles across the public sector and augmented through the life lessons of being a part of a family.

Paul is Chief Executive Officer of The Hospital Research Foundation Group. He is a Professorial Fellow at Flinders University College of Business, Government and Law, a University Fellow at the University of South Australia. He has been awarded the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year in South Australia/Northern Territory and the Equity Trustees Australian Not for Profit CEO Award for Innovation. He holds several non-executive director positions in corporate, health and community services including BiomeBank Pty Ltd, Diabetes Australia Ltd., YMCA of SA Inc. and is a member of the South Australian Cancer Care Network Advisory Board.