Mr Julien O’Connell AO
Independent non-executive chairman
Newly appointed to the VMCH Board of Directors in 2019. Julien brings significant senior board and management experience, together with a detailed knowledge of health and aged care. He has recently retired as Pro-Chancellor of Australian Catholic University and as the Chair of the Board of Mercy Health which he held from 2008. He is a board member of Catholic Health Australia, Executive Chairman of Mercy Health Foundation, Chair of PM Glynn Institute and is a member of a number of Archdiocese Committees and Councils.
Mr Vincent Arthur
Independent non-executive chairman
Vincent was appointed to the Board in February 2022 and sits on the Finance and Audit and Strategic Projects Committees. Vincent has deep commercial knowledge from over 30 years executive experience. Vincent has been Managing Director of logistics business L Arthur Pty Ltd since 2003. Prior to that he held various commercial roles with Rio Tinto Ltd over 10 years. Vincent is also a member of the General Freight Committee of the Victorian Transport Association and a Director of the Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation. Vincent holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge, he has also completed post graduate studies in Business.
Mr Tom Barry
Independent non-executive chairman
Tom was appointed to the Board of Directors in January 2024. He was the Chair of Corpus Christi Community Greenvale Inc. prior to its merger with VMCH and has sat on not-for-profit boards and sub-committees since 2011. Tom is a barrister practising in commercial, regulatory and public law. He regularly acts in high profile disputes arising from mergers and acquisitions, major infrastructure projects and complex financial transactions. He is recognised for his business acumen and ability to apply the law to commercial and financial dealings. Tom has a Master of Laws from Melbourne University, specialising in tax and competition law subjects.
Mr Brendan Donohoe
Independent non-executive chairman
Brendan was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2019 and sits on the Finance and Audit Committee. He established Bank of Ireland Asset Management Australia in 1996 and later, a similar operation in Japan. Brendan went on to manage all of Bank of Ireland Asset Management’s business outside of Ireland. During his 29-year tenure with Bank of Ireland Group, he held senior executive and directorship positions in Ireland, Australia, Japan, the UK, USA and Canada. Brendan later joined the leadership team at NAB Asset Management, responsible for its global distribution, client services and the management of Antares Equities, a boutique asset management firm based in Melbourne.
Mr Michael Fisher
Independent non-executive chairman
Michael was appointed to the Board of Directors in November 2019. He has had significant experience in information technology and cyber security. Michael has run a successful business over the last 13 years that has provided a broad array of ICT services to Victorian Catholic institutions in the fields of education, digital media, social services and health. Prior to running his own business Michael had a successful career in Human Resources with several publicly listed Australian organisations.
Ms Sally Howe
Independent non-executive chairman
Appointed to the Board in 2019, Sally has held Directorships in diverse, highly complex, highly regulated and consumer facing businesses including health, aged care, sport, community and government sectors. Sally is a non-executive director on the Swimming Australia Ltd Board (SAL) and is Chair of the SAL Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the SAL Ethics and Integrity Committee. Her executive background includes health, business and senior leadership experience with over 30 years’ experience in the not-for-profit private health sector, private health insurance markets and primary and community health. Sally is Fellow of the AICD, Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and the AICD Boardroom Mastery program. Holds Post Graduate Health Management qualifications and is a member of the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance.
Ms Liesl Malcolm
Independent non-executive chairman
Liesl was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2024. She is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee. Leisl is a Chartered Accountant, with over 17 years’ experience in the Corporate Finance team, specialising in valuations. She is also a Partner at Pitcher Partners, one of the largest accounting and advisory firms in Australia. Liesl has been a part of the Corporate Finance team at Pitcher Partners since its inception. Liesl has a Bachelor of Business and Commerce from Monash University and is an accredited Business Valuation Specialist with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. She also is a Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers, one of the few Australian valuers to hold this qualification.
Dr Natasha Michael
Independent non-executive chairman
A/Prof Natasha Michael (MBChB, FRACP FAChPM MSc PhD) is a senior palliative care physician, administrator and academic who has trained and worked internationally. Natasha is a graduate from the University of Leeds and was awarded a MSc from King’s College London, Fellowship from the National Cancer Centre Singapore and a PhD from University of Notre Dame Australia. A/Prof Michael holds an appointment with the Institute of Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia and adjunct appointments with the Plunkett Centre for Ethics ACU and Monash University. She has led the development of palliative care services in the public and private sectors across metropolitan and regional settings and has a strong background in governance, leadership and bioethics.
Ms Mary Power
Independent non-executive chairman
Mary was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2020 and has extensive experience in finance, superannuation, and the property industry. Working for an Australian based investment adviser, Mary has advised a diverse client base on asset allocation, portfolio construction and property related matters. Mary has wide governance experience representing clients in numerous property transactions in Australia. Mary sits on the Strategic Projects Committee at VMCH.
Mr Bob Santamaria
Independent non-executive chairman
Bob was appointed to the Board of Directors in early 2020. Prior to this he was Group General Counsel of ANZ Bank for 12 years; responsible for the provision of legal services to ANZ globally. Pre-ANZ, Bob’s career spanned more than 30 years across governance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, including numerous complex transactions in the resources, manufacturing and finance sectors. Bob has also held Partner and Executive roles and been a Relationship Partner for Rio Tinto, ANZ, BHP Billiton, Goldman Sachs JBWere, Aviva Insurance Group and Bendigo Bank.
Mr Garry Thompson
Independent non-executive chairman
Garry was appointed to the Board of Directors in December 2023 and sits on the Strategic Projects Committee. He brings extensive experience in the built environment and planning across corporate, government and charitable entities. Garry is a registered Architect and Urban Designer and the Managing Director of Y2 Architecture. He also currently holds the position of Chair of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia (RMHC), previously Chair of RMHC for Victoria and Tasmania and former Mayor and Councillor of the City of Boroondara. Garry has a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) from Deakin University. Garry is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. He is an Alumni of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership Colloquium program.