Board of Directors
Let Us Introduce You To Our Board Of Directors

Ian Thompson | Chair
B. Bus (Accounting), Grad. Dip. (Corp. Finance), C.P.A, GAICD.
Ian is a risk professional with more than 30 years’ experience in financial markets, having worked in various credit, economic, quality, risk management and governance roles here in Australia and in the UK. Ian spent the bulk of his career with leading global credit rating agency, Standard & Poor's Rating Services, most recently as a Senior Managing Director and Global Chief Credit Officer. Ian is a member of the Board of Snowdome Foundation, a charity focused on funding research into blood cancer, and an independent member of State Sport Centre Trust’s Audit and Risk committee and the Uniting Church’s (Vic and Tas Synod) risk management committee. Ian joined the BCH Board in July 2016 and chairs the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and is a member of the Quality and Clinical Governance Committee and Development Council.

Nicky Chung | Deputy Chair
BA (Psych), CPHR, MBA
Nicky Chung is the Chief Executive Officer for the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association. Nicky has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, is a Certified Practitioner in Human Resources and has attained a Senior Executive MBA Program at Melbourne Business School. She has held senior leadership and general management roles in people and community in a range of industries. She is an active community and inclusion advocate.
Nicky joined the board in July 2022. She is currently the Deputy Chair and a member of the Community Advisory Committee.

Mim Kershaw
Mim has more than 31 years’ management experience in both private and public listed companies. Mim has experience in setting and achieving budgets, strategic planning, team development and retention, ethical sourcing and Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Mim is a former director of Bass Coast Community Health Service. She joined the BCH Board in July 2014 and is a member of the Development Council, the Quality and Clinical Governance Committee, and the Remuneration Committee.

Mary Whelan
B. App Sc (Physiotherapy), Grad Dip Man Therapy, Cert App Ergonomics for Injury Mgt, Cert IV Workplace Training.
Mary Whelan is a former clinical physiotherapist with 38 years’ experience in public health and private practice. She founded a company to design and develop mobility aides to address the needs of patients and the occupational health and safety of staff in hospitals and aged care facilities. Mary joined the BCH Board in August 2015 is the Chair of the Quality and Clinical Governance Committee and is also a member of the Community Advisory Committee.

Kate Jungwirth
LLB, B.Com (Accounting), Grad Dip (Intellectual Property Law), Advanced Diploma (Mechanical Engineering)
Kate is an experienced legal practitioner who was appointed to the Bass Coast Health Board in July 2017. Kate has significant expertise in the health and disability sectors having acted as legal counsel for a Victorian public health service, a pharmaceutical company and a non-for-profit disability service provider. Kate also has experience advising on commercial contracting, tendering and procurement, legislative and regulatory compliance, business acquisitions, sale of assets, intellectual property, privacy and freedom of information matters. Kate is currently the General Counsel at BlueCross and is a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and the Community Advisory Committee.

Simon Jemmett
BHSc; Grad Cert Mgt; Dip Proj Mgt; MAICD
Simon has more than 30 years in health, initially working in the public and private hospital systems before moving to Ambulance Victoria. Simon has an intensive care paramedic background and substantial experience across both the metropolitan and rural sectors in clinical and operational management, education, audit and clinical governance. Simon was the Regional Director Gippsland for Ambulance Victoria for the last four years and is now leading some of Ambulance Victoria’s transformative IT projects. Simon is on the Governance Committee for the Emergency Care Clinical Network. Simon joined the BCH Board in July 2017 and is a member of the Quality and Clinical Governance Committee.

Ian Leong
Bach Bldg (QS) (Hons), Grad Dip Comp Sc, MBA, GAICD
Ian has over 40 years in the industry, working in both government and private sectors. Initially, Ian has significant experience as a property/building consultant, but more recently has managed his own general consultancy firm, providing advice to private and government clients. Ian is currently the Executive Director Redevelopment, Planning and Infrastructure at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, his role having overarching responsibility for capital redevelopment, future strategy/health service delivery and patient experience. Ian joined the BCH Board in August 2018 and is a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Angelo Saridis
Angelo is an experienced executive having held executive roles over the past ten years in Local and State Government, public transport and utilities industries. Angelo brings contemporary skills in technology driven business transformation and innovation, having led organisational transformation programs and sector-wide reform programs across different industries and sectors. Angelo has significant governance experience both as an executive supporting board governance functions but also as a former member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Mine Rehabilitation. He is highly involved in the Gippsland innovation ecosystem having founded startups and provided mentoring support to startup founders throughout Gippsland. He lives locally and has a real passion for the Gippsland region.

Prof Harvey Newnham
MBBS, FRACP, PhD, GAICD, AICGG
Harvey is an Endocrinologist and General Physician with extensive clinical leadership and board experience in the acute health sector. Harvey is on the board of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and also chairs the board of Health Education Australia Limited (HEAL) which encompasses the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance (AICG). Harvey was previously a board member of Better Care Victoria.
Harvey is experienced in organisational and unit review at Health Department, Hospital and Clinical Unit level. Harvey’s main interests are to improve the safety, quality and value proposition of acute care with particular emphasis on internal audit of clinical services, consumer engagement and interdisciplinary teamwork. Harvey is an Adjunct Clinical Professor with Monash University and a senior member of the National Examining Panel of the RACP.

Liz Camilleri
Bachelor of Business (Accountancy), Fellow CPA, GAICD
Liz is a seasoned finance professional with over 30 years of experience in healthcare. Liz joined the Board of Bass Coast Health in July 2022. She is also a Board Director for Uniting AgeWell and an independent member Court Services Victoria Audit and Risk Committee. Liz enjoyed a number roles during her 30-year+ career at Epworth HealthCare, from managing Payroll, Hospitality Services and the Greenfield start-up of the Epworth Eastern hospital, to her last Executive role as Executive Director Finance and Commercial Services (CFO). Her portfolio accountabilities included Finance, Payroll, Procurement and Supply, Facilities and Redevelopment, ITC, Internal Audit, Business Analytics, Corporate Governance and Risk, Health Contracts, Billing and Medical Records. Co-sponsoring Epworth’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy was another highlight of her career. Liz has been a part-time resident of Phillip Island for over 20 years.

John Nevins | Independent Member
Bach; Economic, Grad; Dip; Public Policy, MAICD
John is an Independent Member of the BCH Finance Audit and Risk Committee.
John has worked in Local Government, Public Transport and the Victorian Public Service. His previous roles include being a long term Chief Executive Officer, General Manager Corporate Services, Chief Financial Officer, Internal Auditor and Economist.