Executive team

Ms Lisa Blackler was appointed Health Service Chief Executive in April 2024.

Before joining us, Lisa was Group Director of Operations at Te Whatu Ora in New Zealand. Lisa has over 20 years of executive and senior leadership experience in the health sector, including tenure at Gladstone Hospital in Women and Children’s health and Perioperative and Outpatient care.

Her leadership approach is influenced by her clinical experience as a nurse and midwife. She has a reputation as a dynamic, respected and results driven leader, with expertise in leading health service delivery in regional, rural and remote settings.

Lisa is deeply committed to building a high performing team and providing better access to care for Central Queenslanders.

Ms Victoria Leov is a healthcare professional with over 15 years’ experience in health, construction and hospitality.

Before joining CQ Health, she worked as Hospital and Specialty Services Integration Lead for Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury in New Zealand where she led efforts to improve healthcare services.

Victoria started her career in Primary Care Nursing. She is still passionate about this field. In 2014 she earned her Master of Nursing. She then took on management and leadership roles. She focused on coordinating care and integrating services across the South Island of New Zealand.

Victoria is known for her strategic planning and management. She is skilled at working with different sectors and leading complex projects. She has improved healthcare delivery, especially in rural and remote areas, showing strong leadership, adaptability, and resourcefulness.

Victoria is committed to achieving high standards in operations. She creates new healthcare solutions and builds strong relationships. She is excited about the role of Chief Operating Officer. She looks forward to using her skills to support the strategic vision and provide excellent healthcare for Queenslanders.

Mr Jordan Mogg brings extensive corporate finance experience across health, mining/manufacturing and higher education industries, as well as experience in public practice.

Well respected within CQ Health, Jordan has excelled in his role as Director of Finance and previously covered the Chief Finance Officer, Assets and Commercial Service role.

Jordan is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for the financial management of clinical services and oversight of the annual health budget for our region.

As a Chartered Accountant, Jordan is committed to contributing not only to CQ Health but also to the wider Central Queensland community.

Professor Pooshan Navathe is the professional lead for all medical staff in CQ Health. His role focuses on safety, quality, and system integrity.

His special interests include:

• safety and governance
• educating and mentoring health professionals
• implementing change
• enabling colleagues to attain professional excellence in their practice.

Before joining us, Pooshan specialised in occupational and aviation medicine, leading teams in New Zealand and Australia.

Pooshan has been a teacher for the past 30 years and holds academic positions in universities and professional medical colleges. He continues to research and has many publications to his credit.

Ms Julie Kahl is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years experience, holding a variety of leadership roles in nursing, clinical improvement, and education. Since 2013, she has served as Nursing Director for Education and Research with CQ Health and was appointed Interim Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery in November 2024.

She actively participates in many patient safety committees at local and state levels and has developed and nurtured industry and researcher networks within and outside of Queensland Health.

Julie has postgraduate qualifications in Paediatric and Child Health Nursing and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Central Queensland University in 2021, where she also holds an adjunct role as Associate Professor.

She is passionate about giving nursing and midwifery a voice in a complex health system. She advocates for advanced practice roles and expanding the scope for nurses and midwives to better meet community health needs.

Ms Donna Cruickshank started with CQ Health in June 2022 as our first Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing.

Donna's responsible for delivering on the health and wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Central Queensland. She actively works with our families, communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health partners.

Before joining us, Donna held leadership and executive positions in NSW Health. She gained broad knowledge in Aboriginal health and workforce.

Her work in Aboriginal employment and cultural education has won NSW Public Sector Awards.

Donna holds a double masters in Health Service Management and Planning.

Ms Shareen McMillan leads a team of 48 who work on key workforce projects, functions and activities including:

• strategic planning for workforce, cultural and organisational change, and organisational development including embedding values and staff recognition programs
• occupational health, safety and wellbeing
• recruitment and attraction
• business assurance and establishment management
• employee and industrial relations
• capability and leadership development programs.

Shareen has also worked in various government agencies, gaining extensive experience in:

• organisational and cultural change and development
• corporate services management and reporting
• training and development
• workplace health and safety
• employee and stakeholder engagement.

She has a degree in Communications, Japanese Language and Tourism, receiving high distinctions and a Japanese language award. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Management.

Ms Kerrie-Anne Frakes has more than 20 years’ experience in developing, implementing and evaluating innovative models of care and workforce redesign. These have delivered transformational service changes and improved health outcomes.

She has held an executive leadership role in CQ Health for the past 10 years, currently overseeing the Allied Health professional stream and Quality and Safety portfolio within the health service.

Kerrie-Anne was the first public podiatrist in the Central Queensland region, having arrived in 1999 on a Queensland Health Rural Scholarship Graduate for Podiatry.

She has since held strategic leadership roles as well as operational leadership roles including:

• Executive Director for the Rockhampton Business Unit - including Rockhampton Hospital, Mental Health, Offender Health, Capricorn Coast Hospital and Mt Morgan
• Director of Clinical Support services
• Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Allied Health.

She has won state and national awards for innovative models of care and has an extensive publication history in chronic disease management and service delivery evaluation. She holds Masters qualifications in Health Administration.

She's passionate about regional and rural community capacity with a focus on workforce sustainability and care for patients closer to home.