Our Board
In January 2013, the launch of CheckUP Australia marked the culmination of the organisation’s transition into an independent industry body dedicated to advancing primary healthcare. Previously known as General Practice Queensland (GPQ), our organisation is committed to meeting the challenges of a changing healthcare landscape by building and fostering collaborative partnerships, networks and expertise to deliver practical solutions focused on best practice outcomes for a better primary healthcare sector, and better health for all.
As a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, CheckUP is governed by a Board of Directors who possess a diverse range of skills and experience, and as the governing body of the organisation, provide strategic direction and leadership.
Current Board Directors
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Chair |
Mr Colin Duff |
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Mr Colin Duff
MBA, B Comm
Experience: Formerly the CEO of one of Queensland’s largest professional consultancy firms, Colin now sits on a number of Boards with a range of roles including Chairman, ED and NED providing strategic guidance and corporate support. He has over 25 years business experience as an executive across many different industries specializing in business growth at both strategic and operational levels. Well-equipped in the areas of corporate advisory, strategic growth, growth solutions, change management, performance management, operations efficiency and people management, Colin enjoys working with others motivated to growing their businesses.
Areas of interest: Business growth & development, performance, team growth & achievement, innovation and preventative healthcare.
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Ms Jennifer Pouwer
Experience: Jennifer is formerly the Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer at Richmond Fellowship Queensland (RFQ). In August 2018, Mental Illness Fellowship Queensland (MIFQ) merged with RFQ. As Chief Executive Officer, MIFQ Jennifer executed the merger in partnership with the CEO of RFQ. Jennifer has had a range of Commonwealth, State and NGO roles across diverse human services portfolio (child protection; disability services; quality and accreditation; mental health and employment services). She gained her interest and diverse networks in the non-government sector through the Community Services funding and contract management function in the state department of health. This interest followed through to voluntary Board contributions to PACT (Protect All Children Today); ADA – Aged and Disability Advocacy; and The Eating Issues Centre.
Areas of interest: Leadership and culture; philosophy; corporate governance; collective impact and partnership models.
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Dr David Rowlands
Experience: David has been a General Practitioner on the Gold Coast for 30 years. He is a Queensland graduate who served as a Medical Officer in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, prior to working in Accident and Emergency in the United Kingdom.
David is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has over 20 years’ experience as a Company Director. He has just retired from the Gold Coast PHN Board where he served as Chair for the past four years. Previously he was Chair of the Gold Coast Medicare Local and of the Gold Coast Division of General Practice.Areas of interest: David’s particular interests are in corporate governance, clinical governance and health system design.
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Dr Tina Janamian
PhD, MBA, MMedSc, GAICD, GCELead, BSc
Experience: Tina is the General Manager of Education and Innovation for the AGPAL Group of Companies. She has an academic background in primary health care and extensive experience strategically leading centres of research excellence to support Australia’s health care reform. Tina has a track record of effectively collaborating with a range of stakeholders across the healthcare landscape and strengthening partnerships with industry, health care professionals, policy makers and consumers to co-deliver on complex multidisciplinary initiatives. In the past 10 years, Tina has won and successfully delivered nationally on $30m worth of program for Federal and State government and various health organisations. Additionally, she has over 20 years experience as a Director and owner of numerous commercial undertakings, with considerable track record in business development across various sectors.
Areas of interest: Innovative models of care to improve health service delivery, health reform, education and training, business development through innovation, quality improvement, change management, stakeholder engagement, and value co-creation.
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Mr Kieran Chilcott
Kieran is an Aboriginal man from the Yugarabul people in south-east Queensland.
Experience: Kieran is the CEO of Kalwun Development Corporation Ltd, a large Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation on the Gold Coast, which delivers health, aged care, housing and child and family support services over eight separate locations for the local community.
He holds a Bachelor of Education majoring in behaviour management, and range of other tertiary qualifications in leadership, governance, training, project management and mental health. Kieran is an active member of the community and has chaired and been a member of several Boards. Notable appointments include:
- Founding Director, former Chairperson and current Board Director, Institute for Urban Indigenous Health
- Board Director, Gold Coast Primary Health Network
- Former Chairperson of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council
- Former Board Director of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
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Ms Jane Williams
Experience: Jane is currently a practicing Wellness Nurse at Barcaldine Medical Centre caring for people with mental illness and chronic disease. She has 25 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse and Midwife working across rural and remote communities in Western Queensland. Working as a Registered Nurse and living as part of a rural and remote community has provided Jane with unique insights to the issues of working in rural Queensland and the challenges that go hand in hand with this.
Jane is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds several key Board appointments including: Chair of the Central West Hospital and Health Service (CWHHS) Board since May 2016. She has been a Board Member of Central West Hospital and Health Service since its inception in 2012. Member of the Qld Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Advisory Council, Board Director, Queensland Music Festival Board, Chair of Central West Rural Wellness Network and Member of the Central West Royal Flying Doctor Advisory Group.
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Ms Merrilyn Strohfeldt
Experience: Merrilyn is the CEO of Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN. She has had direct and indirect involvement with primary health throughout her career with extensive experience in the delivery of disability services, health and rehabilitation services across Australian and State Government jurisdictions, the not-for- profit sector and private industry. She holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration from Griffith University and the Australian New Zealand School of Government, and a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from the University of Queensland.
Before taking up the PHN CEO role, Merrilyn was the Deputy Director General for the Queensland Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. After joining the Department Merrilyn worked in service delivery leadership roles and had direct responsibility for service delivery within her department for universal, prevention and early intervention services for youth mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing, and commissioning domestic violence support services, as well as the safety and wellbeing of children impacted by domestic violence. Merrilyn also led significant reforms in domestic violence prevention, and oversaw the operations of the Office for Women.
Areas of interest: Merrilyn has a keen interest in allied health, in particular innovative service delivery models for rural and remote areas.