Organising Committee

Karen Taylor
Chief Executive Officer, IHEA

Karen Taylor is a highly skilled executive with extensive experience in strategic planning, change management and business development. The majority of her career has been spent working in not for profit organisations. She has also managed at a senior level in a commercial environment running one of the most successful private RTOs in Australia along with having operated within a government/policy driven environment at the national level. Karen has a track record of developing relationships of trust within a wide range of networks, peak bodies, professional organisations and government both within the state and nationally.

A significant component of Karen’s previous roles has been to interpret the political, industrial and economic landscape and its subsequent impact on community and business need in contemporary Australia. She has played a key role in influencing the development and implementation of national VET policies along with cultural and practice change in workforce development across the national VET system. 

The ability to negotiate and manage significant projects and ultimately service delivery to successful outcomes has been critical in all roles Karen has undertaken along with providing strong and positive leadership to staff of complex and broadly based businesses. She has provided excellent leadership in, management of and accountability for strategic and business plans and financial strategy and sustainability. Karen has successfully graduated from the AICD company directors course. 
 

Peter Easson
IHEA National President
WA Branch Committee of Management

Peter has been employed in the Western Australia Health Service since 2003 and currently holds the position as the Area Director of Facilities Management for the North Metropolitan Health Service. He commenced his career in health with the Scottish National Health Service in 1986 until migrating with his family to Australia in 2003.

Peter has over 30 years’ experience in Healthcare Engineering and Facilities Management and is qualified in Mechanical Engineering and Information Communication Technology following studies at Napier University, Edinburgh and the UK Open University.

Peter has been a Director on the IHEA National Board since 2012.

 

Brett Petherbridge
IHEA Immediate Past President
NSW/ACT Branch Committee of Management

Brett was the Conference Convener of the 2013 IHEA National Conference in Sydney. Brett has been a Director on the  IHEA National Board since 2009 and was President from 2015 – 2017. Brett has 17 Years in Healthcare Facility Management. Brett commenced with Mayne Health in 2000 and covered facilities management. He joined ACT Health in 2003 within Facilities Management and progressed to the ACT Health Redevelopment Unit in 2009. Brett’s role within Health Infrastructure Services – Capital Project Delivery, ACT Health. Over the past 8 years has undertaken a suite of projects in the redevelopment and maintaining of ACT Health Directorate Infrastructure and Services. 

Darryl Pitcher
National Board Member, IHEA
Executive Committee and Vice President, IFHE
Chief Executive Officer, Bethsalem Care

Darryl is the Chief Executive Officer at Bethsalem Care and Greenbriars Village in South Australia, having held this role for seven years.  In this role he oversees the 90 bed residential aged care home and retirement village, including compliance and risk, clinical care and quality, village operations and strategic property sustainment.  Prior to taking on his current role Darryl spent three years at United Group Services managing the outsourced FM contract overseeing maintenance and capital works at Modbury Hospital.  From 1989 to 2007 Darryl worked for SA Health at the Royal Adelaide Hospital completing this tenure with a 3 year role as Director, Engineering and Building Services managing the facilities and infrastructure of the 800 bed tertiary and trauma hospital. Darryl is currently serving on the Executive Committee of the IFHE having joined the Executive Committee in 2012, and is presently serving as Vice President leading up to the 2018 IFHE Congress in Australia, when he will assume the role of IFHE President.
 

Darren Green
I.H.E.A. NSW/ACT Branch, Committee of Management and Secretary
M.I.H.E.A., C.H.C.F.M., Adv Dip Eng (Technology), Adv Dip Management, Dip Project Management.

Darren has held various Executive positions on the Institute of Healthcare Engineering Australia (IHEA) National Board between 2009 and 2017. He has 31 years’ experience in the Health Care Facility Management industry at middle and senior management levels. Darren’s current role as Manager of Assets and Clinical Technology for Murrumbidgee Local Health District incorporates Facilities Management (FM) of thirty three (33) Public Hospitals, Health Services & Multi-Purpose Services managing five (5) asset portfolios being; Operations (Engineering), Biomedical Engineering, Property Services, Capital Works and Compliance & Governance.
 

Mal Allen
IHEA National Treasurer
NSW Branch Committee of Management

27 years experience in the health industry with the last 19 years in management roles. In 1997 appointed to a Biomedical Engineer position at Southern Area Health Service, managing a small specialist technical team. 2005 appointed as Manager, Area Biomedical Engineering Services, Greater Southern Area Health service, which initially included four satellite teams covering Clinical, Dental and Radiology equipment for 47 hospital facilities. In 2011 became Asset Manager, Southern NSW Local Health District. The portfolio included, Hospital Engineering, Capital Works, Property and Biomedical Engineering. Mal’s current role since 2012 is Director of Clinical Technology, Hunter New England Local Health District, covering clinical equipment management for some 113 facilities, operating from John Hunter Hospital Newcastle.