The leading network of Health, Human Service and Public Sector Leaders.
Our Executive Search & Recruitment network is unrivalled, and by engaging HG we connect our clients to the best talent from around the world. As the competition for talent intensifies, domestically and globally, our clients trust in our ability to secure a successful and timely appointment, the first time, every time.
Recent Key Appointments
Organisations trust HardyGroup
to find great talent to deliver on their mission.
Susan Freiberg
Chief Operating Officer | Townsville Hospital and Health Service.
Nicola Hart
Chief Executive | HealthOne
Cara Anne McCormack
District Director, Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs | Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).
Tracey Kaio
Chief People and Assurance Officer | Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.
Susan Freiberg
Chief Operating Officer | Townsville Hospital and Health Service.
HG is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Freiberg as Chief Operating Officer of Townsville Hospital and Health Service.
Susan is an experienced health executive with more than 15 years in senior leadership roles across hospital and health services in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and the ACT. She has held executive positions overseeing operations, nursing and midwifery, and service delivery, with responsibility for large workforces, complex budgets, and major infrastructure programs. Most recently, Susan has been Interim Chief Operating Officer at Townsville HHS, providing executive leadership for tertiary services, patient flow, and public health, and serving as Health Incident Controller. She has also led key initiatives including the establishment of the North Queensland Kidney Transplant Service.
Susan holds an Executive MBA from Queensland University of Technology, a Master of Midwifery, a Bachelor of Nursing, and multiple leadership qualifications. She is recognised for her focus on operational performance, service redesign, and culturally safe care.
HG congratulates Susan Freiberg on her appointment with Townsville HHS.
Nicola Hart
Chief Executive | HealthOne
HG is delighted to announce Nicola Hart as the new Chief Executive of HealthOne.
Nicola brings extensive leadership experience across healthcare delivery, digital health innovation, and commercial growth. Her career spans senior roles in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, where she has consistently led strategic transformation and operational excellence in complex, multi stakeholder environments.
She has held significant positions including Chief Executive Officer at FAB Group, Chief Operating Officer at Skin Institute, and Chief Commercial Officer at Zava. Nicola has driven major initiatives in digitisation, technology enabled service delivery, and organisational growth, with a strong record of improving customer experience, strengthening clinical and commercial alignment, and embedding innovation at scale.
With a professional background in pharmacy, governance, and technology enabled care, Nicola is committed to advancing equitable, patient centred healthcare and supporting sustainable system improvement. Her leadership will play a pivotal role in shaping the future direction of HealthOne and strengthening its impact across the sector.
HG congratulates Nicola on her appointment and looks forward to her continued contribution and influence.
Cara Anne McCormack
District Director, Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs | Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).
HG is delighted to announce the appointment of Cara Anne McCormack as District Director, Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs for the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).
Cara is a seasoned psychologist and senior health executive with more than 20 years’ leadership experience across state, hospital and primary health systems. She has an exceptional track record in mental health, alcohol and other drug service delivery, operational leadership, commissioning, and large scale system reform.
Most recently, Cara served as Operations Director, Mental Health, AOD and Suicide Prevention at the North Queensland Primary Health Network, where she led a $34M commissioning portfolio and drove significant reforms including redesigned stepped care models, strengthened governance, and key regional wellbeing initiatives. Prior to this, she held senior roles with Mackay Hospital and Health Service, including Operations Director MHAOD, overseeing 250 FTE and complex clinical and corporate governance functions. Her earlier leadership roles in Townsville and Ballarat further demonstrate her capability to lead multidisciplinary teams, implement service improvement initiatives, and influence cross sector partnerships for community health outcomes.
HG is thrilled for Cara as she steps into this significant leadership role with Northern NSW Local Health District.
Tracey Kaio
Chief People and Assurance Officer | Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.
HG is delighted to announce the appointment of Tracey Kaio as Chief People and Assurance Officer at Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.
Tracey is a highly experienced senior executive leader with over 20 years’ experience across the public sector, iwi organisations, commercial enterprises, and international contexts. She brings deep expertise in people and culture, assurance, risk, commercial operations, organisational transformation, and digital/ICT uplift.
Tracey joins Kāinga Ora from the Ministry for the Environment (MfE), where she is currently Chief People Officer / GM People & Capability, leading enterprise wide functions including organisational design, leadership development, workforce strategy, internal communications, and people governance. Prior to this, she held senior roles across Ngāti Hine Health Trust, Whakarongorau Aotearoa (NZ Telehealth Services), Māori Television, Fleetcor Australasia, and Genesis Energy—successfully delivering large scale transformation, complex commercial negotiations, and high pressure operational responses. Recognised for her calm, clear leadership and strong grounding in both Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Pākehā, Tracey is trusted for her ability to bring clarity, build confidence, and strengthen organisational capability across diverse environments.
Tracey holds an MBA (Governance, Strategy & Leadership), a PGDip Business, an IoD Certificate in Company Directorship, as well as professional certifications in governance, contract law, project management, and ISO auditing.
HG is thrilled for Tracey as she steps into this role with Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.
HG’s Panel Partnerships
HG is a trusted advisor and provider of permanent and interim recruitment solutions for clients across Australia and New Zealand. In circumstances which require it, HG can also be your partner of choice by engaging us through the following government panels.
WA Country Health Service Panel
SA Recruitment Agency Services Panel
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Panel
Executive Recruitment Panel
Central Australia Health Service Panel
All of Government Talent Acquisition Services (TAS) contract.
NSW Government Talent Acquisition Scheme
LGA Procurement – Labor hire and recruitment Services
Recruitment and Immigration Agency Panel Primary Agency – Canberra Health Services
The Management Advisory Services (MAS) Panel
Industries we serve
Public Health
Private Health
Primary u0026 Community Care
Aged Care
Disability Services
Public Sector
Meet our Principal Consultants
HG’s Principal Search Consultants have held Chief and Senior Executive roles within the industries we serve. Their extensive leadership profiles enable them to swiftly establish trust and rapport with both clients and candidates, clearly understand the roles they have been asked to recruit to and importantly, the organisational and environmental context in which they exist.
Our evidenced based search methodology, extensive networks and talented team have led to the successful placement of 4,000+ executives.
Lynette Taylor
Executive Director, Search & Recruitment
A senior executive leader with experience in private and public sectors across health, logistics and human resource sectors. With nearly two decades of experience as a senior executive in a multinational company, Lynette brings a comprehensive global and commercial perspective to her role, focusing on the attraction, retention, and development of executive-level candidates.
Paul Ingle
Chief Executive Officer
Paul Ingle is the Chief Executive Officer of HG. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he conducts senior executive and board recruitment assignments and facilitates HG’s Executive Learning Sets. Paul has been a Chief Executive in both the public and private sector for over 20 years, having worked in New Zealand, the UK and Australia. He brings a wealth of experience in supporting organisational leadership, reform, employee wellbeing, and cultural transformation.
Christine Leahy
Executive Director Leadership and Learning
Christine Leahy is a seasoned executive Human Resources specialist with over 25 years of experience in prestigious national and international corporations. Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce, she has played pivotal roles in HR, aiding companies in recruiting and retaining top-tier talent, thereby enhancing organizational culture and business performance. In addition to her leadership responsibilities, Christine conducts senior executive recruitment assignments and facilitates HG’s Executive Learning Sets.
Sarah Buckler
State Manager, Queensland
Sarah Buckler has an extensive background and in-depth understanding of the public sector in Australia and New Zealand. She has over twenty-five years of experience in executive leadership roles and appointments to advisory and governing boards across public, private and quasi-government boards and authorities. Sarah is a recipient of the Australia Day Honours and was awarded the Public Service Medal for her contributions to regional development, investment attraction, public sector administration, leadership, and governance.
David Price
National Manager, New Zealand
David Price is the National Manager of HG New Zealand. He is an internationally experienced senior leader and healthcare innovator known for pioneering system design, co-design, and patient experience reform across New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.
Liz Hlipala
Principal Search Consultant
Liz Hlipala has an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the healthcare sector in Australia today. She brings more than three decades of experience working in the healthcare sector at senior executive levels to any consultancy she undertakes. Liz has participated as an Executive Director of the governing boards and senior leadership teams of large health networks and the department of health in South Australia, given her an understanding of these complex organisations’ leadership and performance requirements.
Dr Karen Bridgewater
Senior Researcher
Karen is an academic researcher with experience investigating, designing, recruiting, conducting and reporting. Through her career, Karen has not only finely honed her academic and population-relevant research skills, but also forged relationships in the public and private health sectors, multiple universities, and non-government organisations. Consequently, Karen brings to HardyGroup a unique combination of established research excellence, and industry-relevant, highly valuable interpersonal relationship insights and skills.
Janine Hammat
Principal Search Consultant
Janine is a versatile senior human resources executive with many years’ experience at the executive level in both the public and private sectors. She is a proactive leader of people strategy and cultural alignment in diverse and complex organisations. Her knowledge across all facets of human resources and her ability to partner with other senior executives and staff, and to translate organisational strategy into pragmatic and operable outcomes, enables her to deliver quality results.
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Recruitment
Opportunities for You
Scroll through our jobs board below to find your next career defining opportunity.
H25_5348
General Manager Primary Care and Rural Generalism
Flexible – preference to relocate but not mandatory
Ready to make people your organisation’s greatest asset?
