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.
Executive Search & Recruitment Services
Board Chair and Director Appointments
As Boards navigate an increasingly complex operating and regulatory environment so too is the need to elevate and refresh boardroom capabilities. HG’s extensive track record in governance appointments includes the formation of inaugural Boards in response to major government reforms at scale at a whole of system level and at a multi-district level. We are also expert in supporting the timely refresh of existing Boards.
Chief Executive and C-Suite Appointments
With our extensive and current networks, built up over decades, and team of Principal Search Consultants from the sectors we serve, HG is the leading trans-Tasman agency for Chief Executive and C-Suite appointments. This also includes all key enabling services such as IT, Digital, Finance, Legal, People & Culture and more. Our tailored approach ensure a successful and sustained appointment every time.
Management Appointments
Our networks are not only extensive, they are also very deep and this gives great confidence to our clients we can know who tomorrow’s future executives are today. By engaging HG for management level appointments, we deliver a field of candidates already proven at a team leader, management or director level and who exhibit the capabilities to also aide your organisation in future succession planning.
Clinical and Medical Appointments
Sourcing and attracting top talent for leadership positions within clinical and medical specialties requires deep expertise and never more so then now given global workforces shortages in healthcare. To ensure your success HG adopts a team approach that includes specialist Principal Consultants and Senior Researchers who will work tirelessly and creatively on your behalf to achieve the result you need.
Public Sector Leadership Appointments
Public sector appointments at a Chief Executive and C-Suite level can and do attract significant political, stakeholder and media scrutiny and navigating that requires Search agencies to have a unique set of capabilities. HG is a trusted and proven partner to government for the most senior leadership appointments including Environment, Revenue, Ethnic Communities, Disability, Health, Internal Affairs and to Royal Commissions of Inquiry.
Diagnostics
HG is invested in the long term success of your organisation and has built a suite of diagnostic capabilities to support the ambition of executive leadership that is practical and grounded in real time, real world environments. These diagnostic options and tools mean you are working with evidence and reflective practice.
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
Local Buy Pre-qualified Supplier
The Management Advisory Services (MAS) Panel
Industries we serve
Public Health
Private Health
Primary & 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 Hughes
National Manager, New Zealand
David Hughes is the National Manager of HG New Zealand. He is an experienced leader with significant healthcare experience across the public, private and non profit sectors, including in a range of specialty areas such as mental health and addiction, disability and primary care. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he conducts senior executive recruitment assignments and facilitates HG’s Executive Learning Sets.
Rhodie Miller
Principal Search Consultant
Rhodie Miller is Principal Search Consultant at HardyGroup, with over a decade of experience in health recruitment. Rhodie has conducted executive searches across all jurisdictions of Australia and New Zealand. With a key focus on sustainable outcomes, Rhodie strives to ensure a match between client and candidate.
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.
Philip Best
Client Relationship and Sales Manager
Philip Best, our Client Relationship and Sales Manager. A senior executive leader with experience in servicing major industry providers across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific.
Talk to a Consultant
Recruitment
Opportunities for You
Scroll through our jobs board below to find your next career defining opportunity.
H25_5213
Operations Director / Director of Nursing and Midwifery Women’s and Newborn
Melbourne, Victoria
H25_5219
Operations Director / Director of Nursing – Monash Medical Centre Clayton
Melbourne, Victoria
H25_5217
Operations Director / Director of Nursing – Cranbourne Community Hospital
Melbourne, Victoria
Recent Key Appointments
Organisations trust HardyGroup
to find great talent to deliver on their mission.
Sinfree Chirunga
Chief Finance Officer | North West Hospital and Health Service.
Dr Marco Giuseppin
Executive Director Medical Services and Clinical Governance | Northern NSW Local Health District.
Nicole Trost
Chief Financial Officer, Assets & Commercial Services | Central Queensland Hospital & Health Service.
Julia Waddington-Powell
Chief Operating Officer | Women’s and Children’s Health Network
Sinfree Chirunga
Chief Finance Officer | North West Hospital and Health Service.
HG is pleased to announce the appointment of Sinfree Chirunga as Chief Finance Officer with North West Hospital and Health Service.
Sinfree brings over 15 years of financial leadership experience in the Australian public health sector, complemented by an early career in the UK private sector. Most recently, she served as Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Peninsula Health, where she led a high-performing finance team and partnered with the executive to deliver strategic cost savings and improve operational efficiency. Her achievements included a significant cost reduction initiative and marked uplift in National Weighted Activity Unit (NWAU) performance through service model optimisation.
Prior to this, Sinfree held senior finance roles at Monash Health and Bass Coast Health, where she provided financial leadership across complex service portfolios, supported major capital projects, and implemented innovative tools to improve workforce planning, budgeting and revenue management. She has also contributed to public sector performance reform through a secondment to the Department of Health and Human Services (Vic).
HG is delighted for Sinfree as she steps into this important role with North West HHS.
Dr Marco Giuseppin
Executive Director Medical Services and Clinical Governance | Northern NSW Local Health District.
HG is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Marco Giuseppin as Executive Director Medical Services and Clinical Governance with Northern NSW Local Health District.
Dr Giuseppin is an accomplished clinical leader with over a decade of experience spanning rural medicine, anaesthesia, critical care, and senior medical leadership roles. He brings deep expertise in workforce innovation, model of care design, and health system reform, underpinned by a commitment to equity, safety, and team culture.
Dr Giuseppin has held key leadership roles with Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service and served as a Board Director for North West Hospital and Health Service. He has contributed to national primary health care policy as the immediate past Chair of the Australian Medical Association Council of Rural Doctors, and has led complex service and workforce transformations across rural and regional settings.
Dr Giuseppin is a Fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course.
HG is delighted for Dr Giuseppin as he steps into this role with Northern NSW LHD.
Nicole Trost
Chief Financial Officer, Assets & Commercial Services | Central Queensland Hospital & Health Service.
HG is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicole Trost as Chief Financial Officer, Assets & Commercial Services with Central Queensland Hospital & Health Service.
Nicole is a highly experienced finance executive with an extensive background in strategic leadership, financial governance, and commercial services across the health, telecommunications, and professional services sectors. She brings over two decades of experience guiding financial performance and sustainability in complex, multi-site environments.
Nicole previously held senior leadership roles with Field Solutions Holdings and Central Queensland Hospital & Health Service, where she contributed to major reform initiatives, strengthened governance frameworks, and supported large-scale capital projects. She is also an active member of her local community through volunteer board roles.
Nicole holds a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Chartered Accountant through CA ANZ.
HG is delighted for Nicole as she steps into this role with Central Queensland HHS.
Julia Waddington-Powell
Chief Operating Officer | Women’s and Children’s Health Network
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Julia Waddington-Powell as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network.
Julia brings over 15 years of executive leadership experience across healthcare and emergency services, with a strong track record in operational leadership, clinical governance, and service transformation. Most recently CEO of SAFECOM, she led critical initiatives including sector-wide governance reform and COVID-19 response programs.
A passionate advocate for consumer-centred care and cross-sector collaboration, Julia’s appointment marks an exciting chapter for WCHN as we continue to drive high-quality, sustainable health services for women, children, and families.
HG is delighted for Julia as she steps into this role with Women’s and Children’s Health Network.
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