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 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.
Pete Carter
Principal Search Consultant
Pete Carter has over 30 years of experience in health and social service leadership in New Zealand and Australia, much of that in senior roles within the public sector.
Pete has also spent many years on Boards of both Non-Government and Government organisations and has been actively involved consulting across the sector, particularly around leadership and governance.
Talk to a Consultant
Recruitment
Opportunities for You
Scroll through our jobs board below to find your next career defining opportunity.
H26_5486
Director of Medical Services, Psychiatrist – Northern NSW Local Health District
New South Wales, Australia
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Director of Mental Health and Addictions – Ministry of Health New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand
Recent Key Appointments
Organisations trust HardyGroup
to find great talent to deliver on their mission.
Scott Wilkes
Dean of Medicine | The University of Waikato.
Bridgette Masters-Awatere
Head of School, Health Equity and Innovation | The University of Waikato.
Anna Williams
Director of Nursing – Home and Communities | New Zealand Health Group (NZHG).
Idris Kamara
Service Group Director, Surgical Services | Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS).
Scott Wilkes
Dean of Medicine | The University of Waikato.
HG is delighted to announce Professor Scott Wilkes as the new Dean of Medicine at The University of Waikato.
Scott brings wide ranging leadership experience in medical education and healthcare, having held senior academic and clinical roles for many years. Most recently, he was Head of the School of Medicine and Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Sunderland, where he led the creation and growth of a new medical school through to its first graduating cohort.
He has led multidisciplinary teams, managed major budgets, and advanced equity focused initiatives in medical training. His work includes building strong sector partnerships, guiding accreditation processes, and introducing innovative, practice informed teaching.
With experience across general practice, academia, research leadership, and national governance, Scott is committed to widening participation and strengthening medical education. He will play a key role in shaping the future of medicine at Waikato.
HG congratulates Scott on his appointment and looks forward to his continued impact.
Bridgette Masters-Awatere
Head of School, Health Equity and Innovation | The University of Waikato.
HG is delighted to announce Professor Bridgette Masters-Awatere as the new Head of School, Health Equity and Innovation at The University of Waikato.
Bridgette brings extensive experience in psychology, Indigenous health research, and academic leadership, with a distinguished career spanning senior governance, curriculum innovation, and research management. She has held roles including Professor of Kaupapa Māori Psychology, Chair of Kōmiti Rangahau, and Associate Dean Māori, with contributions across university, national, and international fora.
Recognised for her scholarship in Māori and community psychology, Bridgette has led major programmes, secured significant research funding, and advanced initiatives promoting health equity and culturally informed education.
HG congratulates Professor Masters-Awatere on her appointment and looks forward to her continued impact.
Anna Williams
Director of Nursing – Home and Communities | New Zealand Health Group (NZHG).
HG is delighted to announce the appointment of Anna Williams as Director of Nursing – Home and Communities at New Zealand Health Group (NZHG).
Anna brings more than 20 years of nursing experience across community, disability, mental health, rehabilitation, and acute care services, with a strong record of senior clinical leadership and service improvement. Her career includes roles such as Nurse Consultant for Older Persons Mental Health at CDHB, Clinical Training Manager at MySkill where she has consistently contributed to high quality clinical governance and service delivery. She has led significant initiatives including the COVID 19 response for a large older person cohort, Dementia Friendly initiatives, development of clinical policies and procedures for district nursing, and the creation of national clinical education programmes that strengthen capability and support safe, person centred care. Anna also plays an active role across NZHG’s clinical governance, restraint reduction, ISS review, privacy, and quality groups, reflecting her respected standing across the organisation.
She holds a Master of Health Sciences (Mental Health), a Bachelor of Nursing, and a range of advanced workplace qualifications in leadership, clinical communication, supervision facilitation, critical incident response, and Te Ao Māori.
HG is thrilled for Anna as she steps into the role of Director of Nursing – Home and Communities with New Zealand Health Group.
Idris Kamara
Service Group Director, Surgical Services | Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS).
HG is delighted to announce the appointment of Idris Kamara as Service Group Director, Surgical Services at Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS).
Idris is a highly accomplished senior health executive with extensive experience leading large, complex surgical divisions within major tertiary hospital systems. He brings a strong record in financial turnaround, surgical performance uplift, clinical governance reform and workforce optimisation. Most recently serving as Director of Finance & Business Operations for a major Division of Surgery, Idris oversaw a budget of approximately $800 million and 15 business units, leading divisional strategy, service redesign, surgical pathway reform and multi year financial recovery initiatives.
His leadership has delivered measurable improvements in surgical outcomes, patient flow, theatre productivity and long wait performance while strengthening governance and accountability frameworks. Idris is deeply committed to health equity and has actively embedded culturally safe, co designed pathways to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.
Idris holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration, alongside professional certifications in project management and implementation methodologies.
HG is delighted for Idris as he steps into this role with Townsville Hospital and Health Service.
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