Ambulance Service Advisory Board

Mr Greg Mullins AO AFSM (Chair)

Greg Mullins has over 34 years’ experience as a senior executive, including over 13 years as the Commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW. He has over 20 years’ board member/chair practice. Greg is an expert in crisis management, command, control and coordination of major emergency events. His particular strengths are in leading a complex, geographically dispersed and diverse organisation, change management, culture change, values-based leadership, organisational strategy, industrial relations, government and community relations, and media.

Interim Chief Executive, Clare Beech ASM

Clare began her paramedic career working in rural and remote locations across Victoria, before joining NSW Ambulance in 2007.

Clare qualified in Intensive Care and Extended Care paramedicine and across the next two decades, has performed a range of clinical, operational and executive roles at NSW Ambulance.  That includes as Director Clinical Operations (Sectors) and Executive Director Clinical Capability, Safely & Quality, where Clare led a diverse portfolio including Clinical Governance, Education, Virtual Care, Clinical Practice & Programs, Service Planning and Aboriginal Health. In that role, Clare oversaw the implementation of the NSW Ambulance Virtual Clinical Care Centre (VCCC) which works to ensure patients are connected with the right care, at the right time and in the right place.

Clare is a strong and well-respected leader who encourages ownership, participation and innovation from her teams, always returning the focus to the needs of the patient and their experience in the out-of-hospital clinical setting.  She was appointed to the inaugural Paramedicine Board of Australia in 2017 in recognition of her experience and leadership in the industry.

Ms Julie Babineau

Ms Julie Babineau joined Odyssey House in May 2016 as the Chief Executive Officer. Julie’s keen interest in health and welfare issues attracted her to the not-for-profit sector after a distinguished public service career in Canada and Australia. Over three decades, her work spanned veteran’s affairs, health, sport and recreation, and community relations. For 14 years, Julie held leadership roles at NSW Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, including Chief Executive for eight years. She led 1400 staff across 80 locations, managing an annual $200 million budget to address the myriad health issues of adults and young people in custody and transitioning into the community.

Ms Lyn Baker

Ms Lyn Baker is the former Commissioner of the NSW Office of Fair Trading where she led its strategic objectives of safeguarding consumer rights and advising business and traders on fair and ethical practices, providing strategic advice to the Minister and other key stakeholders on issues affecting NSW. These included national developments, ensuring activities and services met the needs of industry and the community cost effectively and professionally in compliance with relevant legislation. The role involved implementing effective legislative and regulatory reform and leading the executive management team in the development of strategies and business practices and policies to achieve corporate objectives in line with the government's strategic agenda. Lyn has over twenty years’ experience at the Senior Executive level in the NSW Public Sector across a range of departments and roles.

Today Lyn is an independent consultant currently chairing two NSW government Audit and Risk Committees as well as being a member on one other ARC.  Over the past 11 years Lyn has chaired or been a member of numerous other Audit & Risk Committees in the NSW public sector, the Victorian Public Sector and at the Commonwealth level.  She is also an experienced executive coach and provides mentoring pro bono where she can make a difference.

Mr Dave Owens APM

Mr Dave Owens established Risk-e Business Consultants, an Executive Level Management Consultancy, when he retired as Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Police Force after over 30 years of service. As the Deputy Commissioner, Dave was responsible for the leadership and management of nearly 13,000 police and 1200 public servants, with responsibility and accountability of a budget of $3 billion. Dave has demonstrated experience in large organisations understanding the need for robust accountability mechanisms for crisis management, fiscal responsibility, and project and performance management. Whilst strategically focused on the areas of human resources, operations and finance, he also ensured that innovation and project management was incorporated into all aspects of his work. This leadership was recognised in the awarding of the 2012 Australian Business Awards for Innovation and Project Management (project Eyewatch). Dave has worked with all levels of Government (Federal and State) along with private organisations and volunteer groups.

Mr Arthur Diakos PSM

Mr Arthur Diakos has considerable experience and knowledge in all areas of financial and general management, including the operational and strategic aspects of financial management, corporate services and administration. This has been gained within both commercial and non-commercial operating environments, including the services, finance, health, justice and law and order, transport and infrastructure, regulatory, environment and superannuation sectors. He held senior executive roles, including that of CFO and head of corporate services, in large, complex and high-profile NSW and Commonwealth government organisations and was awarded the Public Service Medal in recognition of his achievements. He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants. Coupled with senior executive management experience and reporting at both executive and board level, he has the necessary leadership, management and governance skills and relevant expertise and knowledge to add significant value to both the Advisory Board and NSW Ambulance.

Mr Anthony Schembri AM

Anthony Schembri AM is the Chief Executive of Northern Sydney Local Health District with a career spanning 30 years in the NSW public health service including leadership roles in healthcare, board appointments, hospital social work roles.He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney and Macquarie University and Industry Professor of Health at UTS. He led St Vincent's Health Network Sydney for a decade and he has served in diverse volunteer community service roles. Anthony has an interest and expertise in the governance of medical and health research having served on the Boards of the Ingham Institute, Garvan Institute, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, National Centre for Clinical Research into Emerging Drugs, Nursing Research Institute and the Kolling Institute for Medical Research as well as SPHERE and Sydney Health Partners.

Anthony holds an honours degree in social work from UNSW, graduate diploma in public administration, master's in public policy with merit from the University of Sydney, and certificate in health and human rights from Harvard. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Managers and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Accredited Social Worker. Anthony was honoured with a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 and in 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UNSW Sydney.

Adjunct Professor Alfa D’Amato

Alfa D’Amato is the Deputy Secretary Financial Services and Asset Management and Chief Financial Officer of NSW Health, the largest healthcare system in Australia. His portfolio covers all aspects related to financial services, asset management, corporate services and business improvement, and procurement of NSW Health.

In his current role, Alfa manages a $33.5 billion budget for the NSW Government. Alfa is committed to delivering a financially and environmentally sustainable future for NSW Health by providing leadership and fostering an adaptive mindset to decision making. Alfa is proud to lead a program of innovation, including the NSW Health Procurement Reform, Cash Transformation Program, and Sustainability and Resource Efficiency Strategy.

Alfa has also held several executive positions within NSW Health, including Executive Director, System Financial Performance and Deputy Chief Financial Officer where he was part of the NSW health system’s world-leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, Alfa was Director, Activity Based Funding where he developed and implemented Activity Based Funding and its evolution to Activity Based Management across NSW Health, and was pivotal in creating the online ABM Portal, redesigning the clinical costing process, and developing the NSW State Price methodology – all of which have influenced national thinking around the benefits of Activity Based Management.

Alfa presents internationally and is the Vice-President of the Patient Classification Systems International (PCSI). He is a member of CPA Australia and an Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School.

Dr Patricia Saccasan Whelan

Dr Saccasan Whelan has worked to improve Critical Care systems in Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) from 1988 and in addition, Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) since 2004.  She has undertaken a leadership role in supporting Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units from 1989. Dr Saccasan Whelan has realised the vital role of Clinical Governance since its institution in 2004 and has actively participated in many Severe Adverse Event and other clinical reviews to examine systems issues and then assist in design of solutions into the future. Working closely with NSW Ambulance, initially in education and subsequently in disaster settings and serving on the Medical Advisory Committee since 1992, and subsequently the Clinical Governance Committee.