Board Chair appointed and farewell Prof McCaughan

1 October 2021

Professor Andrew Wilson has been appointed Chair of the Boards of the Clinical Excellence Commission and Agency for Clinical Innovation.

Prof Wilson has served on the boards since March 2014 and his appointment as Chair provides continuity as the health system continues to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the ongoing system-wide demand the CEC will look to continue its important roles leading NSW health facilities in risk mitigation, staff and patient safety and infection prevention and control.

Prof. Wilson bring to the role an extensive career in healthcare management. He is the Co-Director of the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, Professor of Public Health in the Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, and Co-Director of the NHMRC Australian Prevention Partnership Centre (Sax Institute). He also chairs the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee for the Australian Government. He has specialist qualifications in public health and clinical medicine, and a PhD in epidemiology.

His previous non-academic roles include Deputy Director-General Public Health and Chief Health Officer, NSW Health and Deputy Director, Policy, Planning and Resourcing, Queensland Health. His research interests include all aspects of the prevention and management of chronic disease and evaluation of the responsiveness and effectiveness of health care systems.

As Professor Wilson begins his new role, we also acknowledge the conclusion of the term of former Chair, Associate Professor Brian McCaughan. A/Prof McCaughan's service to the CEC includes holding the position of Chair since January 2011 and he first joined the board in 2005.

Professor Brian McCaughan's distinguished career as a cardiothoracic surgeon included a career-long commitment to the management of thoracic malignancies. He held the role of Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and cardiothoracic surgeon at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for many years. He also has held positions with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse and was President of the NSW Medical Board.

More information about the governance of the CEC can be found here.