The Authority's Executive consists of the Chief Executive Officer, the National Medical Director and the Chief Financial Officer.
Chief Executive Officer
Ms Karen Murphy MBA AFAIM GAICD
Ms Karen Murphy is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Authority. In her executive career Karen has successfully managed change in large organisations and worked collaboratively across the public and private sectors, both in Australia and internationally.
From 2001 - 2006 Ms Murphy was the CEO of the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation in Brisbane, a not-for-profit fundraising organisation that she successfully rebranded and relaunched resulting in significant increase in revenue. Prior to taking up her role with the Authority, she held the position of CEO at RemServ, where her strategic approach and clearly focused management style ensured the embedding of a customer focused operational infrastructure and the achievement of a unique organisational culture.
With an MBA (with distinction) from Bond University, Ms Murphy is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Beginning her career as a radiographer and ultrasonographer, she possesses graduate qualifications in medical imaging technology, diagnostic ultrasound and vascular technology.
National Medical Director
Dr Gerry O'Callaghan MB Bch BAO FCICM FICA
Dr Gerry O'Callaghan is the National Medical Director of the Organ and Tissue Authority. Dr O'Callaghan continues to practice as a Senior Consultant, Intensive Care Medicine, at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide. He is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Brain Death and Organ Donation Committee and was chair of the Advisory Group to the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) National Organ Donation Collaborative. Previously, Dr O'Callaghan has been a member of the National Clinical Taskforce on Organ and Tissue Donation (2007-08), and a member of the NHMRC Working Party on Ethical Guidelines on Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplantation.
Dr O'Callaghan graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland following which he undertook post-graduate training in anaesthesia in Ireland and the UK. He subsequently trained in Intensive Care Medicine in Australia, gaining fellowship of the Joint Faculty in 1997. Dr O'Callaghan's impressive working history includes appointments in Ireland, the UK, Israel and Australia over a period of 20 years. Dr O'Callaghan became interested in the challenges of facilitating organ donation and the interface with transplantation medicine while working in the Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital, London.
Dr O'Callaghan was appointed a member of the Advisory Council to the Authority, but has taken a leave of absence from his position during his term as National Medical Director.
Chief Financial Officer
Mr Jeff Barnes
Mr Jeff Barnes is the Chief Financial Officer for the Authority. The Chief Financial Officer's role is to lead the Financial, Human Resource and Information Technology teams, whilst providing strategic advice in these areas to the Authority.
Mr Barnes has a strong background in financial management and corporate governance in both public and private sector organisations gained over 20 years in both contract and permanent roles. Prior to his appointment at the Authority, Jeff held a series of management positions at both Australian multinational businesses and London-based private sector organisations.
Mr Barnes is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds a BA (Commerce).
Director Marketing and Communications
Suzi Clark
Operations Manager
Ashley Eccles
National Program Delivery Manager
Errol Zahnow
