Our Leadership

Beth McKenzie

Chief Executive Officer, Acting

I’m excited at the breadth of opportunity for GPEx to enhance primary care supported by advanced digital capability and comprehensive expertise in care models, education, evaluation and workforce planning.

Beth is a Chartered Accountant (CAANZ) with an impressive career spanning senior leadership roles across both commercial and education sectors. Most recently, she served as Chief Financial Officer at Murray Zircon, where she successfully led finance and business operations during a period of significant growth.

Beth’s extensive experience in education includes her role as Chief Financial Officer at TAFE SA, where she oversaw complex financial and operational frameworks. She also brings robust expertise from previous corporate services roles throughout her career, including has General Manager Corporate and Commercial Services at Tronox.

Throughout her career, Beth has developed expertise in business process improvement, digital transformation, and operational scalability. She is known for delivering financial sustainability and efficiency through innovative solutions that enhance performance and drive impactful change.

Catherine Zuo

Chief Financial Officer

Financial stewardship drives sustainable growth and innovation. By maximising efficiency and strategic investment, we empower clinical, educational, and technological excellence that shape the future of health in Australia and strengthen primary care, its workforce, and the communities we serve.

With over two decades of expertise in corporate finance and strategic leadership primarily within the education and training sector, Catherine is a highly accomplished finance professional, recognised for delivering precise financial analysis that informs executive decision-making. As Chief Financial Officer of a dynamic training company at GPEx, she applies her extensive experience in financial management, operational efficiency, and stakeholder engagement to drive strategic growth.

Catherine’s prior leadership roles include Manager of Financial Services at the University of South Australia, where she oversaw enterprise-wide financial operations and contributed to the landmark merger with the University of Adelaide. Previously, as Finance Manager at TAFE SA, she played a pivotal role in optimising financial operations and fostering a high-performance culture.

Holding an MBA and CPA accreditation, Catherine is committed to financial excellence, risk management, and advancing innovative business strategies to support organisational success.

Sarah Hills

Governance Lead and Company Secretary

I am excited to support our people here at GPEx so they work in an environment with contemporary HR standards where they feel looked after, which in turn reflects the desire for innovation and excellence in what GPEx does in the primary care space.

Sarah Hills is the Governance Lead and Company Secretary at GPEx, overseeing governance, human resources, company secretarial functions, and commercial contracts. She works closely with the Board and executive leadership to ensure strong corporate governance, compliance, and strategic HR management, supporting the organisation through change and growth.

With a background in law and human resources, Sarah has extensive experience in employment law, industrial relations, organisational effectiveness, and culture change. Prior to joining GPEx, she was a Senior Human Resources Consultant at a leading HR advisory firm and previously served as Business Services Manager at the South Australian Wine Industry Association Incorporated, where she managed governance, business operations, and workforce strategy.

Sarah is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid™ Trainer, reflecting her commitment to employee well-being. Her expertise spans governance and compliance, strategic HR leadership, employee engagement, and navigating complex organisational change.

Melissa Palmer

Head of Education and Innovation

I am passionate about what I do and I am always looking to reimagine the way we deliver education to support current and emerging health care professionals.

With almost 20 years in the vocational education and training sector, Melissa brings infectious enthusiasm for education quality. Melissa has seen every angle of the field, from teaching, course design and development and as an assessment specialist, across TAFE and private training organisations. Her expertise spans high-level assessment creation, content design, project management, quality assurance, and mentoring.

Melissa brings with her expertise her leadership abilities as she has been Director of a small learning design organisation . This role saw Melissa lead teams in delivering large scale projects driving instrumental change in vocational education institutes across multiple states.

Melissa aims to spark creativity and explore new technologies that will bring GPEx to the forefront of primary health care education. Melissa combines a sense of fun with a laser focus, reimagining learning and assessment with fresh perspectives. Her commitment to compliance and dedication to excellence are unparalleled.

Recently, Melissa’s expertise has reached broader audiences through her dynamic, engaging webinars for the VET Development Centre (VDC) and as a presenter at the Vocational Education Learning Group Conferences.

Alex Baker

Head of Partnerships

At GPEx, we have the unique opportunity to harness partnerships as a catalyst for driving meaningful collaborations that advance healthcare education, empower healthcare professionals, and create sustainable impact in Primary Care.

Alex Baker is a strategic leader who understands that the foundation of progress lies in meaningful collaboration. With almost 3 decades of experience across healthcare and business, Alex has dedicated her career to connecting people, ideas, and organisations to create positive and sustainable outcomes. As the Head of Partnerships at GPEx, she is responsible for building and managing high-value relationships that empower healthcare professionals, and drive innovative solutions to address Australia’s most pressing primary care challenges.

Alex’s career journey demonstrates a balance of commercial acumen and creative thinking. Beginning in pharmaceutical sales, she earned recognition for exceeding targets and expectations while forging trusted, long-term partnerships with healthcare providers. She advanced into marketing and public relations roles within specialty care and allied health, before founding and managing a successful retail business for over a decade.

Alex invested 8 years at AstraZeneca, delivering exceptional results in commercial operations, internal communications, corporate affairs, and patient advocacy. Following this, Alex completed a 12-month contract with an international health technology startup, driving significant growth and expanding the organisation’s global market presence.

Known for her ability to lead teams, align stakeholders, and deliver strategic initiatives, she brings an authentic and innovative approach to her work. Alex’s focus remains on building partnerships that drive change, foster adaptability, and leave a positive legacy for the future of primary care.

Leanne March

General Manager – Shared Care Programs

My focus lies in improving clinical care by translating discoveries into practice, with the ultimate goal of advancing towards a research and digitally enabled organisation supportive of primary care.

I am a transformational leader, driven by my passion for driving innovative change and delivering outcomes. Witnessing the inefficiencies and unsafe practices resulting from a paper-based healthcare system, I became obsessed with improving health outcomes through digital and data-driven approaches, and advocate for building digital health capability and interoperability across the system.

I have more than 30 years’ experience in healthcare, in both clinical and non-clinical roles. My background as a Registered Midwife and Registered Nurse, combined with an MBA and Diploma in Accounting have equipped me with the knowledge and expertise to make a difference to patient outcomes.

Throughout my career, I have successfully led and managed complex projects, and for the past six years, GP Shared Care Programs, including our SA Statewide GP Obstetric Shared Care Program.

Sally Jones

Strategic Advisor

My vision is for GPEx to support primary care through removing barriers, and empower healthcare professionals, keeping the patient at the heart of every decision. We achieve this through integrated care models, cutting-edge education, and comprehensive workforce planning.

Through previous roles within the South Australian university sector, Sally has developed an understanding of the complexities and workforce challenges faced by health and medical professionals and organisations. Engaging with a broad range of stakeholders from local medical professionals to executives in educational institutions, health networks and departmental agencies, Sally has a deep understanding of the interconnected nature of health services.