Ahpra Senior Managers

Martin Fletcher

Chief Executive Officer

Martin Fletcher started with Ahpra in December 2009 as the inaugural chief executive officer. With more than 25 years’ experience in patient safety in Australia, the United Kingdom and internationally, he brings a strong expertise in public protection and quality improvement to the work of establishing and leading Ahpra.

Before joining Ahpra, Martin was chief executive of the National Patient Safety Agency, the leading National Health Service body for patient safety in England and Wales. From 2004 to 2007 Martin worked with the World Health Organisation in Geneva to establish a global program of work in patient safety. From 2000 to 2002, he worked with the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care to establish the first national program of work on patient safety in Australia.

Martin holds a Master of Management degree in public sector management, an Honours degree in behavioural sciences and an undergraduate degree in social studies. Martin holds an honorary appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health and Biomedical science, RMIT University. Martin also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities.

Chris Robertson

Executive Director, Strategy and Policy

Chris Robertson is Executive Director, Strategy and Policy for Ahpra. He has held senior leadership roles for over 20 years in health policy and regulatory reform, as well as workforce planning and innovation.

Chris is an authority in the design and application of the National Law across 15 health profession boards, which was a COAG reform initiative. It established a single national regulatory scheme for what is now over 800,000 registered health practitioners. He represents Ahpra in national and international health and regulatory fora and has been an expert member of national panels including the NPS National Prescribing Competencies as well as the ACSQHC review of Dental scope of practice.

He holds a Graduate Certificate of Health Management from the Queensland University of Technology and a Bachelor of Commerce from Griffith University. He was previously a registered nurse with qualifications in critical care from Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. Chris is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a graduate of the MIT Sloan Digital Business Strategy program.

Kym Ayscough

Executive Director, Regulatory Operations

Kym Ayscough is Executive Director, Regulatory Operations leading Ahpra’s teams delivering the core regulatory functions of registration, notifications and compliance. Ahpra’s National Legal Practice, led by General Counsel Jamie Orchard, is also part of the Regulatory Operations directorate.

Kym has been with Ahpra since the commencement of the national scheme in 2010, taking up the newly created role of Executive Director in 2014. She has 25 years’ experience in professional and occupational regulation in the legal, pharmacy and wider healthcare sectors. Kym was elected to the Board of Directors of the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) in 2016, serving as it’s President in 2019/2020. She was re-elected in 2021 and in this role provides leadership to the community of regulators internationally.

Kym holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and Masters of Law and Management and has completed (and occasionally taught in) the CLEAR Executive Leadership for Regulators program.

Mark Edwards

Executive Director, People and Culture

Mark Edwards joined Ahpra in September 2018 as the Executive Director, People and Culture.

Prior to joining Ahpra, Mark worked within the transport and infrastructure industry in NSW holding senior HR leadership positions and was responsible for leading large scale reform and transformation projects during a period of significant organisational change. During his career, Mark has had extensive experience in the design and delivery of strategic people programs that have contributed to improved organisational performance and positive workplace cultures.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of NSW and a Masters of Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Sydney.

Liz Davenport

Executive Director, Finance and Risk

Liz Davenport joined Ahpra in January 2020 as Chief Financial Officer bringing 20 years of experience leading finance and corporate services in public and private sector health, transport, technology and education fields.

Her background includes resolving complex financial disclosures for Victoria’s transport assets, innovation and transformation programs and fostering high performance.  

Liz is a Fellow member of CPA Australia, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Executive MBA from the University of Melbourne, Graduate Diploma Accounting and Bachelor Business Management. 

Krister Partel

Territory Manager, Australian Capital Territory

With more than 20 years’ experience in the public, not-for-profit and management consulting sectors in Australia and Canada, Krister is motivated by Ahpra’s commitment to safe and professional health practitioners for Australia.

Krister holds a Master of Public Policy from the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy. He previously worked for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, Health Canada and for Canada’s federal Minister of State for Public Health.

Krister joined Ahpra as Territory Manager for the Australian Capital Territory in June 2024.

Claudia Manu-Preston

Territory Manager, Northern Territory

Claudia joined Ahpra in January 2022, and has lived in the Northern Territory for over 37 years. She has worked in the area of mental health and suicide prevention for the past 25 years, as the Northern Territory Manager of the Community Visitor Program, a mental health and disability statutory complaints resolution and advocacy service. Claudia was a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, has worked in primary health care and has represented the Northern Territory at the national level on various mental health boards, ministerial advisory and working groups.

She has a Bachelor of Business, Master in Management and is an accredited mediator. Claudia is also a Churchill Fellowship recipient, who carried out an investigation into homelessness models of housing and support for people with a mental illness.

Claudia has a strong interest and commitment to social justice and in improving health care services. She is a long-term advocate of mental health reform and in ensuring people’s human and legal rights are promoted and upheld.

Heather Edwards

State Manager, Queensland

A registered nurse and midwife, Heather is recognised for her expertise in health promotion as demonstrated by a decade’s commitment to improving health management, promotion and prevention within Australia.

In addition to her role as Ahpra State Manager for Queensland, Heather is Chair of The Centre for Women and Co. – an innovative not-for-profit inspired to educate, support and empower women and families across the Redland and Logan regions.

With experience in executive and board leadership in health and social services, Heather is also an active member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Pat Maher

State Manager, South Australia

Pat has extensive experience working in the health and community sectors and has held senior management, policy, and service purchasing positions in the Commonwealth, Northern Territory and most recently the South Australian governments. Pat started as the State Manager, SA in July 2021.

He practiced as a physiotherapist before moving into management and policy positions in disability, health and community services. He has led national health workforce reform programs in the areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce and expanded scope of practice.

Pat has a Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Master of Physiotherapy (Rural & Remote Health), a Graduate Diploma of Public Sector Executive Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

David Clements

State Manager, Tasmania

David Clements is an accomplished senior executive whose experience ranges across frontline service delivery, policy and project management, education and training, and management across Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania.

David started working in the health and human services sectors in 1995 and has been a strong and passionate advocate for vulnerable and marginalised groups in the community throughout his career. He has worked within the child protection, youth justice, alcohol and other drug, mental health, disability, housing and homelessness and vocational education sectors. David’s regulatory work as Tasmania’s Interim Commissioner for Children and Young People and his contribution to establishing the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Tasmania drew him to Ahpra and its work.

David is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Diploma of Health Studies and is currently completing a Master of Public Health.

Joe Goddard-Williams

State Manager, Victoria

Joe joined Ahpra in 2016 and has led practitioner engagement projects, with a focus on students and early career practitioners, as well as practitioner health and wellbeing. Joe has a strong passion for building cultural safety in institutions like Ahpra and currently chairs Ahpra’s National reconciliation action plan (RAP) group. Joe did a Master of Critical Theory in the UK before moving into regulation, working for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London to establish an international evidence-based medicine network of practitioners, prior to joining Ahpra.

Jodie Holbrook

State Manager, Western Australia

Jodie joined Ahpra in June 2022. Jodie is a senior leader with experience working for not-for-profit organisations, local government and most recently with Western Australian state government. Having worked in a variety of leadership, advocacy and service delivery roles, Jodie is passionate about community wellbeing. Her experience spans broad portfolios including public health, disability, Aboriginal affairs, human services, emergency management, and regional development. She is well regarded for her ability to translate policy into action and build effective relationships across government, business, and industry.

Jodie is also the Deputy Chair of Gowrie WA, a position she has held since 2013. Established in 1940, Gowrie WA is oldest childcare provider in WA, committed to the provision of quality regulated childcare services for young people and their families.

Jodie is a member of the Australian Institution of Company Directors, holds a Double Degree in Communications and Australian Indigenous Studies and post-graduate qualifications in public policy.