Adjunct Professor Michael Nicholl
Chief Executive
Adjunct Professor Michael Nicholl
Chief Executive
MBBS MBA (PubSecMgt) PhD FRANZCOG (Ret) FRCOG FCHSM CHE FAAQHC
Adjunct Professor Michael Nicholl has been the Chief Executive of the Clinical Excellence Commission since 2022. He leads the organisation’s work in providing NSW Health system-wide leadership in clinical governance and patient safety expertise.
Michael brings more than 40 years of experience as a clinician, health leader and advisor. He worked as a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist and was the Senior Clinical Advisor in Obstetrics for NSW Health for 15 years. Michael’s career has focused on reducing harm, strengthening clinical governance, and improving how health services measure and manage risk.
Michael has worked nationally on patient safety with the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. In 2017, he received the NSW Public Sector Risk Leadership Award for his contribution to safer care.
Adjunct Associate Professor Patricia Bradd
Executive Director
Patient Safety and Clinical Governance
Adjunct Associate Professor Patricia Bradd
Executive Director
PhD; B. AppSc (Speech Path); GradCertMgmt; MHlthLeadMgmt; Fellow.SPA(life)
Patricia (Trish) Bradd is the Executive Director of Patient Safety and Clinical Governance. She leads statewide work to strengthen patient safety systems, clinical governance and accountability across NSW Health.
Trish has extensive experience as a clinician, manager and leader in public healthcare. She has led major system-wide programs that improve safety, support staff and embed compassionate, high-quality care into everyday practice. Her work focuses on building strong clinical governance, improving systems and supporting meaningful, values-based change.
Trish is a qualified speech pathologist with postgraduate qualifications in leadership and management. Her PhD explored how allied health leadership supports person-centred care. In recognition of her contribution to the profession, she was made a Life Member of Speech Pathology Australia in 2024.
Trish was appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney in 2019 and, in 2024, received the UTS Faculty of Health Alumni Award for Excellence.
Dr Harvey Lander
Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer
Systems Safety Improvement
Dr Harvey Lander
Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer
B. Med MBA FRACMA
Dr. Harvey Lander is the Executive Director of Systems Safety Improvement and Chief Medical Officer. He provides executive and medical leadership for safety assessments, governance and improvement across the NSW Health system.
Harvey supports clinicians, executives, and health services to reduce harm and improve patient outcomes. He is focused on strong clinical governance, effective safety leadership, and the use of evidence to support safer care. Harvey contributes to national and international work on large-scale safety systems and improvement, including publications, and served on the Global Sepsis Alliance Quality Improvement Committee.
Harvey has held senior executive leadership roles across NSW and other Australian jurisdictions. He has served on the Eastern Health board subcommittees, and a Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators Council, and has completed executive leadership training in Australia and internationally, including at Harvard TC School of Public Health.
Harvey is committed to helping build safe, reliable, integrated, and person-centred systems of care that improve outcomes and experiences for patients across NSW.
Ian Richards
Director
Safety Partnerships and Foundations
Ian Richards
Director
BPhys., Diplomas of Government and Project Management
Ian Richards is the Director of Safety Foundations and Partnerships. He leads statewide partnerships that support safer care across the NSW Health system by strengthening culture, capability and relationships.
His team focuses on the foundations that enable local teams to improve safety. This includes listening to clinicians, patients and families, learning from lived experience, and using that knowledge to drive meaningful change. Ian works with partners across the system to ensure these voices are heard and inform safer practice.
With a background in physiotherapy and management, Ian has led statewide improvement programs since 2007. His experience spans roles across the Clinical Excellence Commission, the NSW Ministry of Health and Agency for Clinical Innovation.
Ian is passionate about building strong safety cultures where people feel supported to speak up, learn from experience and work together to reduce harm and improve care for patients across NSW.
Jocelyn Hickson
Director
Safety Strategy and Operations
Jocelyn Hickson
Director
PhD (cand.); MHealthServMgmt; BSc (Public Health & Indigenous Health); DipGov; DipProjMgmt; AFACHSM
Jocelyn Hickson is the Director of Safety Strategy and Operations. She leads organisational strategy, planning and operational performance to support patient safety improvement across NSW Health.
Jocelyn has broad experience in NSW Health, with senior roles across strategy, governance, operations and system improvement. She works closely with clinicians, executives and partners to turn statewide priorities into practical action. Her work focuses on improving how services are designed, delivered and supported to keep patients safe.
Jocelyn has a strong interest in equity, rural and remote health, Aboriginal health and continuous improvement. She is committed to creating supportive workplaces where staff can do their best work and deliver safer care.
Her leadership approach is collaborative, people-focused and grounded in improving outcomes for NSW patients and communities.
Lucy Nair
Director
Therapeutics Safety and Chief Advisor, Medication Safety
Lucy Nair
Director
BPharm, MHealthServMgt, AFACHSM
Lucy is the Director of Therapeutics Safety and Chief Advisor for Medication Safety. She leads statewide work to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices across NSW Health.
Lucy works with clinicians, executives and system partners to strengthen medicines governance, reduce risk and prevent harm. Her work focuses on system-based approaches, robust policy, safe procurement, and the use of evidence to improve practice. She supports health services to embed safety into everyday care and value-based health reform.
Lucy is a registered pharmacist with significant experience across clinical practice, medicines governance and statewide leadership roles. She has led major safety initiatives in hospitals and across the NSW Health system, completed executive leadership studies through the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is an Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management.
Lucy received the NSW Premier’s Award (Anthea Kerr) for her contribution to patient safety and system improvement.
Steven Bowden
Director
Safety Intelligence and Data
Steven Bowden
Director
B.Hum.Nut, M.Sc., M.BA (Exec)
Steven Bowden is the Director of Safety Intelligence and Data at the Clinical Excellence Commission. He leads statewide work that strengthens how safety information is used to understand risk, learn from harm and improve care across NSW.
Steve provides strategic leadership for safety intelligence across the NSW Health system. He works with clinicians, health services and system partners to ensure data, evidence and insight support better decision-making and safer care. His work focuses on strengthening system-wide safety intelligence capability, including analytics, data governance and the responsible use of health information.
With more than 20 years of experience in NSW Health, Steve has held senior roles across patient safety, clinical governance and health analytics. He began his career in clinical dietetics, which gives him a strong understanding of frontline care and clinical practice.