Governance

Council and committees
The RANZCOG Council has general oversight of the policy and strategic planning of the College and meets three times a year (generally in March, July, and November) at College Place in Melbourne, Australia.
The Council comprises the members of the Board, 19 Fellows representing each State and Territory of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, two regional Fellows, the Board, the Immediate Past-President, one Māori Fellow, the Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health Committee, the Chair of He Hono Wāhine, the Chair of the Trainees’ Committee, and a Community representative. Non-voting members include the Deputy Chairs (Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) of the Trainees’ Committee, a Subspecialties Committee representative, and a representative of the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG).
The Twelfth RANZCOG Council took office at the College Annual General Meeting held on 9 November 2021. The Council will serve a two-year term until November 2023.
Members of the 12th RANZCOG Council
Members of Council | |
---|---|
Councillor, Australian Capital Territory | Dr Elizabeth Gallagher |
Councillor, New South Wales | Dr Jessica Caudwell-Hall |
Councillor, New South Wales | A/Prof Amanda Henry |
Councillor, New South Wales | Dr Marisa Martin |
Councillor, New South Wales | Prof Thierry Vancaillie |
Councillor, Māori | Dr Philip Suisted |
Councillor, New Zealand | Dr Emma Jackson |
Councillor, New Zealand | Dr Sue Belgrave |
Councillor, Regional Fellows | Dr Kathleen Braniff |
Councillor, Regional Fellows | Dr Romany Erwin |
Councillor, Queensland | Dr Kathryn Saba |
Councillor, Queensland | Dr Samantha Scherman |
Councillor, Queensland | Dr Gary Swift |
Councillor, South Australia/Northern Territory | Dr Kasia Siwicki |
Councillor, South Australia/Northern Territory | Dr Heather Waterfall |
Councillor, Tasmania | Dr Frank O’Keeffe |
Councillor, Victoria | Dr Jenny Dowd |
Councillor, Victoria | Dr Marilla Druitt |
Councillor, Victoria | Dr Deborah Nisbet |
Councillor, Victoria | Dr Michael Rasmussen |
Councillor, Western Australia | Dr Anna Clare |
Councillor, Western Australia | Dr Scott White |
Immediate Past-President | Dr Vijay Roach |
Chair, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health Committee | Dr Marilyn Clarke |
Chair, He Hono Wāhine | Dr Leigh Duncan |
Chair, Trainees Committee | Dr Sara Ooi |
Community Representative | Tessa Kowaliw |
Representatives (non-voting) | |
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NASOG Representative | A/Prof Gino Pecoraro |
Subspecialties Committee Representative | (shared by Subspeciality Committees Chairs) |
Trainee Committee Representative (Deputy Chair, Australia) | Dr Rania Abdou |
Trainee Committee Representative (Deputy Chair, New Zealand) | Dr Sam Holford |
College staff (non-voting) | |
---|---|
Chief Executive Officer | Vase Jovanoska |
Manager, Executive Office & Advocacy | Bec McPhee |
Lead, Executive Office & Advocacy | Alex Jackson |
Elections
Want to get involved with the leadership of your College? Consider participating in the 2023 elections.
Timelines are mentioned below — watch this space for more updates.
Timetable for 2023
As mandated by the Constitution, Regulations or Election Policy, the timetable for the 2023 election year is outlined below.
Please note that all elections will be conducted prior to the commencement of the RANZCOG Thirteenth Council in November 2023. Listed completion dates are subject to casual vacancy elections.
Body/Position | Commencement | Completion |
---|---|---|
President | January | March |
Board | April | Mid-May |
Council | May | July |
State and Territory Committees (x7) and Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku | July | September |
Subspecialty Committees (x5) | July | September |
Diplomates Committee | August | September |
Trainees Committee | August | September |
Current elections
Election of RANZCOG Board for the Thirteenth RANZCOG Council
The call for nominations for the election of the RANZCOG Board (with the exception of the positions of President, Diplomate Board Director and Independent Board Director) for the Thirteenth Council, to take office from November 2023 to November 2025, will open at 10.00 am AEDT on Wednesday 5 April.
The election will be conducted in accordance with the following:
RANZCOG Regulations (See A10: Election of the RANZCOG President, Board of Directors, and Councillors)
Number of elected positions
One Vice-President position who shall reside in Australia
One Vice-President position who shall reside in New Zealand
One Vice-President position who shall reside in Australia or New Zealand
Three Director positions
The call for nominations will close at 12.00 noon AEDT on Wednesday 3 May.
If you have any queries regarding this election, please contact:
Laura Le, Governance Officer
Email: elections@ranzcog.edu.au
Election of President for the Thirteenth RANZCOG Council
Voting for the ballot closed at 12.00 noon AEDT on Monday 6 March.
The election was conducted in accordance with the following:
RANZCOG Regulations (See A10: Election of the RANZCOG President, Board of Directors, and Councillors)
Accordingly, the results of the election of President of the Thirteenth RANZCOG Council, being November 2023 — November 2025, will be published in the next available issue of Connect, O&G Magazine and on this webpage after March Council Week.
If you have any queries regarding this election, please contact:
Laura Le, Governance Officer
Email: elections@ranzcog.edu.au
Casual Vacancy Election for the Trainees’ Committee
Following the conduct of a casual vacancy election for one (1) Trainee Representative for Tasmania on the Trainees’ Committee to take office for the remainder of the Twelfth RANZCOG Council, call for nominations closed at 12.00 noon AEDT on Wednesday 15 March.
The Elections Office received one (1) valid nomination, and the results will be published following Board ratification on Wednesday 22 March.
If you have any queries regarding this election, please contact:
Laura Le, Governance Officer
Email: elections@ranzcog.edu.au
.
Previous election results
Casual vacancy election for NSW State Committee | |
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NSW State Committee | Diplomate representative: Dr Marc Heyning |
Casual vacancy election for ACT State Committee | |
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ACT State Committee | Fellow representatives: Dr Bhathiya Kaluappuwa Hannedege |
Casual vacancy election of representatives onto Subspecialty Committee | |
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Gynaecological Oncology (CGO) Subspecialty Committee representative | Dr Gaithri Mylvaganam |
Urogynaecology (CU) Subspecialty Committee representative | Dr Rebecca Young |
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (CREI) Subspecialty Committee representative | Dr Devini Ameratunga |
Maternal Fetal Medicine (CMFM) Subspecialty Committee representative | Dr Amanda Poprzeczny |
Casual vacancy election for members onto Trainees’ Committee | |
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Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMG) representative | Dr Rituparna Dutta |
Casual vacancy election for WA State Committee | |
---|---|
WA State Committee | Fellow representatives: – Dr Danielle Paterson – Dr Arpita Ghosh |
Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) are integral to College governance. They meet weekly to determine matters, or make recommendations to the CEO and Board, regarding the direction and operations of the College.
Meet our ELT

Vase Jovanoska
Chief Executive Officer
MBA, MHSM, BA (Accounting)
Vase’s corporate experience extends more than 22 years across the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. In addition to her tertiary qualifications, Vase has also completed the Executive Program in Leading for Strategic Change with Melbourne Business School, the Women’s Executive Leadership Program and Negotiations Strategies Program with Yale University. She is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a qualified CPA, and a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders, Australia, and New Zealand.

Catherine Cooper
Executive Director, Aotearoa New Zealand and Global Health
Catherine leads the Aotearoa New Zealand Office of RANZCOG and the Global Health Unit, working closely with Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku, He Hono Wāhine and the staff team. She has a background of many years in management roles in the New Zealand public service, and not-for-profit and membership organisations. Catherine also has governance experience, chairing school Boards, as well as a Masters in management and a BA in psychology and education.

Daniel Petkovski
Executive Director, People, Wellbeing and Facilities
Daniel is responsible for leading the People, Wellbeing and Facilities department at RANZCOG. His career encompasses experience within community health, and the NFP and commercial sector. Daniel is a member of the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) and holds a Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management).

Mel Pietsch
Executive Director, Engagement and Rural Health
Mel currently oversees the State and Territory offices, College Events team, Commonwealth-funded Rural Health initiatives and is involved in Government Relations activities. She has over 15 years’ experience working in the public sector where she developed a strong understanding of the medical training system. Mel has a Certificate III in Financial Services and a Certificate in Effective Business Management.

Sudi Sekhar
Executive Director, Innovation, Learning and Quality Assurance
Sudi has over 14 years’ experience across tertiary, not-for-profit and health sectors, and includes strategy development and implementation, project management, strategic partnerships, business development, change management and client services.
Sudi holds a Master of Business Administration, Master of International Business, and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as the Fundraising Institute of Australia. Sudi also holds an Agile Practitioner (AgilePM) qualification.

Stephen White
Executive Director, Education
Stephen is responsible for the Education activities of the College, encompassing curriculum development, training program operations, examinations, accreditation, evaluation, trainee selection and SIMG assessment. With an Honours degree in English Studies, Stephen worked in academic publishing for eight years in the UK before moving to Australia. He then spent 11 years in the vocational education and training sector, before shifting into the specialist medical college world. Stephen worked on strategic education and curriculum development for ANZCA before joining RANZCOG in early 2020.

Michelle Zhang
Executive Director, Finance, STP and Risk
Michelle is a certified practising accountant (CPA) with more than 15 years’ experience in financial and management accounting, project management and data analysis. As the Head of STP, Finance and Risk, Michelle manages several government funded programs and work closely with project managers on various projects as well as oversees workforce related activities. Michelle has completed the Master of Professional Accounting (MPA).
Contact
For general governance enquiries, please contact:
Email: governance@ranzcog.edu.au
If you have any queries in relation to RANZCOG election processes, please contact:
Phone: +61 3 9412 2922
Email: elections@ranzcog.edu.au
ADDRESS
Djeembana
1 Bowen Crescent
Naarm (Melbourne)
Victoria 3004 Australia