New Mater CEO Strickland-Bellamy ready for challenging role
The Mater’s new chief executive will continue the hospital group’s legacy of female leadership and will oversee 11 hospitals across Queensland during a period of turmoil in private healthcare.
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One of Brisbane’s largest private hospital groups, Mater, has appointed senior healthcare executive Julia Strickland-Bellamy to head up its operations as its new chief executive officer.
Ms Strickland-Bellamy, currently CEO of healthcare provider Aurora, will lead Queensland’s largest not-for-profit healthcare network, which operates 11 hospitals and employs more than 10,800 staff.
She will replace outgoing CEO Dr Peter Steer and is set to commence her role after Easter, continuing the organisation’s legacy of female leadership.
In addition to overseeing Mater Health, Strickland-Bellamy will lead Mater Education, Mater Research, and Mater Foundation, the organisation’s fundraising arm.
Her appointment has been welcomed by one of Mater’s most respected and longest-serving figures, Sister Angela-Mary Doyle, a former administrator and Queensland Great, who has been a part of the institution’s history for more than five decades.
Ms Strickland-Bellamy takes the reins as the Queensland and Australian health care systems undergo major transformations including increasing financial strain on private healthcare, workforce shortages and an ageing population with chronic diseases.
Mater Board chair Patrick Brady said Ms Strickland-Bellamy’s extensive experience made her the ideal choice to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare.
“Mater has a special place in Queensland’s healthcare system, providing both public and private services to patients across the state,” Mr Brady said.
“Julia has the experience and expertise this role demands, and we are delighted she is joining us.”
Ms Strickland-Bellamy, who has more than 20 years’ leadership experience in the health and aged care sectors, acknowledged the challenges facing private healthcare but expressed confidence in Mater’s ability to continue delivering high-quality patient care.
“Mater has a special place in the hearts of Queenslanders, many of whom were born in Mater hospitals, so it’s an honour to be appointed its chief executive officer,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to building on Mater’s legacy of delivering compassionate healthcare to the community and working alongside its world-class clinicians and researchers.”
Before leading Aurora, Ms Stickland-Bellamy served as chief executive of Healthcare Australia’s specialty hospitals and chief operating officer for its 35 private hospitals nationwide.
Founded in Brisbane in 1906 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mater was managed by Sister Administrators until 1987, when it appointed its first lay chief executive.
The healthcare network admits nearly 250,000 inpatients annually across its facilities in Brisbane, Redlands, Springfield, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, and Bundaberg.
With her extensive background in private healthcare management, Strickland-Bellamy is expected to steer Mater through both challenges and opportunities in the evolving healthcare landscape.
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Originally published as New Mater CEO Strickland-Bellamy ready for challenging role
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