Robyn Kruk AO (Panel Chair)
Ms Robyn Kruk AO brings a wealth of relevant senior executive experience in the health and social care sectors and whole of government policy and operational areas including emergency management to the Inquiry. Robyn has led state and Australian Government agencies, including as the Secretary of New South Wales Health, Secretary of Department of Premier and Cabinet, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, and was the inaugural CEO of the National Mental Health Commission.
Robyn has led a range of independent reviews such as the 2023 Independent Review of Overseas Health Practitioner Regulatory Settings and the 2022 the New South Wales Health COVID-19 System Response Debrief. In 2021, Robyn led the Second Year Review of the National Redress Scheme and the Ministerial Taskforce into Public Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Western Australia, and in 2019, the Western Australian Government’s Sustainable Health Review.
In 2005, Robyn was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to public administration in New South Wales, particularly in the areas of executive functions of government, commonwealth/state relations and strategic management of health services. Robyn was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to public administration, particularly through mental health reform, to environmental protection and natural resource management, and to food standards."
Robyn has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honours) and Masters degree in Administration.
Professor Catherine Bennett
Professor Catherine Bennett’s infectious disease epidemiology career cuts across health, university and government sectors, including outbreak preparedness and response with NSW Health and the Australian Government.
Catherine was Olympic Public Health Coordinator for Northern Sydney in 2000, then returned to academia with the University of Melbourne where she introduced the postgraduate infectious disease epidemiology program. Catherine was nominated, and won, an Australian Award for University Teaching – the Award for Teaching Excellence (Biological Sciences, Health and Related Studies).
Catherine was Associate Professor and Director of Population Health Practice at Melbourne School of Population and Global Health before moving to Deakin University in 2009 to take up the foundation Chair in Epidemiology and Head, School of Health and Social Development (2010 – 2019). Catherine is now an Alfred Deakin Professor and Director of the Determinants of Health domain in the Institute for Health Transformation. Catherine was also the inaugural President of the Council for Public Health Institutions of Australia (2010-2015).
Catherine’s international research collaborations focus on community transmission of superbugs and antimicrobial resistance, as well as pandemic related projects. Catherine has been a prominent public analyst during the COVID-19 response, keynote speaker, and advisor to industry, governments, and institutions globally.
Dr Angela Jackson
Dr Angela Jackson is a health economist and the Lead Economist at Impact Economics and Policy. Starting her career as an economist at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Angela has worked across tax, fiscal and social policy. As the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Australian Finance Minister, Angela provided policy advice across fiscal policy and all areas of social policy, including National Health Reform. Angela has authored a number of high profile reports on health, aged care, disability, housing and gender policy.
Angela is also a part-time Commissioner at the Commonwealth Grants Commission, member of the interim Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee and National Chair of the Women in Economics Network. Previously Angela was a Board Member and Chair of the Finance Committee at Royal Melbourne Hospital from 2015-2021.
Angela holds a Masters in International Health Policy (Health Economics) with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Tasmania. In 2021, Angela was awarded her PhD on the Economics of Disability in Australia from Monash University.