HCF Board

Mark G. Johnson
BComm, FCA, CPA, FAICD
Chair, Non-Executive Director

Mr Johnson was elected Chair of the Board of HCF in July 2019, having been a Non-Executive Director since November 2013. Mr Johnson is also Chair of the HCF Nomination Committee. He also joined the Board of HCF Life in November 2023.

He has previously served as CEO and Asian Deputy Chair for PwC from June 2008 until July 2012. Prior to becoming CEO, he held a number of leadership positions in PwC Australia including National Managing Partner – Businesses, Managing Partner of the Assurance line of service, Managing Partner Assurance and Business Advisory Services and leader Consumer and Industrial Products. In these roles he served on a number of global firm committees.

Mr Johnson is currently a Director of Seven Group Holdings Limited, Goodman Limited, Goodman Funds Management Limited, Aurecon Limited, Metcash Limited and Sydney Airport Corporation Limited. In the community he is a member of the Council of UNSW Sydney.

He was on the Board of Boral Limited until July 2024, The Smith Family until November 2023, on the Board of Partners of Corrs Chambers Westgarth until March 2022, Chairman of G8 Education Limited until November 2021, a Director of Coca-Cola Amatil Limited until May 2021, Westfield Corporation Limited until June 2018, Chair of the Advisory Board to Willis Towers Watson in Australasia until December 2016 and a Director of HSBC Bank Australia until April 2017.

Mr Johnson was a member of the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, the Business Council of Australia (and of its Healthy Australia Taskforce) and was Deputy Chair of the Finance and Reporting Committee of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Terry T. Agnew
MBA, MSc, BE (Hons), FAICD, FAIM, SF Fin
Non-Executive Director

Mr Agnew was appointed to the Board of HCF in October 2019. He is a member of the Nomination Committee. Mr Agnew was appointed as a member of the People, Culture & Remuneration Committee in December 2020 and appointed Chair in November 2023. He became Chair of the Board of Flip Insurance Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of HCF Life Insurance Company Pty Ltd) in April 2021.

He is an experienced director, chair and CEO with a strong track record and involvement with successful and growing organisations. The strategic differentiation and sustainable success of these organisations is built on a foundation of brand, culture, safety and innovation. He has worked across a range of industries including insurance, financial services, travel and tourism, education, disability and care and membership organisations.

Mr Agnew is a Councillor for the WA Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a Director of RAA Insurance, MDA National Insurance, Deputy Chair of Infrastructure WA, and was a Founding Member of CEOs for Gender Equity. He is member of the Curtin University Council and also the Chair of the Kalgoorlie Campus Council which includes the Western Australian School of Mines. Additionally, he Chairs the Expert Advisory Panel of the AAA Road Safety Research Program and is on the Advisory Board of Arvela (formerly Future Green Solutions). He is the former Chair of the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals (2017 – 2023).

Mr Agnew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, Senior Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia (Finsia) and Member of the Australian Institute of Engineers.

Mr Agnew was educated in Adelaide, Perth and Boston and his qualifications include MBA, M.Sc., B.E. (Hons) and the Harvard AMP. He is an Honorary Doctor of Curtin University.

John M. Barrington
BComm, LLB, GDAFI, FAICD
Non-Executive Director

Mr Barrington was appointed to the Board of HCF in November 2014 and as a Director of the Corporate Trustee of the HCF Research Foundation in April 2017. Mr Barrington is Chair of the HCF Risk, Compliance and Sustainability Committee and a member of the Audit & Finance Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Investment Committee. He was Acting Managing Director of HCF between March and July 2017. He was appointed to the Board of HCF Life Insurance Company Pty Limited in February 2019, is Chair of the HCF Life Risk & Compliance Committee and a member of the HCF Life Audit & Finance Committee.

Mr Barrington was the Principal of Barrington Legal, a law firm located in Sydney, with more than 40 years in practice specialising in insurance law, superannuation, banking and finance. He was formerly General Counsel for the National Mutual Life Association, Chief Executive of CUNA Mutual Limited and Mutual Community Limited. Mr Barrington served as Chair of Intrinsic Value Investment Limited and Albert Court Aged Care Edgecliff. Until January 2017, he was Chair of Meridian Lawyers and a Director of Guild Group Holdings.

Mr Barrington has extensive experience (both strategically and operationally) in financial services and private health insurance, in particular relating to financial oversight, regulatory requirements, policy frameworks and governance. He has previously served as a Council Member of the Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC).

Mr Barrington brings a unique perspective given his background of advising clients, working in organisations subject to complex regulatory requirements and providing regulatory oversight in a senior governance role within a regulatory body.

Michael J. Bassingthwaighte
AM,FAICD
Non-Executive Director

Mr Bassingthwaighte was appointed to the Board of HCF in October 2019 and is a member of the Nomination Committee and the People, Culture and Remuneration Committee. He was appointed as Chair of the Investment Committee in September 2023.

Mr Bassingthwaighte spent his entire executive career in private health insurance, having retired in mid 2018 after 36 years as CEO of Peoplecare Health Limited.

Mr Bassingthwaighte co-founded the IT company HAMB Systems Limited (HAMBS) and developed it as a collaborative company to provide technology services for 24 health insurers. He was Chair of HAMBS from inception, for 25 years until 2018.

Mr Bassingthwaighte also co-founded the Australian Health Service Alliance (AHSA) that provides hospital and medical service contracting, data management, and clinical advisory services for 28 health insurers and was also a significant contributor to health policy development through senior voluntary roles with the industry body Members Health Funds Alliance (MHFA).

Mr Bassingthwaighte is currently a Director of the Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT), a large not for profit retirement village, aged care and home care service provider with centres in Sydney, Canberra, the Sunshine Coast Qld and the Illawarra and South Coast of NSW.

Previous Director appointments include Coordinare; the Primary Health Network for South Eastern NSW, Defence Health, Members Own Health Funds, The Illawarra Business Chamber, Illawarra Health & Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI), NSW Health Funds Association, and was an industry advisor to PHIAC (the PHI regulator prior to the transfer to APRA).

Mr Bassingthwaighte is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wollongong and was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2013 for his ‘significant service to the private health insurance industry and the community of the Illawarra Region’.

Mark Compton AM
BSc, MBA, FAICD, FCHSM, FAIM, FRS (NSW)
Non-Executive Director

Mr Compton was appointed to the Board of HCF in June 2024 and as a Director of the Corporate Trustee of the HCF Research Foundation in July 2024. Mr Compton is a member of the HCF Risk, Compliance and Sustainability Committee and HCF Nomination Committee. Mr Compton is a member of the HCF Life Risk and Compliance Committee.

Mr Compton is an experienced Non-executive Director, Chairman and CEO, predominantly in healthcare and life sciences organisations in both listed and unlisted companies and in the not-for-profit sector. Through his diverse experiences in executive and non-executive roles, Mr Compton has developed a deep and lasting passion for organisations driven by their values and those that have a strong, positive and constructive corporate culture.

He has previously served as Chairman of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.  He was a Non-executive Director of; Macquarie University Hospital, Independent Practitioner Network Limited and the Australian Private Hospitals Association.

Mr Compton was appointed as a Non-executive Director (from October 2014) and Chairman (from November 2015) of Sonic Healthcare Limited.  He also chairs the Advisory Board of Communio Limited (NZ) and is Chairman of St Luke’s Care, a not-for-profit health and aged care organisation (from November 2017).

Mr Compton’s main community interest is the Order of St John/St John Ambulance, with which he has had 50 years of voluntary service. In June 2019 he was appointed Lord Prior of the worldwide Order and Chairman of St John International. Before his appointment as Lord Prior, Mr Compton was the national Chairman and Chancellor of the Order of St John in Australia.

Mr Compton is an Adjunct Professor in Healthcare Leadership at Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Services Management, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

He was awarded the Centenary Medal of the Commonwealth of Australia for services to the community and was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia (AM) in January 2010 for services to health, hospitals, medical research and St John Ambulance. He was appointed as Knight in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (Order of St John) in 2004 and promoted to Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John in 2017. He has also been awarded the Queens Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Coronation Medal at the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

Catherine M. Hallinan
BA (Hons), MBA, SF Fin, FAICD
Non-Executive Director

Ms Hallinan joined the Board of HCF Life in June 2011, was appointed Chair in October 2019 and is also a member of the Audit & Finance Committee and the Risk & Compliance Committee. She was appointed to the Board of HCF in February 2019 and is a member of the Audit & Finance Committee, the Risk, Compliance & Sustainability Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Investment Committee. She also joined the Board of Flip Insurance Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of HCF Life Insurance Company Pty Ltd) in April 2021.

Ms Hallinan has extensive expertise across the financial services industry, spanning insurance, investments, banking, strategy and planning and mergers and acquisitions.

She is currently a director of Insurance Manufacturers Australia, SCOR Global Life Australia and St.Catherine’s Aged Care Services, and has previously served as a non-executive director at Lawcover Insurance Pty Limited and as Chair of Gateway Bank. Her former executive roles included General Manager, Wealth Strategy at St.George Bank and General Manager, Investment Management & Life at Zurich Australia.

Sheena G. Jack
BA (Acc), CA, GAICD
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Ms Jack was appointed as Managing Director of HCF in September 2017, having held the position of Chief Executive Officer since August 2017. She was appointed as a Director of HCF Life in August 2017 and a Director of the Corporate Trustee of the HCF Research Foundation in September 2017. Ms Jack also joined the Board of Flip Insurance Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of HCF Life Insurance Company Pty Ltd) in April 2021.

As Chief Financial Officer at HCF from 2006, Ms Jack led the acquisition and successful integration of Manchester Unity. In 2014, she was appointed Chief Strategy Officer and was responsible for the development of HCF's Strategy, and strategic roadmap for the business. Focussed on driving innovation, she established HCF Catalyst, Australia's first corporate-backed health technology accelerator.

As Managing Director, Ms Jack introduced a new business line in Overseas Visitors Health Cover, launched a new loyalty program HCF Thank You, driven increased focus on our member experience and delivered the largest program of work in HCF’s history, a systems transformation project which will enable us to transform HCF’s way of doing business.

Ms Jack has more than 30 years' experience as a corporate executive across various industries and extensive experience across business transformation.

Ms Jack is also a Director of Private Healthcare Australia and the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, and is a member of Chief Executive Women.

Claire L. Jackson AM
MBBS, MD, MPH, CertHEcon, GradCert Mgt, FRACGP, FAICD
Non-Executive Director

Professor Jackson was appointed to the Board of HCF in November 2012 and is a member of the HCF Nomination Committee and the People, Culture & Remuneration Committee. She was appointed as a Director of the Corporate Trustee of the HCF Research Foundation in 2015 and appointed as Chair in December 2020. She has been active in general practice undergraduate and postgraduate education and research for many years, and has been extensively involved in health services research and reform since the early 1990s.

Professor Jackson is Director, UQ-MRI Centre for Health System Reform and Integration and Professor in Primary Care Research at the University of Queensland School of Medicine. She was appointed member of the Primary Health Reform Steering Group in September 2019. She was previously a Director of the National Health Performance Authority and was national President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners between 2010 and 2012.

Professor Jackson previously served as a Member of the Federal Government’s Primary Health Care Advisory Group in 2015 and the National Primary Care Strategy Expert Reference Group in 2008. She provided a commissioned paper for the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission on new models in primary care and is a national authority on the Health Care Home. In 2014, she conducted a Review of After Hours Services for Minister Dutton.

Annette King
FAICD, FIAA, BEcon (Actuarial).
Non-Executive Director

Ms King was appointed to the Board of HCF in November 2022 and is a member of the Nomination Committee. In July 2023 Ms King was appointed to the Board of HCF Life. In September she was appointed as a member and Chair of the HCF and HCF Life Audit & Finance Committees and as a member of the HCF Risk, Compliance & Sustainability Committee and the HCF Life Risk & Compliance Committee.

Ms King is an experienced non-executive director with extensive experience across financial services and technology in Asia-Pacific, serving member organisations, large private companies (ASX100 equivalent), rapidly-growing technology companies and not-for-profit organisations. She has chaired committees for audit, risk and compliance, people and culture, nominations and has been a member of investment, insurance and other committees. She has prior experience as a CEO of a Significant Financial Institution. Her passion is serving businesses with sustainable growth through differentiated client and member experience and digital/technology/data enablement. She is a qualified actuary, and formerly served as the President and Chair of the Actuaries Institute.

Ms King has over 30 years’ experience in financial services across Asia-Pacific. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, she had a successful track record as a CEO, CFO and Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Client Centricity of significant financial institutions, as well as being a founder/entrepreneur. Ms King has served large, highly-regulated multi-national companies (Swiss Re, AXA, Manulife, Mercer, MLC Superannuation) and innovative fintech companies (AFG, FNZ, Galileo Platforms). Her focus is on business growth through differentiated client and member experience, organisational culture and innovation via data, digital and technology enablement.

Her career commenced in a mutual, member-owned organisation and she has served on member organisations in the non-for-profit sector in Australia and Singapore, as well as being a (fiduciary) trustee director on superannuation funds with 2 million members and $200 billion in assets. In addition to responsibilities in Australia and New Zealand, Ms King has lived and worked for 14 years in Asia in both executive and non-executive director roles.

She currently serves on the boards of Swiss Re, Australian Finance Group (ASX:AFG) and U Ethical Investors. Her previous boards include MLC Superannuation, FNZ wealth management technology and Chair of Galileo Platforms. She is a member of the AICD’s APRA Forum, a member of the Actuaries Institute Public Policy Council Committee and a member of Chief Executive Women. She was President of the Life Insurance Association of Singapore, served on the Singapore Actuarial Society and the Hong Kong Advisory Committee for the AICD.

She is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, majoring in actuarial science.

Karen Price
MBBS, FRACGP
Non-Executive Director

Adj Professor Price was appointed to the Board of HCF in November 2023 and is a member of the Nomination Committee and the People, Culture & Remuneration Committee. She was also appointed as a Director of the Corporate Trustee of the HCF Research Foundation in November 2023.

Professor Price, PhD Candidate Monash, is the immediate past President of the RACGP. A clinician of thirty years including successful small business ownership, medical director of a corporate practice and now in a subcontracting arrangement with her current clinical practice.

She sat on the national board of the RACGP during 2020-2022 which is a 40,000+ member led not for profit organisation. This included serving the national finance and risk committee, the people culture and remunerations committee and the federal elections and advocacy committee.

Prior to this Professor Price was the deputy Chair of the Victorian Council and RACGP Victorian Chair of the Women in General Practice. These roles involved high level strategic decision making, while managing risk and effective delivery of member focused outcomes. There was also a considerable role in National media including public and private meetings with the Prime Minister, federal and state health Ministers, and federal and state health department staff to deliver health system outcomes for the Australian people. She participated in the ten-year primary health care plan, the Medicare task force and the inaugural ten-year cancer roundtable for improving patient focused outcomes.

In addition to this Professor Price is involved in teaching and research at Monash University and is soon to complete her PhD on GP collaborative practices. She will be serving in a voluntary capacity on the inaugural Innovation and Enterprise advisory board at the Faculty of Medicine at Melbourne University.

Professor Price has international experience in medical education and will have an ongoing interest in developing strategic educational outputs for the World Organisation of Family Doctors. She won the inaugural leadership and health advocacy award from the Australian Federation of Medical Women in 2021, a Family Medicine research award in 2016 and a medical student teaching award in 2011. Her abiding interest remains the power of human collaboration and potential, her family and values-based living.

She has recently been elected as a non-executive director of the World Organisation of Family Doctors, which is a Global Family Doctors and not for profit organisation, promoting equitable health care around the world.