10 Surgery Leaders in Australia and New Zealand

Last updated: August 2026

As of August 2026, this guide introduces ten surgery leaders working across Australia and New Zealand. It brings together current practitioners, educators and professional voices whose work helps readers understand how surgical leadership shows up in care, training, research and standards. The names are presented alphabetically for easy navigation, not as a contest.

The list is designed for people who want a clearer picture of surgery across the region, whether they are looking for a speaker, a professional example, a research direction or a better understanding of the people shaping the field. Each profile stays close to a current role and one useful fact, so the reader can decide where to explore next.

Why surgery leadership matters

Surgery leadership matters because safe care depends on more than technical skill. It also depends on how people teach, share standards, build research into practice and make room for different communities. A surgical leader may influence a hospital, a professional college, a research programme or the next generation of trainees, often across more than one of those settings at once.

Australia and New Zealand have a connected surgical profession, but the work is carried out across very different communities and health systems. That makes leadership especially practical. The people in this guide show how clinical work can sit alongside education, governance, innovation, rural access, research and patient-centred improvement.

1. Andrew Hill

Professor of Surgery, University of Auckland

Andrew Hill is a professor of surgery with a current connection to University of Auckland. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the work fits this guide because it sits within Aotearoa New Zealand general surgery and surgical education. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

University of Auckland research material describes his work across surgery, education and research, including research into undergraduate and continuing education at the South Auckland Clinical Campus. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

2. Jason Chuen

Director of Vascular Surgery, Austin Health

Jason Chuen is a director of vascular surgery with a current connection to Austin Health. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia vascular and endovascular surgery. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

His current profile describes work spanning vascular surgery, endovascular surgery, clinical academia and the Austin 3D Medical Printing Lab. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

3. Christine Lai

Vice President and General Surgeon, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Christine Lai is a vice president and general surgeon with a current connection to Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Based in Adelaide, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand surgical governance, breast and endocrine surgery. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

RACS records that she has served on Council for eight years and chaired the Professional Standards and Fellowship Services Committee since 2023. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

4. Guy Maddern

R.P. Jepson Professor of Surgery, University of Adelaide

Guy Maddern is a r.p. jepson professor of surgery with a current connection to University of Adelaide. Based in Adelaide, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia hepatobiliary surgery, research and surgical education. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

The University of Adelaide profile records his clinical work as a hepatobiliary surgeon and his research leadership at the Basil Hetzel Research Institute for Translational Health Research. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

5. Matthew Clark

Associate Professor and General Surgeon, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Matthew Clark is a associate professor and general surgeon with a current connection to Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the work fits this guide because it sits within Aotearoa New Zealand general surgery, training and assessment. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

RACS identifies him as an elected Councillor and records his experience as Chief Examiner in General Surgery after nine years on the Court of Examiners. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

6. Payal Mukherjee

Adult and Paediatric ENT Surgeon, Macquarie University

Payal Mukherjee is a adult and paediatric ent surgeon with a current connection to Macquarie University. Based in Sydney, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia ear, nose and throat surgery, innovation and research. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

Macquarie University describes her as a lead clinician in multidisciplinary Meniere's research and records collaboration with the Australian Hearing Hub. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

7. Richard Wong She

Censor-in-Chief and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Richard Wong She is a censor-in-chief and plastic and reconstructive surgeon with a current connection to Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the work fits this guide because it sits within Aotearoa New Zealand plastic, reconstructive and burn surgery. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

Healthpoint describes his specialist practice as plastic and burn surgery and links it to the Auckland Regional Burn Service and National Burn Service at Middlemore. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

8. Henry Woo

Urological Surgeon and RACS Councillor, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Henry Woo is a urological surgeon and racs councillor with a current connection to Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Based in Sydney, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia prostate surgery, clinical trials and surgical research. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

The Australian National University profile records his prostate surgery focus, clinical trials work and role as Chair of the RACS Research and Academic Surgery Committee. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

9. Upeksha De Silva

Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Adventist HealthCare

Upeksha De Silva is a vascular and endovascular surgeon with a current connection to Adventist HealthCare. Based in Sydney, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia vascular surgery, surgical services and women in surgery. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

RACS records her as Clinical Director of Surgical Services at Sydney Adventist Hospital and Chair of the College's Women in Surgery Committee. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

10. Owen Ung

Professor of Surgery, The University of Queensland

Owen Ung is a professor of surgery with a current connection to The University of Queensland. Based in Brisbane, Australia, the work fits this guide because it sits within Australia breast and endocrine surgery, cancer care and surgical education. The role gives readers a useful way to see how surgical leadership connects clinical practice with the wider profession.

The University of Queensland profile records his work as Director of the Metro North Comprehensive Breast Cancer Institute and program lead for breast reconstruction at the Herston Biofabrication Institute. That combination is useful for readers because it shows a practical leadership question: how can a surgeon improve care while also strengthening the systems, people and knowledge around the operating theatre?

What these leaders show us about surgery

The first pattern is that surgical leadership is rarely a single job. Clinical practice remains important, but the wider contribution may also include teaching, assessment, research, governance or service design. That mix helps explain why the strongest examples are visible in more than one part of the profession.

The second pattern is translation. Research becomes useful when it reaches patients, teams and training rooms. Education becomes useful when it changes how decisions are made. Professional standards become useful when they help people deliver safer care in real places, with real constraints. Leaders who work across those boundaries help ideas travel.

The third pattern is stewardship. A person may hold a formal role today, but the value of the role is often measured by what becomes stronger for the people who come next. That can mean clearer training, better access, more useful evidence, stronger collaboration or a more inclusive profession. It is a practical view of leadership, and it is the most transferable lesson in this guide.

How to use this list

Use the profiles as starting points rather than a finished directory. If you are exploring a clinical field, begin with the person whose current work most closely matches your question. If you are looking for an educator or researcher, follow the university or professional body link and read the current profile in full.

If you are leading a team, ask what each profile reveals about the work around expertise. Who helps people learn? Who turns evidence into practice? Who protects standards? Those questions can help a leadership team define its own contribution more clearly, without copying another organisation's structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is included in this surgery leadership guide?

The guide includes ten current surgeons and surgical educators connected to Australia or New Zealand. They work across clinical practice, professional standards, training, research, innovation and service leadership. The names are presented alphabetically to make the guide easier to scan.

What makes someone a surgery leader?

Surgery leadership can involve clinical expertise, teaching, research, governance, innovation or responsibility for a service. A person does not need to hold one particular title. The common thread is a current contribution that helps other people deliver, learn or improve surgical care.

Can this list help me find a speaker or expert?

It can help you understand the field and find relevant organisations to explore. For a keynote, workshop or leadership session about how people work together, Jonno White is a separate resource. His work focuses on practical leadership and organisations people would move cities to work at.

How should I learn from a surgical leader's work?

Start with one current role or project that matches your question. Read the linked profile, note the problem the person is working on, then ask what could be adapted to your own team. The useful lesson may be a habit of teaching, a way to connect evidence and practice, or a clearer standard for decisions.

Conclusion

The people in this guide show that surgery leadership is built through contribution. It appears in the clinic, the classroom, the research group, the professional college and the health service. It also appears in the quieter work of making standards clearer, helping people learn and turning knowledge into care that works for the community in front of you.

If you are trying to understand the surgical landscape, use the list as a map. Follow one profile, read the organisation's current work, and write down the leadership behaviour that stands out. Then ask how that behaviour could strengthen your own team. The next step is not to copy a title. It is to make one practical contribution easier for other people to carry forward.

Related Reading

For a practical look at shared language for teams, read the Working Genius Glossary. For ideas about turning insight into team habits, read 21 Practical Steps After Working Genius With Your Team. For the wider culture question, see How to Build a Company Culture Employees Will Move Cities to Join.

A practical next step for your leadership team

The strongest surgical teams make leadership visible in everyday work. If your team needs a practical keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session about standards, trust and how people contribute together, I can help you turn the idea into something your people can use on Monday morning.

To discuss a relevant session for your organisation, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.