The 2024 elections to Council were conducted between October and December 2024.

Members of the RACS Council are elected to represent the Fellowship and all surgical specialties, across all Australian regions and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Congratulations to our newly elected and re-elected Councillors who will take office at the end of the Annual General Meeting on Monday 5 May 2025.

Introducing you to our eight Fellowship elected Councillors: 

Top left to right: Prof Deborah Bailey, Dr William Blake, A/Prof Matthew Clark, Dr Pecky De Silva, and Dr Andrew Ellis

Bottom left to right: Dr Helen Mohan, Dr Peter Moore, Prof Henry Woo, and Adj A/Prof Susan Liew

Professor Deborah Bailey is a paediatric surgeon. She has a strong interest in surgical training after serving as chair of the ANZ Board of Paediatric Surgery. She is also passionate about surgical advocacy, having been president of ANZAPS, chair of the Queensland State Committee, and a member of various taskforces working with Medicare Australia and other government bodies.
 
Initially elected to Council three years ago, Professor Bailey championed unity, navigated post COVID-19 financial challenges, and ensured the College’s stability. She is committed to strengthening governance, preserving accreditation, and advocating for equitable surgical access for Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand surgery.

Fun fact: Favourite shopping expedition is any hardware shop. “Who doesn’t like finding tools that are perfectly designed to do a single thing well”?

Dr William Blake, Victoria, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (newly elected to Council)
Dr William Blake is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with key interests in skin malignancy, breast and hands surgery. He was the past Victorian chair of the Australian Board of Plastic Surgery (2016-2020) and the chair from 2020-2023.  

Dr Blake has led competency-based training reforms, flexible pathways, and regional expansion. A seasoned AMA policy contributor, he champions surgeon welfare, sustainable practice, and strong collegiate representation. He is committed to safeguarding surgical standards, strengthening advocacy, and ensuring RACS remains a unified, relevant force. With expertise in IT, cybersecurity, governance, and Indigenous health, he brings a strategic, forward-thinking approach to Council.  
 
Fun fact: Have you heard the rumour that there's a secret presidential wine cellar under RACS HQ in Spring St, Melbourne? “I was sadly disappointed to discover that the rumour was untrue.”

Associate Professor Matthew Clark, Aotearoa New Zealand, General Surgery (newly elected to Council)
Associate Professor Matthew Clark, a general surgeon based in Auckland, is dedicated to quality, training, and assessment.  

With more than 20 years of involvement in RACS initiatives, he has served as Aotearoa New Zealand Senior Examiner in General Surgery and on the ASSET Committee. Recently completing a four-year tenure as Chief Medical Officer for Southern Cross Healthcare, he remains committed to strengthening governance, preserving accreditation, and advocating for equitable surgical access. Known for his inclusive leadership, he brings a broad perspective to shaping the future of the Fellowship.

Fun fact: Has a minor form of polysyndactyly (with an extra toe ‘nub’ including a rudimentary nail) that he jokes “will be useful to identify his body in a disaster”.

Dr Pecky De Silva, New South Wales, Vascular Surgery (newly elected to Council)
Dr Pecky De Silva is a vascular and endovascular surgeon and the clinical director of Surgical Services at the Sydney Adventist Hospital. She serves as chair of the Women in Surgery Committee at RACS and of the NSW RACS State Committee.

As a proud representative of RACS’ diverse community, Dr De Silva is committed to strengthening member engagement and representation. With a strong focus on collaboration and communication, she aims to enhance gender and cultural diversity within RACS, ensuring it effectively serves all surgeons across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Fun fact: Loves shopping and is even “happier enabling other people to spend their money”!

Dr Andrew Ellis, New South Wales, Orthopaedic Surgery (newly elected to Council)
Dr Andrew Ellis specialises in trauma, hip and knee arthroplasty, and neuromuscular orthopaedics. With extensive experience in clinical leadership, he served as Head of Department, Clinical Network Director, and is the past president of the Australian Orthopaedic Association. His career spans military medical service, strategic planning, and governance within NSW Health.  

A committed educator and examiner, Dr Ellis was an EMST educator and contributed to surgical training for more than 25 years. He aims to strengthen surgical advocacy, foster collaboration, and enhance education across specialties in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and support the surgical fraternity in the Pacific—especially Papua New Guinea.

Fun fact: Enjoys sailing a gaff rigged Couta boat in Sydney harbour. “The boat is nearly 100 years old and is older than the one in the maritime museum. The crew aren’t that much younger”!

Dr Helen Mohan, Victoria, General Surgery (newly elected to Council)
Dr Helen Mohan is a general surgeon with special interest in colorectal and robotic surgical research—from bench to bedside.  

She is a passionate advocate for surgical training and workforce support. An Irish-trained SIMG, she is a consultant colorectal surgeon at Peter MacCallum Hospital and Austin Health in Melbourne. With extensive experience, including serving as president of the Association of Surgeons in Training, she is dedicated to advancing surgical education, research, and innovation. She continues her education research as the director of International Medical Robotic Academy and a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne. 

Fun fact: Adopted two miniature Dachshunds.

Dr Peter Moore, Tasmania, Orthopaedic Surgery (newly elected to Council)
Dr Peter Moore is an orthopaedic surgeon, with a wide scoping rural and regional practice in Launceston, Tasmania. He has a special interest in sporting injuries, managing trauma and joint replacement surgery, including hip, knee, shoulder and ankle. Dr Moore has an interest in surgical education, is a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Tasmania and a member of the AOA Federal Training Committee.

He has been a dynamic force in the AOA since 2013 and has led the Tasmanian State Committee of RACS for the past three years. Passionate about Fellowship engagement, value for money, education, advocacy, rural surgery, and governance, he is dedicated to enhancing RACS's impact and effectiveness for all its members.

Fun fact: Served as the team doctor for the Australian Ice Hockey team in 2019, “a strong root to my Canadian upbringing”.

Professor Henry Woo, New South Wales, Urology (re-elected to Council)
Professor Henry Woo is a Sydney-based urological surgeon specialising in prostate disease. He is the Head of Urology at Blacktown Hospital, Director of Uro-Oncology at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, and holds honorary and conjoint professorships at the Australian National University and University of Western Sydney. A prolific researcher, he serves on several editorial boards and as a Board Director for the Australasian Urological Foundation and ANZUP.
 
As a RACS Council member, he advocates for modernisation, professional development, and improved services for Fellows. He is currently on the RACS Executive and Governance Working Party and will soon transition to Chair of Fellowship Services.

Fun facts: (1) His parents emigrated from Korea in 1963 and were the first Korean family to ever become Australian citizens.

(2) Despite his advocacy for gender diversity, he does not have a gender diverse family unit where his wife is outnumbered by himself, three sons and a male dog.  

Introducing you to the new Specialty Elected Councillor representing Orthopaedic Surgery:

Adjunct Associate Professor Susan Liew, Victoria
Adjunct Associate Professor Susan Liew, an orthopaedic surgeon, possesses extensive corporate knowledge of both RACS and the AOA. Her understanding of the interactions between these two organisations positions her to significantly shape and strengthen their future relationship. With her expertise and dedication, she is committed to fostering collaboration and advancing the field of orthopaedics.

Fun Fact: Has two staffies and “now we also have a grand dog (daughter’s dog) who is a Pomeranian and guess who is the boss at dinner time …?!”

At the February Council meeting each year, the current Councillors elect the office bearers and office holders of the College from the eligible Councillors. Voting is done by a confidential and secret ballot that may be conducted physically, electronically or as the president may determine.

The elected office bearers and office holders as of 5 May 2025 (post AGM) are:

Professor Owen Ung: President

Professor Ray Sacks: Vice President

Dr Phillip Morreau: Censor-in-Chief

Dr Christine Lai: Chair, Professional Standards and Fellowship Services Committee

Professor Deborah Bailey: Chair, Court of Examiners

Professor Mark Frydenberg: Chair, Health Policy & Advocacy

Dr Richard Wong She: Chair, Committee Surgical Education and Training

Professor Mark Ashton: Chair, Professional Standards

Professor Henry Woo: Chair, Fellowship Services

Dr Richard Bradbury: Chair, Professional Development

Associate Professor Andrew Cochrane: Chair, Research, Audit and Academic Surgery

Dr Mark Dexter: Chair, Global Health

Dr Ailene Fitzgerald: Chair, SIMG Assessment

Dr David King: Chair, Prevocational & Skills Education

Dr Gregory Keogh: Chair, Annual Scientific Congress Conference & Events