The people behind NurseForce
Nurses, clinicians, lawyers, technologists, and operators — 120+ years of combined healthcare leadership, united by one mission: better workforce outcomes for Australian healthcare.
Board & Directors
Joel Hepburn-Brown
Managing Director / Secretary
Qualified lawyer with 15+ years scaling nursing agencies through strategic M&A. Former AON and Marsh M&A specialist. AICD member who grew Torrens Health through organic growth and targeted acquisitions.
Richard Perkins
Executive Director
Practising Chartered Accountant with 30+ years advising SMEs and private equity firms in South Australia. Former Hayes Knight SA director. Trusted advisor to Champ Private Equity, DB Capital Partners, and multiple mid-market boards.
Lyn Hepburn-Brown
Executive Director
Executive leader with 40+ years in healthcare, M&A, private equity, education, and regulatory management across Asia Pacific. Registered Nurse and Midwife, Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. Past Chair of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. As Managing Director of Pacific Nursing Solutions, supervised ten acquisitions — recognised with the 2006 AVCAL award for best MBO under $50M. Former non-executive director of Fortis Health (India's second-largest private hospital group) and founding Director of the Torrens Foundation.
Executive Leadership
Robert Dempsey
Executive General Manager
30+ years in senior healthcare leadership including CEO roles at North Eastern Community Hospital, Aged and Community Services SA & NT, and specialist hospitals. Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management. Justice of the Peace for South Australia.
Arran Bollard
Chief Operating Officer
Former Australian Army Officer with 15 years of service. Global experience across defence, aerospace, healthcare, rail, and mining. Graduate of the Royal Military College of Science (UK). Expert in governance, LEAN methodology, and complex organisational transformation.
Allen Candy
Chief Financial Officer
20+ years in senior and executive roles in aged care and retirement living, including CEO of Life Care and Deputy CEO & COO of Masonic Homes Inc. Former CFO & Company Secretary of T&R Pastoral (now Thomas Foods) in the meat processing sector. Extensive board governance experience including Chair at Pulteney Grammar School and Board Member at Life Care.
Peter Forbes
Executive General Manager — Agency
Senior healthcare executive overseeing Torrens Health's agency operations nationally.
Frank Weits
Executive General Manager — Growth and Strategy
Leads Torrens Health's strategic growth initiatives and market expansion.
Rakesh Chandrasekharan
Chief Information Officer
Experienced IT leader specialising in complex application development from concept to rollout. Delivered technology solutions for SA Government, University of Adelaide, and major enterprises. The architect behind NurseForce.
Kate Hepburn-Brown
Director of Clinical Services
Registered Nurse and Midwife with 14+ years of clinical experience including six years of independent midwifery practice in Auckland. Fellow of five professional colleges including CRANA Plus. Former University of South Australia tutor.
Marilyn Pattison AO
General Manager — Allied Health
Officer of the Order of Australia. 45+ years as an Occupational Therapist and immediate past President of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. Leads Torrens Health's allied health operations including MPOT and Talking Matters.
Allison Nikula
General Manager — Innovation
Leads innovation strategy and initiatives at Torrens Health, driving new solutions and continuous improvement across the organisation.
Service Delivery Team
Tony Farnan
National Contracts Manager
29+ years in quality assurance, procurement, and contract management. 7+ years in healthcare. Former Contracts Coordinator at Home Support Services and Business Improvement Leader at Capgemini. Expert in brokered provider contracts.
Sophia Czechowicz
National Manager — Health, Safety & Environment
20 years of nursing across correctional, occupational, community, remote, mental health, and emergency settings. Former Senior Client Safety Officer with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, assisting the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Expert in Restorative Just Culture frameworks.
Maria Darby
National Manager — Quality
Dual-qualified in law and nursing with experience from 1978 to present. Former Director of Governance and Risk for Central Adelaide Local Health Network. Trained at the IHI Quality Management Academy in Boston. Admitted to the Supreme Courts of both NT and SA.
Janice Hoad
National Marketing & Communications Manager
Strategic communications and change management specialist with 20+ years across private and public sectors. Stanford University graduate in Leading Change. Former Managing Director of Porter Novelli Australia (SA). Expert in crisis management, brand strategy, and digital marketing.
Adeline Tran
National In-House Legal Counsel
20+ years in commercial and contractual law. Former lawyer and compliance officer at Thomson Geer. Specialist in corporate, commercial, property, and employment law with governance expertise across multiple industries.
Tim Martin
Manager — Workforce Strategy
15+ years in nursing and medical workforce management across Australia and the UK. Registered Nurse who led workforce teams at The Royal Children's Hospital and St Vincent's Public Hospital in Melbourne. Supported the Victorian Government's COVID-19 surge response before joining Torrens Health.
Melissa Sharp
Manager — People and Culture
Progressed from Recruitment Coordinator to Operations Manager through demonstrated operational excellence. Managed the Commonwealth COVID-19 National Aged Care Support Taskforce project office. Background in business management and accounting with Robert Half, Vitol Group (London), and GHD Australia.
John Steadman
Systems Improvement & Commercialisation Manager
Holds a PhD in Business (AI) with 20+ years across healthcare, biotechnology, government, and commercial sectors. Specialises in organisational transformation, digital systems implementation, and commercial development. Former Deputy CEO and Divisional General Manager at AusHealth, where he drove national service expansion and significant revenue growth.
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