RACS Council: guiding strategy and standards in surgery

The RACS Council guides the strategic direction of the College and brings our mission – to improve access, equity, quality and delivery of surgical care that meets the needs of our diverse communities – to life.

Council unites nine specialties as one profession, ensuring our work reflects the breadth and diversity of surgery across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. It is foremost in member representation and guides strategy and policy across standards, research, advocacy, education and training to promote better care for the communities we serve.

Members of the Council are elected and co-opted to represent all nine surgical specialties, across all Australian regions and Aotearoa New Zealand. A number of boards and committees report to the Council and are responsible for the diverse work of the College.

In 2025 both Council Executive and Council meetings will be conducted virtually and face-to-face.

Dates for 2025

Council 2025
Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February 2025
Thursday 26 and Friday 27 June 2025
Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October 2025

Council Executive 2025
Thursday 31 January 2025 - virtual
Friday 28 March 2025 - virtual
Thursday 17 April* 2025 - virtual
                  *Friday 18th April - Good Friday; 25th April - Anzac Day
Friday 23 May 2025 - virtual
Friday 25 July 2025 - virtual
Friday 29 August 2025 - virtual 
Friday 28 November 2025 - virtual

2025 Annual Scientific Congress
Saturday 3 to Tuesday 6 May 2025 (Sydney)
Annual General Meeting -Monday 5 May 2025 (Sydney)

  

President and Chair of Council and Council Executive
Professor Owen Ung
QLD Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon

 

Vice President
Professor Raymond Sacks
NSW Specialty Elected Councillor
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon

 

Censor-in-Chief
Dr Phil Morreau 
AoNZ Specialty Elected Councillor
Paediatric surgeon

 

Chair, Professional Standards and Fellowship Services Committee
Dr Christine Lai
SA Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon

Chair, Court of Examiners
Professor Deborah Bailey
QLD Fellowship Elected Councillor
Paediatric surgeon

 

Chair, Health Policy and Advocacy
Professor Mark Frydenberg AM
VIC Specialty Elected Councillor
Urologist

 

Chair, Committee of Surgical Education and Training
Dr Richard Wong She CNZM
AoNZ Fellowship Elected Councillor
Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon

 

Chair, Professional Standards
Professor Mark Ashton
VIC Specialty Elected Councillor
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

 

Chair, ASC Conference & Events
Dr Gregory Keogh
NSW Specialty Elected Councillor
General surgeon

 

Chair, Prevocational and Skills Education Committee
Dr David King
SA Fellowship Elected Councillor
Vascular surgeon

 

Chair, Fellowship Services
Professor Henry Woo
NSW Fellowship Elected Councillor
Urologist

 

Chair, Professional Development
Dr Richard Bradbury
NT Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon

 

Chair, Research, Audit and Academic Surgery
Associate Professor Andrew Cochrane AM
VIC Specialty Elected Councillor
Cardiothoracic surgeon

 

Chair, Global Health
Dr Mark Dexter
NSW Specialty Elected Councillor
Neurosurgeon

 

Chair, SIMG Assessment
Dr Ailene Fitzgerald
ACT Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon

 

 

Dr Rebecca Jack
QLD Vascular surgeon

 

Dr Nicola Hill
AoNZ Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon

 

Dr Will Blake
VIC Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon

 

Associate Professor Matthew Clark
AoNZ General surgeon

 

Dr Upeksha (Pecky) De Silva
NSW Vascular surgeon

 

Dr Andrew Ellis OAM
NSW Orthopaedic surgeon

 

Dr Helen Mohan
VIC General surgeon

 

Dr Peter Moore
TAS Orthopaedic surgeon

Dr Roxanne Wu
QLD Vascular surgeon

 

Associate Professor Susan Liew
VIC Orthopaedic surgeon

Ms Souella Cumming CNZM
AoNZ Expert Community Adviser (non FRACS)

 

Mr Shane Solomon
VIC Expert Community Adviser (non FRACS)

 

Dr Ros Pochin
AoNZ General surgeon
Chair AoNZ National Committee

 

Dr Nicholas Lyons

RACS Trainees' Association representative

Associate Professor Ming Yew
WA General surgeon

 

Dr Su Mei Hoh
Younger Fellows representative

Dr John Quinn AM
Executive Director for Surgical Affairs Australia

 

Dr Sarah Rennie
Surgical Adviser Aotearoa New Zealand

 

Professor Guy Maddern
Surgical Director of Research & Evaluation