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About the RACS Council
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.
Upcoming Council meetings and events
In 2026 Council meetings will be conducted virtually and face-to-face.
Dates for 2026
Council 2026
February 2026
April 2026
June 2026
August 2026
October 2026
December 2026
2026 Annual Scientific Congress
Thursday 30 April to Sunday 3 May 2026 (Perth)
Annual General Meeting - Saturday 2 May 2026 (Perth)
Office bearers
President and Chair of Council and Council Executive
Dr Phil Morreau
AoNZ Specialty Elected Councillor
Paediatric surgeon
Vice President
Dr Christine Lai
SA Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon
Censor-in-Chief
Dr Richard Wong She CNZM
AoNZ Fellowship Elected Councillor
Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon
Chair, Professional Standards and Fellowship Services Committee
Professor Mark Ashton
VIC Specialty Elected Councillor
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Chair, Health Policy and Advocacy
Dr David King
SA Fellowship Elected Councillor
Vascular surgeon
Chair, Global Health
Dr Andrew Ellis OAM
NSW Orthopaedic surgeon
Office holders
Chair, Court of Examiners
Dr Gregory Keogh
NSW Specialty Elected Councillor
General surgeon
Chair, Committee of Surgical Education and Training
Dr Richard Bradbury
NSW Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon
Chair, Professional Standards
Dr Roxanne Wu
QLD Specialty Elected Councillor
Vascular surgeon
Chair, ASC Conference & Events
Professor Deborah Bailey
QLD Fellowship Elected Councillor
Paediatric surgeon
Chair, Prevocational and Skills Education Committee
Dr Upeksha (Pecky) De Silva
NSW Fellowship Elected Councillor
Vascular surgeon
Chair, Fellowship Services
Professor Henry Woo
NSW Fellowship Elected Councillor
Urologist
Chair, Professional Development
Associate Professor Matthew Clark
AoNZ Fellowship Elected
General surgeon
Chair, Research, Audit and Academic Surgery
Associate Professor Andrew Cochrane AM
VIC Specialty Elected Councillor
Cardiothoracic surgeon
Chair, SIMG Assessment
Dr Ailene Fitzgerald
ACT Fellowship Elected Councillor
General surgeon
Fellowship elected councillors
Dr Will Blake
VIC Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon
Dr Nicola Hill
AoNZ Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon
Dr Helen Mohan
VIC General surgeon
Dr Peter Moore
TAS Orthopaedic surgeon
Professor Payal Mukherjee
NSW Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgeon
AoNZ General surgeon
Specialty elected councillors
Dr Julia Crawford
NSW Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgeon
Dr Mark Davies
NSW Neurosurgeon
Associate Professor Susan Liew
VIC Orthopaedic surgeon
Dr Hin-Wai Yap
QLD Urologist
Co-opted councillors
Dr Teagan Fink
RACS Trainees' Association representative
Associate Professor Ming Yew
WA General surgeon
Dr Hemi Patel
NT Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon
Invited observers
Dr Su Mei Hoh
Younger Fellows representative
Principal advisers to Council
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