APNA Strategic Alignment Team

Stephen Duns

Chief Executive Officer

Stephen Duns is an experienced executive, consultant and an accredited master coach. His experience includes several Chief Executive Officer and general management roles in health and social services. He has been involved in large and complex consulting assignments in the UK, Europe, USA and Australasia.

Stephen is an Adjunct Professor of Business Leadership at the Australian Graduate School of Leadership (Torrens University), Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management. He holds a Doctorate in Business Leadership, a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy), Bachelor of Letters (Psychology) and Master of Business Administration. 

Stephen’s recent voluntary interests include President Indigenous Education Foundation and President of the ChillOut Festival. Other voluntary experience includes President of annecto, Chair of Austin Health’s Human Research Ethics Committee, President and Chairman of the Board of Parkinson’s Victoria and Parkinson’s Australia, Chair and Director of Merri Community Health Services and President of JOY 94.9 community radio station. 

Mitch Wall

Chief Commercial Officer

Mitch leads the Strategic Growth and Partnerships portfolio, with responsibility for driving commercial growth, strengthening the organisation’s revenue base and delivering strategic initiatives that enhance member value, organisational sustainability and sector influence.

He brings senior leadership experience across media, marketing, logistics and health, with a strong track record in innovation, growth strategy and income diversification. At APNA, he leads the development of new markets, commercial models and partnership pathways, and builds strong relationships with funders, sponsors, government and industry partners.

Mitch oversees business development, membership growth and retention, strategic partnerships, innovation initiatives and high‑value projects that support APNA’s long‑term impact. His work focuses on extending and diversifying income streams while ensuring partnerships deliver more than financial return and expands APNA’s reach, building organisational capability and delivering shared outcomes for the profession.

He also leads the commercial strategy for key offerings including Florence by APNA, national events and other strategic initiatives, ensuring decisions are evidence‑based and aligned to APNA’s purpose and values.

Lisa Collison

Chief Primary Health Care Nursing Officer

Lisa is an experienced Registered Nurse, with a broad understanding of multiple primary health care settings, having worked in a variety of management, clinical, leadership, and program roles in both rural and urban locations in several culturally diverse demographic practice settings. All of these have influenced her career and have contributed to a strong commitment to raising the profile of nurses working in primary health care.

Lisa is a member of the APNA Executive, actively building the research focus across our high performing professional teams to advance the field of primary health care nursing. From increasing the presence of PHC nursing in clinical literature to enhancing nurse influence in health research, managing APNA's engagement with research partners, leading efforts to publish and promote nurse research, and supporting APNA in integrating the latest research into its education and policy endeavours.

Tarek Dale 

Chief Advocacy Officer 

Tarek Dale is an accomplished policy and public affairs leader with extensive experience in developing strategic platforms, managing complex stakeholder engagement, and contributing to legislative change. He has worked across public services and advocacy roles to create meaningful change for communities.

His career spans senior advisory roles in parliamentary settings, regulatory bodies, and policy analysis teams, where he managed high-impact projects and provided strategic advice on complex, cross-portfolio issues. Supported by a team of nursing and policy experts, Tarek leads APNA's policy and advocacy work, to advocate for changes that contribute to a healthy Australia through best practice primary health care nursing. 

Lucy Murphy

Chief Operations Officer

Lucy is the Chief Operating Officer at APNA, with more than 25 years’ experience across aged care, disability, and community services. Growing up in the country shaped her commitment to improving community health outcomes and strengthening the systems that enable people to receive quality care.

Lucy is known for building healthy organisations, leading complex transformation, and applying a systems‑psychodynamic lens to support effective, human‑centred practice. She brings deep executive expertise in quality, people and culture, and organisational development, and is dedicated to ensuring APNA’s operations empower the Primary Health Care nursing workforce to deliver safe, connected, and person‑centred care across Australia. 

Linda Govan

General Manager, Programs

Linda Govan is a Registered Nurse with accompanying Masters qualifications in Public Health and Health Administration. Linda has a broad range of experience across the health sector, in clinical and program management roles, encompassing acute, sub-acute and primary care settings. With a focus on supporting the primary health care nursing workforce, Linda has a strong interest in the design, implementation and evaluation of nurse-delivered models of care and has contributed to several recent publications supporting these learnings.

Sara Drew

General Manager, Education

Sara Drew oversees the strategic development and delivery of APNA’s national education portfolio, drawing on extensive experience as a Registered Nurse, Nurse Immuniser, and trainer. She has held senior roles across primary health care, public health, and Primary Health Networks, leading major programs that strengthen clinical capability and support nurses’ professional development.

Sara played a key role in developing Australia’s first nationally accredited and HESA‑endorsed Course in Immunisation Practice and has managed large workforce and education initiatives. She contributes to national advisory groups and presents regularly at conferences, championing contemporary education that enhances the capability and impact of primary health care nurses.