Senior Executive Leadership Team

Gillian Yearsley

Chief Executive Officer

Gill (Jill) Yearsley leads Northern Territory PHN and works with the Senior Executive Leadership Team to align Northern Territory PHN’s operations with the strategic direction set by the Board.

Gill is a strong believer in relationship and engagement development. She understands the importance of collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, such as community groups, state and commonwealth governments, primary health providers, and Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations to improve health outcomes and ensure high-quality primary health care.

Since emigrating to Australia fifteen years ago, Gill has worked as a Senior Director within the State Health, Primary Health and Community Care Services across the North Queensland region. She relocated from Queensland to the Northern Territory to take up the CEO position with NT PHN.

Gill is a registered nurse with extensive experience working as a senior clinician in mental health and clinical governance. She also holds a Master’s Degree for Advanced Professional Practice in Health Care.

Bernie Cummins

Executive Manager, Strategy Planning and Performance

Bernie has held several senior health executive roles in both South Australia and Queensland across acute and primary health care settings. Bernie has extensive experience in Strategy, Planning and Performance having worked in many Health Services, Department for Health and Ageing and PHN to deliver system improvements and reform agendas.

Bernie’s breadth and depth of executive experience across multiple health sectors brings a strategic focus to system integration and performance.

Responsibilities: Strategic planning and initiatives, business performance, PHN wide improvement initiatives, program and portfolio management, and strategic partnerships.

Kristy Brain

Chief Financial Officer, Executive Manager Corporate Services

Kristy leads the finance department at Northern Territory PHN, ensuring financial compliance with the organisations’ funding agreements, Australian Accounting Standards, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Regulations 2013 and the Corporations Regulations 2001.

With a breadth of experience across many industries, Kristy understands how good governance and a robust finance department provides assistance and support to serve Northern Territory PHN’s internal and external customers and key stakeholders.

Kristy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Responsibilities: budgeting and forecasting, financial and management accounting and reporting, treasury management, internal controls, compliance with statutory and other regulations.

Ali Lloyd

Executive Manager Regional Health Integration

Ali is responsible for our primary health care support functions and our Regional Health Partnerships team who work with all commissioned providers engaged in delivering NT PHN funded programs. 

She has previously held senior management positions including during a 20yr career in the NZ Army Medical Corp where she was a military medic and then shifted into senior management roles.  On leaving the military, Ali continued in senior management roles in general practice and Primary Health Organisations before moving to Australia in 2018.

Ali’s approach to the provision of high quality primary health care services across the Northern Territory is centred around supporting those who deliver them, to enable the best outcomes possible. 

Responsibilities: Primary Care Support, digital health, NT Health Pathways, CQI, contract and relationship management, collaboration and contribution to strategic regional partnerships.

Paul Connolly

Executive Manager Health Workforce

Paul leads NT PHN’s health workforce division, which includes the Northern Territory’s Rural Workforce Agency. Through the delivery of various programs and projects, Paul’s team work to develop and sustain the NT’s primary health care workforce and to ensure that communities across the Territory have continued access to health professionals. 

Paul is passionate about improving health outcomes for communities and understands the critical requirement for a quality health workforce to achieve this vision. In partnership with the health sector, Paul leads the design and delivery of workforce programs, including recruitment & retention support, outreach & locum services, future workforce development, training & education and workforce policy & strategy. He strongly advocates for the importance of codesign and partnerships to sustain primary health care service delivery into the future.

Paul holds several qualifications in business, including a Bachelor of Business Management. He has lived in the NT for over 10 years and has extensive experience in workforce support & development, industry engagement and program management. Paul has also worked extensively to support remote community development through education, workforce development, and his previous work in remote housing. 

Darcey Godden

Executive Manager Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health

Darcy is a highly skilled and experienced management professional in the health and disability services industry. With a background in strategic leadership and a proven track record of growing and developing Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, Darcy is a respected executive leader. He holds post-graduate degrees in management, strategic leadership, and operational excellence, and is an experienced Quality auditor across both national and international standards.

Darcy joins the NT PHN from Kura Yerlo Incorporated, a leading Aboriginal community-controlled organisation where he led the organisation through substantial growth as their Chief Executive Officer. Darcy also has experience in PHNs, previously working as part of the commissioning team where he collaborated closely with ACCHOs across South Australia on various health initiatives. He also served as a Senior Specialist at the Multiple Sclerosis Society of SA & NT and a variety of senior executive roles in the private sector.

Throughout his career, Darcy has shown a strong dedication to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Darcy is a proud descendant of the Kamilaroi and Wonnarua Aboriginal peoples, he places a high value on community and country, striving to strengthen programs and services to meet community needs while improving health outcomes for community. Darcy is known for putting culture at the heart of all his work.