Emily Kirkpatrick | Non-Executive Director

A/Prof Dr Emily Kirkpatrick is a distinguished healthcare executive and non-executive director with extensive experience across the public and private sectors. A proud member of the inaugural graduating class of the Bachelor of Medicine (BMed) Joint Medical Program at the University of New England in 2012, Emily has maintained a deep commitment to rural healthcare, fostering strong ties through her professional journey as a GP and through family connections in rural NSW.

Emily leads digital and transformational change through her consulting company, the EKology Group, where she advises organisations and boards on governance, risk management, and innovation strategy. Her expertise is underpinned by fellowships in primary care, public health, clinical governance, and medical administration, along with a history of leading statewide health reform during COVID-19 in South Australia.

She is an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of Healthdirect Australia, AMA (SA) and the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.

Emily brings to UNE Life a passion for innovation, health leadership and building sustainable ecosystems that strengthen community well-being.