After six years as Chair of Mater Misericordiae Ltd, businessman and philanthropist Brian Flannery has announced his retirement from the Mater Board.

Mr Peter Pearce and Sister Pauline Burke will also step down from their Mater Board roles at the November meeting. Having served the Board for significant terms, Mr Pearce for 15 years and Sister Pauline for 11 years, they have made considerable contributions to the growth and strategic direction of Mater.

An iconic provider of healthcare services in Queensland, Mater Group has grown to incorporate health, education and research businesses as well as other interests during the above mentioned directors tenure.

Having served as a Board Director for some 17 years, Mr Flannery reflected on a period of significant growth and change for Mater, and for the healthcare industry more broadly.

“Mater continues to play an important role in delivering outstanding healthcare for Queenslanders, and by integrating education and research, we have positioned ourselves to be more relevant in a changing world,” Mr Flannery said.

“I’m proud of what the Board has achieved in guiding Mater through challenging times and ensuring that our organisation can continue to deliver on our Mission, to meet unmet need.”

Mr Flannery was instrumental in the establishment of Mater Private Hospital Springfield as well as new Mater Mothers’ Hospitals and the transition of Mater Children’s Hospital to the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

He will leave Mater after the group’s Annual General Meeting in November, to be succeeded by current Deputy Chair, Mr Terry Crawford.

Mr Crawford has been a member of the Mater Board since 2011 and has extensive senior executive and director experience nationally and internationally, including prior roles as Head of International Strategy, and Head of Wealth Management Europe for HSBC Bank. He has been a director of government owned corporations, not-for-profit companies and commercial corporations for more than 20 years.