Board members

Elizabeth Crouch AM

Elizabeth Crouch AM

Chair

Elizabeth is a seasoned director across both the public and private sectors. She was appointed to the Ochre board in 2021 and rejoined the company in 2024, taking on the role of Chair. Elizabeth is also the Chair of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, the Customer Owned Banking Association, Hearing Australia and Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. She is the Emerita Deputy Chancellor of Macquarie University and sits on the boards of the NSW Institute of Sport, Hunter Water Corporation and the University of Newcastle. Elizabeth has held several previous Non-Executive Director roles including on the boards of ASX-listed ReadyTech and Bingo Industries, as well as Macquarie University Hospital and Chandler Macleod. She is the former Chair of RailCorp and a former Trustee of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. Elizabeth spent 16 years with the Federal Government before moving into the private sector. A respected executive coach and moderator, she is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and she holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Masters of Cyber Security. She was awarded the Order of Australia for services to higher education and the rail transport sector.

Dr Michael Caristo

Dr Michael Caristo

Director

Michael is a Partner of Ochre majority shareholder Genesis Capital, which he co-founded in 2018. He is an experienced healthcare investor as well as being a qualified medical doctor and published contributor in the field of stem-cell research. Michael began his career at management consulting firm Bain & Company, before becoming a senior investment professional at Crescent Capital Partners and taking on various directorships and leadership roles with Cover-More Insurance, LifeHealthcare, 13SICK National Home Doctor and Southern Sun Healthcare. Since founding Genesis Capital with fellow Genesis Partner, Chris Yoo, he has held Non-Executive Directorships of SmartClinics, Avance Clinical, Better Medical, Impression Dental Group, The Banyans HealthcareGroup, Crux Biolabs and P3 Research Ltd. Michael brings to the board indepth knowledge of the primary care and wider health care sectors, as well as an extensive network of contacts and advisors.

Dr Hamish Meldrum

Dr Hamish Meldrum

Co-Founder & Director

Hamish is a New Zealand medical graduate with extensive experience across General Practice, Emergency Medicine and Obstetrics. He worked in the NSW Outback town of Bourke for five years as a GP Obstetrician, founding Ochre Health there with Dr Ross Lamplugh in 2002, before moving to Sydney in 2006. Hamish was Ochre’s Director of Medical Services until 2020 and he resumed his clinical support for doctors across the group in 2024 as Interim Chief Medical Officer, jointly responsible for leading clinical governance, quality improvement and the company’s patient health outcomes program. In addition to his board and clinical roles, Hamish chairs our Innovation Committee, focusing on developing and implementing innovations that improve patient care and practice operations as well as advancing the company’s market leadership in general practice. He is also a regular author, commentator and conference presenter on issues affecting the primary care sector, and he is an examiner for the RACGP Fellowship examination program.

Michele Smith OAM

Michele Smith OAM

Interim Group CEO & Executive Director

Michele is an accomplished Non-Executive Director and healthcare leader with over 38 years of experience in the health and human services sectors. In addition to her Ochre Health roles, she is the Governing Board Chair for the Eyre Far North Local Health Network of SA Health, Non-Executive Director of Unity Housing Company, and a member of the SA Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board. She also chairs the SA Oral Health Plan Monitoring Group and she serves on the committee of SA Statewide Clinical Support Services. With her foundation as a Registered Nurse, Michele is an experienced CEO and Health Consultant, as well as being a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Managers and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2023 for services to medical administration.