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 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 she sits on the boards of ASX-listed company ReadyTech, the NSW Institute of Sport, Health Infrastructure and Hunter Water. Elizabeth has held several previous Non-Executive Director roles including on the boards of Bingo Industries, 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, Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and she holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Masters of Cyber Security. In 2019, she was awarded the Order of Australia for services to higher education and the rail transport sector.

Dr Ross Lamplugh

Dr Ross Lamplugh

Co-Founder & Director

Ross is a co-founding owner and former Chair of the Ochre Health Group. He brings 30 years of clinical and medical management experience to the company, including 10 years as a GP Anaesthetist in rural and remote Australian communities. Prior to founding Ochre in 2002, his clinical roles included Medical Superintendent of Palm Island Hospital and Deputy Director of Medical Services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Ross is actively involved in medical education as a voluntary Director of Advanced Paediatric Life Support Australia, whose courses aim to improve the early management of acutely ill and injured children. He is a Director of Tasmanian Leaders Inc, the premier leadership development organisation in the state, and a former Director of the NSW Rural Doctors Network, General Practice Training Tasmania and other not-for-profit organisations. He has also been a member of the Rural and Remote Generalist Project Advisory Group to Health Workforce Australia (HWA), the Commonwealth authority delivering a coordinated national approach to health workforce reform. Ross works closely with our board and leadership team on strategic direction, growth opportunities, board governance and management performance.

Dr Hamish Meldrum

Dr Hamish Meldrum

Co-Founder & Director

Hamish is a co-founding owner and Director of the Ochre Health Group. He 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, responsible for leading clinical governance, quality improvement and the company’s patient health outcomes program. In addition to his current board role, he is involved in providing clinical support for doctors across the Group and he 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.