General Surgeons Australia (GSA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Carpenter in the new role of Chief Executive Officer, commencing in late-March 2026.
Michael is an accomplished and highly respected leader with more than 25 years of executive experience across health regulation, accreditation, and professional associations. His proven track record in strategic leadership, governance, stakeholder engagement, and organisational transformation will be instrumental as GSA enters its next phase of growth and influence.
Michael joins our well-established and highly capable team whose dedication and expertise have been central to supporting our members and advancing the profession. He comes to GSA from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), where he currently serves as National Manager, Accreditation and Assessment. In this role, he has led teams driving policy and operational reforms to support education and training for both domestic and internationally qualified health professionals. Previously, as CEO of the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), Michael led a major organisational transformation, tripling financial reserves, securing APAC’s first five-year contract with AHPRA, and delivering two strategic plans in partnership with the Board.
Throughout his career, Michael has demonstrated exceptional ability to influence policy, advocate for members, build collaborative partnerships, and modernise operations. His governance experience as both a CEO and Non-Executive Director further strengthens his capacity to work closely with all our key stakeholders to achieve the strategic objectives of our organisation.
The appointment of a CEO marks a new direction for GSA as we position the organisation to continue delivering training at the highest standards, while expanding our capacity to advocate on behalf of members. Michael’s depth of experience and strategic vision will complement the outstanding work of our dedicated team as we continue to champion excellence in General Surgery, advocate for the future of surgical care in Australia, and deliver exceptional support to our members and trainees.
We look forward to welcoming Michael to GSA in 2026.
