This week marks one year since I had the privilege of commencing as President of the RANZCP. It has been a year of learning, listening and leading through a period of significant change for the College.

In many ways, my first year as President has been inseparable from the journey of this Board. I have had the privilege of working alongside a strong, thoughtful and committed group of Board Directors who have brought seriousness, care and courage to the work before us as a College and as a Fellowship.

Together, we have focused on ensuring the College is well positioned to support members, strengthen the profession, and respond to the evolving needs of communities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We have also continued important reform work across governance, education and training, member engagement, policy and advocacy, and the long-term sustainability of the College.

This has not always been easy work. But it has been important work. As a Board, we have sought to hold ourselves and each other to account, to allow others to hold us to account, and to ensure that the College as an organisation entrusted with stewardship of the profession remains accountable to its members, trainees, communities and the public.

Dr Ramsden brings a distinctly binational perspective to the Board, shaped by her training and clinical experience across both Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

Her breadth of experience across health systems and communities on both sides of the Tasman, together with her role as Chair of the Bi-national Committee for Trainees, positions her well to contribute thoughtfully to Board discussions.

I also want to offer my warm and sincere thanks to our departing Directors: Professor Richard Newton, A/Prof Alex Cockram, Dr Agnew Alexander and Dr Ashna Basu.

As President, I have learnt a great deal from each of them.

From Professor Richard Newton, I have learnt the importance of values-based leadership that is calm, principled and deeply grounded in the long-term interests of the College. Richard has brought integrity, steadiness and wisdom to complex discussions. He has modelled thoughtful stewardship, strong governance and financial oversight, and a way of leading that is never about noise, but always about substance. His leadership across the Corporate Governance Committee, the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee, and the RANZCP Foundation Committee has made a lasting contribution. Personally, I have valued the care, clarity and generosity of thought he has brought to our work together.

From A/Prof Alex Cockram, I have learnt the importance of staying the course when reform is complex, difficult and not always immediately visible. Alex has kept her eye on the goal and has continued to hold the Board’s attention on the importance of building stronger governance foundations for the future. Governance reform requires patience, persistence and courage. Alex has brought all of these qualities. Her leadership of the Corporate Governance Committee and the broader governance reform work will leave an important legacy, and I am grateful for the way she has helped us remain focused on work that will strengthen the College beyond any one Board term.

From Dr Agnew Alexander, I have learnt the importance of always returning to the membership. Agnew has consistently reminded us that, as a membership-based organisation, members’ preferences, priorities and experience of the College must remain central to all that we do. His leadership of the Membership Engagement Committee has strengthened our focus on member voice, connection and accountability. I have deeply valued the sincerity and clarity with which he has reminded us that reform must not become abstract, that it must remain grounded in the people the College exists to serve.

From Dr Ashna Basu, I have learnt the importance of ensuring that trainee voice is not simply heard, but genuinely shapes our decisions. Ashna is an established leader who has brought gravitas, clarity and courage to the Board table. She has not only championed equity and diversity, but has ensured that we remained anchored in the principle of “nothing about trainees without trainees”. Her contribution has strengthened our understanding of the trainee experience, and I know I am not alone in saying that we have all learnt a great deal from her leadership.

One of the great privileges of this first year has been the opportunity to learn from the Board as a collective. We have brought different perspectives, experiences and views to the table, but we have shared a strong commitment to the College, to members, to trainees, to the profession, and to the communities we serve.

As we look to the next phase of the College’s work, I warmly welcome our incoming Directors Professor Megan Galbally, Professor Dan Lubman AM and Professor Shuichi Suetani, and returning Directors, Dr Michelle Atchison and Dr Mark Lawrence. Each brings fresh energy, expertise and perspective to the Board. By electing them, the membership has reaffirmed its confidence in them, and in the important reform journey we are undertaking together for the College.

I am delighted that Professor Megan Galbally will commence as Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, Professor Dan Lubman AM as Chair of the Policy and Practice Committee, Dr Mark Lawrence as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee, Dr Shuichi Suetani as Chair of the Membership Engagement Committee, and Dr Georgia Ramsden as Chair of the Trainees' Advisory Council, while also holding Education as a portfolio.

I am also deeply grateful that Dr Michelle Atchison will continue as Chair of the Education Committee, which remains one of the College’s largest and most important portfolios. Dr Atchison has shown a strong and sustained commitment to Education. We are now implementing thoughtful and significant strategic changes in the education space, including ensuring that the new role of Dean is fully utilised by the College and given the authorising space it needs to succeed. The New Fellowship Program Taskforce is one of the most significant milestone projects for the College in recent times, and Michelle’s continued leadership of this portfolio is both important and deeply appreciated.

Dr Lawrence brings wisdom to our decision making as the longest-serving Board Director on the current Board. He also brings the standing of a senior Māori leader within our College community and on our Board, and I am grateful for his ongoing commitment, judgement and steady contribution as we continue this work.

As we navigate an increasingly complex environment, another significant step in strengthening our Board will be the appointment of an Independent Director. This role is a key part of our broader governance reform agenda, ensuring the Board is equipped with the right mix of skills, perspectives and independence to support effective decision making.

The work ahead is important. It asks us to continue the College’s reform journey with courage, humility and focus: strengthening our governance, supporting our members and trainees, modernising education and training, strengthening our policy and advocacy voice, and ensuring psychiatry remains trusted, responsive and future-ready across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Finally, the RANZCP 2026 Congress commences this Sunday in Melbourne, bringing together members, colleagues and partners from across our nations and the globe. It is an important opportunity to connect, share knowledge and showcase the depth and diversity of work across our profession. I look forward to seeing many of you over the coming days.

Stay safe and stay connected.

Dr Astha Tomar
President