In recent months, there have been many discussions around what it means to serve as a Board Director, and how this responsibility sits within the work of a membership-based medical specialist college. These reflections have been valuable, not only for the clarity they bring to the role but also for what they reveal about the expectations and hopes members hold for the future of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Serving as a Director is both an honour and a significant undertaking. It is a role grounded in trust – trust placed in Directors to safeguard the integrity, purpose and sustainability of the College. Sitting at the Board table is not an extension of one’s personal views, nor an opportunity to champion a single issue or represent a jurisdiction. Rather, Directors serve as stewards for the whole organisation, its values and its mission to promote high-quality psychiatric care across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The responsibilities are considerable. As in all organisations, Directors carry legal and fiduciary duties: to act with care and diligence, to maintain good faith, to manage risk, ensure compliance, and maintain the College’s financial health. They set strategic direction, oversee performance, and help shape the culture and systems that underpin effective, ethical governance.

In a membership-based specialist college, these responsibilities hold an additional dimension. Directors must hold in mind the breadth of the profession, trainees, Fellows, SIMGs, Affiliates and diverse clinical environments, while ensuring the organisation remains connected, transparent and responsive. Balancing aspiration with sustainability, and immediate concerns with long-term stewardship, is at the heart of the Board’s work.

This work takes time, energy and attention. Much of it occurs quietly, and all of it is undertaken pro bono. Directors contribute many hours each week alongside demanding clinical, academic and leadership commitments. Their willingness to do so reflects a deep belief in the significance of the College and in its role within our profession.

The strength of the College, however, does not rest solely with the Board. It is sustained by the extensive contribution of members across committees, working groups, assessments, supervision, training development and policy work. Across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, countless psychiatrists, trainees, affiliates, and SIMGs invest their expertise and goodwill into shaping the College’s standards, curriculum, advocacy and governance. These contributions do not merely support the work of a specialist medical college, they define it. They ensure the College remains grounded in real-world clinical practice, informed by diverse experiences, and reflective of the communities we serve.

Since beginning my term as President, I have spoken about the need for a future-focused College, one that is high-performing, innovative, and connected to its membership. We are now firmly in a reform agenda that reflects this ambition. Work is progressing across governance, digital systems, education, training, policy, and organisational culture, all aimed at ensuring the College is equipped to meet the evolving challenges of modern psychiatric practice.

A great opportunity to help shape this work is the 2026 Board Elections, which will appoint five elected directors for the 2026–28 term. The call for nominations will be open from 14 January to 11 February, and voting scheduled from 2–31 March. Those considering nominating are encouraged to reflect carefully on the expectations and responsibilities of the role and the important contribution Directors make to the College’s direction.

I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the steadfast commitment of the current Board and thank Dr Ashna Basu, Professor Richard Newton, Dr Michelle Atchison, Dr Agnew Alexander, Dr Mark Lawrence and Associate Professor Alex Cockram, along with President Elect, Dr Angelo Virgona. The depth of expertise, professionalism and diverse perspectives around the Board table strengthens every step we take as an organisation. The collective wisdom and calm steadiness each Director brings, often under significant time pressure and always with the College’s best interests at heart, has been instrumental in guiding this period of change. It is indeed a privilege to work alongside colleagues whose integrity, experience and thoughtful leadership continue to shape a stronger, more confident and future-focused College.

Under the guidance of our new CEO Mr Damian Ferrie, the College has commenced a carefully phased organisational redesign to ensure our organisation is future-fit, strategically aligned and responsive. We have recruited Professor Andrew Teodorczuk as our inaugural Executive Dean of Education and have consulted widely on a new strategic plan 2026–30. 

In early 2026 our Membership, Events & Publications Department and our Partnerships & Engagement Department will merge to form a new Member Experience Department, our Compliance and Policy Department will be re-shaped to form a dedicated Policy & Advocacy Department, and our Finance and IT departments will be integrated to form a unified Corporate Services Department. These new departments have been created to reduce duplicity and bureaucracy and, most importantly, ensure the College is genuinely member-centred and responsive.

Existing department structures remain at present, with interim reporting lines in place while recruitment for new executive positions occurs. I would like to thank our departing executive members Mr Jon Cullum, Ms Monique Devereaux, Ms Callie Kalimniou and Mr Dmitri Mirvis for their significant contributions to our College, members and staff, and wish them every success.

Our mental health system across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand stays under extraordinary strain. In the AusDoc opinion piece, I argued that the findings in the ACEM’s Still Waiting report don’t just highlight an emergency department issue, but a whole-system failure that has been decades in the making. In a universal health system that prides itself on fairness, the fact that people with mental illness receive a markedly lesser standard of care than those with physical conditions amounts to persistent discrimination. And in this article for The Canberra Times, I warned that mental health care in Australia is underfunded, understaffed and overwhelmed, failing people at their most vulnerable. Psychiatrists are burning out and many are leaving the profession altogether. We are trying to hold together a fractured system with goodwill, tape and hope – it is not enough. 

These are just some of the issues we collectively face as psychiatrists, as members, as Board Directors and as a College. I am confident the reformative steps we are now taking, combined with the passion, expertise and strength of both current and future Board members, will place us in excellent stead to meet these challenges, and any others that come our way.

Dr Astha Tomar
President