Our Structure

Mary Patetsos - Chair of the Board

Mary is a passionate South Australian with strong national and global networks. Mary is a professional non-Executive Board Director. She currently serves on National and South Australian Boards and contributes a rare blend of academic qualifications, knowledge, and expertise.

Mary’s skills and experience combined with proven negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership qualities enable her to perform at a high standard and with professional and personal integrity. Her commitment to fiscal responsibility, effective corporate governance, and passion for human rights is evident in all her endeavours.

Rebecca Wilson - Director

Rebecca is an experienced leader and board director with specific expertise in legal, governance, risk and compliance and has worked across diverse industries in challenging and changing environments including member organisations, for profit organisations, private legal practice, local government, statutory bodies, insurance and banking, and finance.

Rebecca’s background started in banking and finance with various roles with a change to legal after successfully being admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia as a Barrister and Solicitor. Her legal skills were then transferred to governance when Rebecca was appointed as the Company Secretary for the Seafood Cooperative Research Centre.

Rebecca started her own business producing, publishing, marketing, and selling her own publication for 4 years when she was approached with an opportunity to bring the legal and governance skills into local government. As a member of the Executive team, she led the governance and risk department at the City of Unley and oversaw risk and compliance across the Royal Automobile Association (RAA) as the Chief Risk Officer.

Rebecca was appointed as the Chief Executive Office of Scouts SA in 2021 where she led the commercial operations of the organisation which supported delivering health, growth and well-being and contributed to the education of young people to become responsible, active citizens that excel in life.

Rebecca is currently the Registrar for the Veterinary Surgeons Board of South Australia commencing this role in March 2023 and runs Rebecca Wilson Advisory where she delivers risk, governance and compliance information to boards and executive leadership.

Tony Mitchell - Treasurer

Tony is a highly experienced senior executive and director, with a background in general and financial management across a diverse range of organisations, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, consumer products, community health and higher education. 

Tony held the position of Chief Financial Officer of the University of Adelaide for 10 years, stepping down from this role in June 2021. Previously he has held senior finance and commercial roles in ASX-listed and for-purpose organisations, including the Royal District Nursing Service, GroPep Limited, FH Faulding & Co Limited and Coca-Cola Amatil Limited. 

A member of CPA Australia (Fellow) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Tony is also a director of SATAC Limited and Maxima Limited, and a member of the Scotch College Investment Committee and the SA Museum Audit & Risk Committee. He is a past director of Scotch College Foundation, Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics Pty Ltd and Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre Pty Ltd. Tony holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Ian Walsh - Elected Director

With his background professionally and as a volunteer, Ian was elected to the St John SA Board in November 2018 and has been Deputy Chair since Ray Greig completed his term. Having been a member of St John in SA for 51 years, Ian’s robust working knowledge of the St John infrastructure and business activities has provided him with a good foundation for member advocacy as a Board member.

Within St John SA, Ian is currently a Peer Support Officer in the Member Welfare Group.

Ian holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and currently works as a Pastoral Care Practitioner with private and public sector hospitals.  

Shane Bolton - Elected Director

Shane is an Assistant Director, Health Planning, Preparedness and Review Section within the Commonwealth Health Emergency Management Branch (Australian Department for Health and Aged Care). He is an experienced resilience professional and has worked across various levels of local and state government in leadership, risk, governance and technical roles. He is an experienced Registered Nurse of nearly 30 years, with post-graduate qualifications in critical care, aeromedical & retrieval operations, leadership and management. He also has a range of vocational training qualifications. In 2022, Shane was part of an inaugural Australian Government delegation to take disaster capability and capacity building to Timor-Leste.

Shane has been a 30+ year volunteer with St John, holding local, State and National leadership roles. Shane is a Commander of the Order of St John.

Shane holds a Bachelor of Nursing Practice, Diploma of Management and a Diploma of Business – Frontline Management and credentialed and professional membership with various professional organisations.

Professor Hugh Grantham - Chair of Training

Professor Hugh Grantham ASM has over 30 years of clinical experience in the out-of-hospital and in-hospital emergency medicine field. He was the Inaugural Professor of Paramedics Flinders University from 2011-2019 and the Adjunct Professor Curtin and QUT Universities. Hugh also held the role of Senior Medical Practitioner for the South Australian Ambulance Service and Flinders Emergency Department.

Hugh is skilled in Education, Epidemiology, Emergency Medicine, Pre-Hospital Care, Healthcare Management, Healthcare, and Policy Analysis. Hugh sits on the national Australian Resuscitation Council and has a strong interest in resuscitation and neurological outcomes from cardiac arrest. He was a Team Leader of the Australian Medical Assistance Teams to two tsunamis in 2004/5 and 2009 and is holder of the Ambulance Service Medical and Humanitarian Service medal with Bar. Hugh is married with three adult children and his interests include painting and sailing. Hugh holds the position of Chair of the One and All tall ship Board in Adelaide.

Sef van den Nieuwelaar - Chair of Community Care

Sef has over 30 years of experience in finance and IT in the corporate world and a wealth of experience in governance and strategy in the NGO sector. Sef is currently the Director of an IT transformation company consulting to several SA SME’s and has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector as Chairman of aged care organisation, Rembrandt Living, as board member of the Leaders Institute of SA and of Impact100 and as a Committee Member at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sef holds a Bachelor in Science, Chemical Technology from the Technical University of Eindhoven, Netherlands and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of the Leaders Institute of South Australia.

Professor Bill Griggs - Chair of Operations/Commissioner

Bill is a Member of the Order of St John with over 40 years’ experience in the medical field. Specialising in trauma medicine, aeromedical retrieval, and disaster response, he is one of Australia's leading Intensive Care, Anaesthesia, and Medical Retrieval Specialists. Currently a Director on several boards, Bill is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide.

Bill has formal qualifications in Aerospace Medicine and a Masters degree in Business Administration. Bill has a strong reputation for caring for his patients, showing empathy and compassion even in the most dire situations.

Michael Weightman - Elected Director

Dr Michael Weightman is a consultant psychiatrist with SA Health and a clinical academic with The University of Adelaide. He is also a long-term volunteer with St John Ambulance SA, with roles as both as a leader in the youth programme and a medical officer at events. Michael currently holds the position as Youth Area Manager, City South. He joined the board as a member-elected director in November 2023 with a view to representing our youth members and their leaders.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery and a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) from The University of Adelaide. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Michael is an experienced clinician, medical educator, and researcher.

Mark Groote - Chief Executive Officer

Mark Groote has been a senior leader across all tiers of Government and the not for profit sector.

Appointed as the CEO of St John Ambulance South Australia in December 2019, he was previously the State Director of the Australian Red Cross and was responsible for the leadership of the state-wide humanitarian programs in South Australia, as well as providing national thought leadership in social policy and local government engagement.  Mark also spent time as the director of the Australian Red Cross NSW and ACT.

Prior to his Red Cross appointment, Mark worked in community services across State and Commonwealth Government agencies at the senior executive level, including running national education and childcare programs, leading cultural change and reform in emergency services, and working across regional and remote communities managing social housing. 

Mark is currently an elected member at the City of Prospect – a role he has had for the past 11 years.  During this time, Mark was the Deputy Mayor for five years. 

A qualified social worker, and holding an Executive Masters in Public Administration, Mark has key strengths in leadership, change management and organisational development. 

Steve Yeo - Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer

Steven brings a wealth of experience across a broad range of commercial activities including; Franchising, FMCG, Health and Education. He has held various finance positions within SA Health, and senior positions within publicly listed companies (NYSE & ASX), professional partnership organisations and not-for-profits.

Steven has previously led successful commercial turnaround strategies in his roles as Regional Director Financial Turnaround (SA Health), Chief Operating Officer/Associate Partner (HPS Pharmacies), Head of Marketing & Merchandise (Metcash), and Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer (St John Ambulance). Recent Board positions include SA Group Enterprises (Minda Inc), Sammy D Foundation and Australian Hearts. 

Steven has a Masters of Business Administration, a Masters of Marketing and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kerry Whitehead - Executive Director, Operations & Community Services / Chief Clinical Officer

Kerry is the Executive Director, Operations and Community Services and Chief Clinical Officer and previously held since 2013 the role of General Manager, People and Programs and Operational Services at St John Ambulance SA.

Kerry has an extensive senior nursing leadership and operational management background, including health regulation and clinical governance experience at the executive level. Kerry applies her knowledge and expertise to shape service development and to deliver and maintain high-level customer and patient experiences and optimal patient outcomes.