Healix International has made a series of senior appointments in Melbourne and Malaysia as it looks to expand its Asia-Pacific operations, adding leadership capacity in travel risk advisory and medical assistance.
The company has appointed Julian Heath and Grant Strudwick as Directors of Travel Risk Advisory in Melbourne, and Karen Howden as Operations Manager, Medical Assistance. Healix said the three bring more than 60 years of combined experience across medical and travel assistance, resilience consulting, medical operations and crisis response.
Heath and Strudwick, both with backgrounds in the Australian Defence Force, have nearly 50 years’ combined experience in senior management roles across multiple regions, according to the company. Healix said their appointment will support its travel risk management, consultancy and on-demand services across APAC.
Heath has 26 years’ experience in professional services across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific, and has worked on humanitarian and peacekeeping assignments with the United Nations and through a NATO secondment during hostilities in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, according to the release.
Strudwick has more than 25 years’ experience in private sector security, travel risk and resilience. Healix said his crisis experience includes supporting organisations through incidents such as the Mumbai hotel attacks, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the Christchurch earthquakes, the Sydney Lindt Café siege and the Chennai floods.
Howden joins from roles spanning medical travel assistance, insurance operations and clinical governance, with more than 12 years’ international experience, the company said. Healix added that she previously worked as a critical care and cardiac nurse in Australia and the UK.
James Henderson, CEO of Healix International, said the appointments reflect its focus on APAC as a growth region.
“APAC is a key growth region for Healix, and these strategic appointments reflect our long-term commitment to building the strongest possible leadership team in the region.
“Julian, Grant and Karen bring a wealth of experience across advisory, resilience and global operations, and their expertise will play a central role in supporting our expansion and delivering high-quality services to our clients across Australia and the wider region.”
In Southeast Asia, Healix has appointed Chris Garrett as Director of Client Solutions & Growth (Southeast Asia), based in Malaysia. The company said the hire is intended to strengthen regional client support and alignment as risk conditions become more complex.