Our Board of Directors holds honorary positions and consists of leading thinkers, educators and practitioners. They are passionate and committed to advocating and embedding professional industry standards for health and wellness coaching in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2025 HCANZA brought a Chief Operating Officer onto the team, to lead our growing membership and external stakeholder relationships
Linda Funnell – Milner
Chair, Co-founder, Australia
Linda holds degrees in Law and Education, Adv. Dip Nutritional Medicine, Dip Clinical Hypnotherapy, Certs NLP, and Health & Wellness Coaching certificate from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. Until recently, Linda worked as a consulting Nutritionist, Health Coach and Clinical Hypnotherapist in clinical practice. For four years Linda held a Non-Executive Director board position with the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA) She is a member of the Australasian College of Environmental Medicine (ACNEM).
Prior to being a health practitioner, Linda held corporate managerial and senior executive roles internationally, developing strategic policies on global issues and was a registered political lobbyist. This led to international program experience as an Australian Business Representative on collaborations with various United Nations programs including six years as Chair of the UN-sponsored GRI Stakeholder Council based in Amsterdam. From 2007 – 2013 Linda was a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Governance and Finance Committees with large Australian social justice and environmental NFP Boards.
Sharon Curtain
Director, Australia
BSc. Melbourne University, MND Nutrition and Dietetics, Deakin University, Plenty Training – TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Groupwork Centre – Facilitation training, PreKure – Certified Health Coach American Council on Exercise – Health Coaching and Behaviour Change Specialist Training.
Sharon is a Dietitian, Certified Health Coach, Certified Trainer and Assessor, Trained Facilitator, Entrepreneur and Director of Accredited Health Coaching Australia, and Author and Owner of the Diploma of Health Coaching, a nationally accredited qualification.
Sharon has worked for 23 years as a dietitian, health coach, trainer and presenter. She worked for five years as a clinical dietitian and another five years in corporate nutrition, in roles that included food regulations, marketing, and delivering nutrition training programs. Sharon currently trains students, practitioners and coaches individuals in health behaviour change.
Sharon developed and authored the first Australian Diploma of Health Coaching, run in collaboration with Victoria University Polytechnic and is the course co-ordinator and lecturer. She delivers online health coaching training courses to health professionals via Accredited Health Coaching Australia and has presented to Health professionals via Education in Nutrition and Education in Exercise online training.
Dr Cliff Harvey
Director, New Zealand
Dr Tabitha Healey
Director, Australia
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery – Flinders University
Medical Oncologist – Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians
Executive Leadership and Personal Wellbeing Coach
Postgraduate Qualifications in Clinical Hypnosis
During 20 years as a Medical Oncologist, Tabitha realised her greatest interest lay in restoring her patient’s wellbeing post treatment and established reconditioning and rehabilitation programs for cancer survivors. In 2019 she retired from medical practice to establish her coaching business to focus on prevention rather than palliation. As chronic illness overwhelms the healthcare system, Health Coaching provides an avenue to support people to take back control of their health and wellbeing and renew a health system in crisis. Tabitha has joined the board of HCANZA to support the organization in increasing awareness of the significant benefits that Accredited Health Coaches can provide as an integral component of the Health Care model, transforming care and lives.
Sharon Tomkins
Director, New Zealand
Sharon is a highly qualified and accomplished Coaching professional, with over a decade of experience in the industry. She holds an ICF Credentialed Coach designation, a Diploma in Coaching Supervision from the International Centre for Coaching Supervision in London, an NZQA VI Diploma in Professional Coaching, and an NZQA Cert V in Exercise and Personal Training.
Additionally, Sharon is a Credentialed PREKURE Health Coach and a professional member of the AOCS (Association of Coaching Supervisors). Her expertise lies in executive leadership and wellness coaching, and she has also collaborated with various not-for-profit and communities to enhance health and wellbeing outcomes.
Sharon is a seasoned Health Coach with a track record of training and mentoring other coaches. Her contributions to the field have been recognised, as she was awarded the HCANZA Health & Wellness Coach of the Year award in 2022. She believes nurturing Health Coaches’ aspirations and wellbeing is fundamental to achieving better health outcomes for everyone.
Sharon’s passion for helping people discover enjoyable and innovative ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle is evident in her work. She draws on her expertise and creativity to assist her clients in tackling health issues in her coaching and supervision practice.
Julie Schutz
Director, Australia
BA. Physiotherapy, Post grad. Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Certified Fitgenes Practitioner, Clinical Pilates Specialist, Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Partitioner and Fellow of Australian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
Julie has been a health professional for 26 years as a practicing Physiotherapist active across the public, private and community settings.
She has a deep understanding of the different Doctor/ Practitioner workplace settings and practice structures. Her skills as a Physiotherapist over such an extensive period across all sectors allows her to be a great communicator with doctors and other Health Professionals, a valuable bridge of communication and connection for HCANZA and its Health Coaches.
Julie is a Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner and a Fellow of the Australian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. I am passionate about preventative health practices and change and the important contribution Health & Wellness Coaches bring to this proposition.
Dr Gordon Spence
Director, Australia
Gordon is a highly experienced leadership development practitioner and coach,
published author, educator, researcher, registered psychologist and
exercise scientist (both NSW). He has 20+ years’ experience leading
tertiary-level coaching programs at the Coaching Psychology Unit
(University of Sydney) and Sydney Business School (University of
Wollongong).
With a PhD in coaching psychology, Gordon has always
been passionate about evidence-based practice and continuously leveraged
his unique blend of skills and experience to assist individuals, teams
and organisations address challenges related to employee engagement,
transformational leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, and workplace
wellbeing.
Gordon is extremely pragmatic and very focused on
helping clients understand key areas of development and enact plans that
can produce tangible and sustainable results. He has worked as a
facilitator and coach within numerous private and public sector
organisations, including AMP, Bankers Trust, Uniting NSW/ACT, Qantas and
NSW Health.
Gordon has also made numerous contributions to
knowledge in the fields of leadership and coaching, through various
editorial roles (journals and books) and authorship of over 30
peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. As an exercise
scientist, he has authored Get Moving Keep Moving and 26 Ways to Keep
Moving.
Qualifications:
- PhD – Coaching Psychology, University of Sydney (2006)
- Masters Applied Science (Coaching Psychology), University of Sydney (2005)
- Bachelor of Psychology (Class I Hons), University of Wollongong (2001)
- Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Newcastle (2022)
Betina Meyer Pflug
Chief Operating Officer – HCANZA
Betina Pflug is an accomplished entrepreneur, business and life coach, as well as a nonprofit and small business consultant, with over 30 years of experience. Specializing in coaching expatriates, she helps clients navigate the challenges of living abroad while thriving in leadership and entrepreneurial roles.
With an MBA from the Rotman School of Management in Canada and international experience living in Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, the USA, and Australia, Betina brings a global perspective to her work.
She also hosts two podcasts, Wisdom for Nonprofits and Wisdom Woman, focused on self-discovery, professional growth, and empowerment.
