Albury Wodonga Health board chairman flags qualities which drove decision to select former nurse to be CEO

Bill Appleby was on Friday announced by AWH chairman Matt Burke as the successor to Michael Kalimnios, who died in January.

Starting his career as a nurse, Mr Appleby has since worked for various Melbourne health organisations and from 2010 to December last year was at the helm of Jewish Care Victoria.

Mr Burke said on Friday he believed Mr Appleby had "the drive to take us forward" and "the board looks forward to working with him as we pursue our goal of delivering a new hospital for the Albury-Wodonga community".

"He knows it's complex in a number of areas but he's looking forward to the challenge ahead of him," Mr Burke said.

"He knows the intricacies of what we have to face with the border situation where we're run by Victoria but have two masters with Vic and NSW."

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Mr Appleby was chosen after a shortlist was cut from six to four to two.and dual interviews with the board.

"He's got that persona that you want, he's down to earth but got strong leadership skills," Mr Burke said.

Mr Appleby, who is married with four adult children, was not made available to speak to The Border Mail on Friday by AWH on the basis he is still familiarising himself with issues.

In a statement, Mr Appleby said he wanted the job "because I believe I am the right strategic fit for what the organisation wants to achieve over the next five years".

"Secondly I am strongly aligned to the values of the organisation, particularly patient-centric care, equality, diversity and inclusion."

Mr Appleby also noted AWH had a critical economic role and "there is a strong sense of community ownership and pride which I think provides a strong foundation to build on".

Upon leaving Jewish Care Victoria president Susie Ivany said "Bill's exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment and ethical stewardship have garnered immeasurable benefits for our organisation and community".

Jewish Care Victoria has an operating budget of $80 million and 950 staff, while Albury Wodonga Health has an operating budget of $390 million and 3700 staff.

On his profile on professional networking site LinkedIn, Mr Appleby describes himself as having a reputation for being an intelligent, ethical and optimistic senior leader.

"In addition, I enjoy solid working relationships across relevant government agencies, regulatory authorities and peak bodies," he states.

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