Professor Anna Peeters appointed new VicHealth Chief Executive

Health expert Professor Anna Peeters has been named as the new Chief Executive of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth).

Announcing Professor Peeters’ appointment, Victorian Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas stated "Professor Anna Peeters is an exceptional public health expert who has spent her career working towards a healthier and fairer world.”

Professor Peeters brings decades of experience in public health and health promotion to the role. She is the Director of the Institute for Health Transformation at Deakin University, and is a Professor in Epidemiology and Equity in Public Health.

Throughout her career, Professor Peeters has led the way in public health research, internationally recognised for her work toward equitable health outcomes. She established the first International Centre of Excellence in healthier food retail environments, RE-FRESH, and received a Churchill Award in 2014 for her innovative work in equity and population prevention.

Professor Peeters holds a prestigious Skou Professorship at Aarhus University in Denmark in recognition of her population health expertise.

Professor Peeters was educated in Victoria and began her research career close to home, completing a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD at the University of Melbourne.

Professor Peeters has had a long-standing association with VicHealth, including earlier in her career as a VicHealth Research Fellow in 2003. She served on the VicHealth Board for over five years, nominated by the Cancer Council.

Welcoming Professor Peeters, VicHealth Board Chair, Nicola Roxon noted “Anna is a perfect fit for VicHealth in 2025. Her career has been committed to improving population health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on equity and evidence-based practices.”

“She is the right person to lead the dedicated VicHealth team and work with a committed sector to deliver our 10-year strategy aimed at delivering effective systemic change to improve the health and wellbeing of Victorians.”

Looking forward to her new role, Professor Peeters commented “I look forward to applying my extensive track record in delivering transformative outcomes through collaborative leadership to achieve the goals set out in VicHealth’s exciting 10-year strategy.”

“I am particularly proud of how many committed public health colleagues I have been able to support to deliver improved health outcomes and I look forward to working with Victorians towards a healthier, fairer future for everyone.”

Professor Peeters will begin her new role in the coming months.

Image: Professor Anna Peeters. Credit: VicHealth/Rebecca Hosking.