Healix expands APAC footprint with senior Melbourne hires

Healix International has strengthened its Asia-Pacific operations with a series of senior hires in Melbourne, Australia, signalling continued investment in travel risk management and medical assistance services across the region.

The company has appointed Julian Heath and Grant Strudwick as Directors of Travel Risk Advisory, alongside Karen Howden as Operations Manager for Medical Assistance. In parallel, Chris Garrett has been named Director of Client Solutions and Growth for Southeast Asia, based in Malaysia.

Collaboratively, the hires bring more than 60 years of combined experience spanning crisis response, resilience consulting, insurance operations, and clinical governance.

Heath and Strudwick, both with backgrounds in the Australian Defence Force, bring nearly five decades of combined experience across Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Strudwick has previously supported organisations through major global events, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season.

Heath adds extensive crisis management and humanitarian experience, including assignments with the United Nations in the Middle East and a NATO secondment during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

Howden brings more than a decade of international experience in medical travel assistance and insurance operations, with a background in critical care nursing in both the UK and Australia.

Meanwhile, Garrett’s appointment in Southeast Asia adds a commercial and client-facing dimension to the expansion, with a focus on driving regional growth, strengthening client relationships, and aligning services more closely with local market needs.

“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,” said CEO James Henderson.