With over 35 years of experience in establishing and expanding highly profitable organizations within the healthcare sector, spanning across Australia and Asia, I possess a deep understanding of how to drive impact and shape decision-making processes. My career's foundation in the Australian Army exposed me to trauma and mental health challenges, igniting my passion for mental health and well-being.

I've steered the Australian Counselling Association Inc. from its infancy to becoming the foremost body for counsellors and psychotherapists, achieving an impressive annual growth rate of 26%. Key to this success has been my ability to engage stakeholders at all levels, be it in government, industry, or within teams. I attribute my achievements to my knack for cultivating relationships, complemented by a strategic mindset that enables me to discern market trends, seize opportunities, uphold good governance, and inject fresh perspectives into the sector.

Throughout my journey, I've assisted numerous private practitioners in growing their businesses. My time with the ACA was also dedicated to expanding avenues for private practitioners to connect with third-party contractors like Employee Assistance providers, Private Health funds, third-party contractors, and workplace insurers such as Workcover.

My profound understanding of the intricacies of private practice has matured over four decades, encompassing running my own five-room clinic, coordinating a not-for-profit community and veterans centre, conducting professional education classes, guest lecturing at universities, engaging with peak bodies in Australia and overseas, leading the ACA for 24 years, and securing competitive contracts to deliver Supervision training to private and government-funded organizations.

In 2002, I crafted the RISE UP model of Clinical Supervision course, specifically designed to provide mental health workers with access to an evidence-based program rooted in self-care principles. Today, this model is the number one choice for supervision among counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia, and it has been embraced by many mental health specialists across Asia.

During my tenure as the CEO of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), I elevated the profile of the counselling profession in the broader care provision continuum. This transformation not only enhanced equity and accessibility for Australians but also bolstered the financial viability of the healthcare system. I am now eager to extend my four decades of leadership in mental health, armed with both professional expertise and lived experience, to a wider audience.

Summarily, my key competencies and achievements are as follows:

Executive Leadership: A proven track record of establishing highly profitable and influential healthcare organizations by identifying new market expansion opportunities with a keen commercial focus.

Financial Acumen: Proficiency in financial and commercial management, including overseeing P&L performance, CAPEX/OPEX budgets, and governance and risk management for both commercial businesses and not-for-profit entities.

Strategic Leadership: Adept at providing strategic and operational guidance to build comprehensive and integrated operations from the ground up, with a history of overseeing strategic planning processes.

Leadership and Team Development: An empathetic and disciplined leader with a history of building innovative, accountable, and high-performing team cultures, exemplified during my tenure as CEO of the Australian Counselling Association Inc.

Stakeholder Engagement: Confident in engaging and influencing government and industry bodies through high-level negotiation and communication skills to advance organizational objectives.

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