Latest sector appointments

In this story:

• CEO of merged ‘Villa Maria Catholic Homes’ named
• Nick Proud appointed to board of Livable Housing Australia
• Dr Paul Dugdale new chair of AHHA

CEO of merged ‘Villa Maria Catholic Homes’ named

Current Catholic Homes CEO Greg Pullen will be appointed CEO of the upcoming merged entity ‘Villa Maria Catholic Homes’, Catholic Homes chairman Peter Collery and Villa Maria president Peter Hogan have jointly announced.

The merger of the two organisations remains subject to the approval of Villa Maria’s members which will be put to a meeting of the members on 28 October.

“Greg Pullen is an outstanding leader in the aged care field and we have full confidence in his ability to lead Villa Maria Catholic Homes, focused on aged care, specialist education and disability services,” Mr Hogan said.

Mr Pullen said he had a clear vision for the future of the merged entity.

“Villa Maria Catholic Homes will use benefits of scale to create a better outcome for the people we support, our staff, our stakeholders and the community in general,” he said.

“Merging the two organisations will deliver a greater depth and breadth of innovative, quality services to those supported by both organisations and increase capacity to invest into areas of need, such as social housing and disability services.”

Mr Pullen has led Catholic Homes since February 2013. Prior to his appointment he worked in a range of executive positions within the Victorian public health sector for 33 years.

Mr Hogan paid tribute to current Villa Maria CEO Valerie Lyons, who is taking up a new role outside the merged entity.

“Valerie has led Villa Maria for over seven years, and we are truly indebted to her for her strong leadership and her tremendous passion for our sector and those we support. She will always be part of the Villa Maria family and we wish her well in her next challenge,” Mr Hogan said.

Ms Lyons has agreed to stay in place for the next three months to ensure an orderly and smooth transition, he said.

Nick Proud appointed to board of Livable Housing Australia

Executive director of the Residential Development Council, Nick Proud, has been appointed to the board of Livable Housing Australia (LHA).

Amelia Starr, LHA’s executive director, said Mr Proud’s contribution to the board would further expand LHA’s influence and engagement with the residential development sector.

“Nick understands the challenges facing the housing industry – and the opportunities presented by livable, lifespan-friendly homes. We look forward to Nick’s contribution to LHA and a more livable future for all Australians,” Ms Starr said.

Prior to his appointment at the Residential Development Council in February 2014, Mr Proud held technical and policy roles in a variety of organisations including the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council and the Housing Industry Association.

Dr Paul Dugdale new chair of AHHA

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) has announced the appointment of its new chair, Dr Paul Dugdale.

Dr Dugdale is also currently the director of Chronic Disease Management for Canberra Hospital and Health Services, Associate Professor of Public Health at the Australian National University (ANU), and director of the ANU Centre for Health Stewardship.

Dr Dugdale said Australia had a great health system, but it could not rest of its laurels. “The AHHA is the peak lobby group for public hospitals as well as primary health and community-based health services. We have the experience, commitment and drive to build on what works and lobby for improvements in our health system,” he said.

AHHA chief executive Alison Verhoeven acknowledged the work of outgoing chair, Dr Paul Scown.

“Dr Paul Scown has led the AHHA with considerable skill and insight as we have navigated several years of health reform. With even more work to do in health reform, the AHHA will be well-positioned to taking a leading role with Dr Paul Dugdale at the helm,” Ms Verhoeven said.