The aged care organisation’s previous chair has stepped down after almost a decade on the board.
Full time non-executive director Elizabeth Carr will be stepping into the role of chair at Amana Living, guiding the aged care provider as it develops its 2027 strategic plan.
Ms Carr will be taking over from Sue Wilson, who has sat on the board for nine years, with four years as chair.
Ms Carr has been on Amana Living’s board since May last year and holds the position of chair on several other boards and committees across government, the private sector and not-for-profits.
“I’m honoured to be stepping into the role at such a pivotal time for aged care in Australia,” she said.
“Amana Living is already a leader in quality and innovation, and my focus will be on steering the development of our 2027 strategic plan, ensuring we continue to evolve in line with the needs and expectations of the next generation of older Australians.”
The new strategic plan will focus on a technology transformation, expanding home care, developing new residential and retirement living assets and leveraging the organisation's property portfolio.
In conversation with Business News, Ms Carr revealed although Amana Living remains in a good position, there are tough times ahead.
The nation’s aged care system has been facing growing challenges as the number of older Australians rapidly increases while workforce, infrastructure and funding struggle to keep up.
“We're in a great position, because we're larger, well established, and have good governance and processes,” she said.
But infrastructure spending is expected to rise significantly.
“We think we're going to have to spend over the next 8-10 years half a billion dollars just to get some, not all, of our sites up to 2025-type standards,” Ms Carr said.
Her executive roles have involved strategy development for international organisations including technology company IBM and financial services company Macquarie Group.
Ms Carr is chair of St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, the state’s Waste Authority, North Regional TAFE and deputy chair of the Kokoda Track Foundation.
She is also chair of audit and risk committees at WA’s Department of Communities, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
On the east coast, she chairs the audit and risk committee at NSW’s Department of Education and Training.
Amana Living chief executive Stephanie Buckland thanked Ms Wilson for her guidance.
“I want to begin by acknowledging the exceptional leadership of our outgoing chair Sue Wilson who concludes her term in March after nine years of dedicated service on the Amana Living board - the maximum allowed under our governance framework,” she said.
“Sue has been a steady and strategic guide for Amana Living, having served as deputy chair from 2019, then chair from 2021, and leading our governance sub-committee throughout her tenure.
“Her governance expertise, drawn from senior leadership roles in the mining, banking and education sectors, has strengthened our organisation immeasurably.
“We are deeply grateful for Sue’s commitment and the stable foundations she leaves for the next phase of our growth.”
As Amana Living prepares to welcome Ms Carr as chair in April, Ms Wilson felt she was leaving the organisation in good hands.
“It has been a privilege to serve Amana Living during a period of significant change for the aged care sector,” Ms Wilson said.
“I am confident that Elizabeth will bring visionary leadership to guide the organisation into its next strategic cycle.”
Ms Buckland also expressed her confidence in the new chair, who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017 for her contributions to the sectors of health, aged care, education and social services.
“Elizabeth brings a depth of experience across government, major infrastructure projects, and complex service delivery environments,” she said.
