CEO MONTHLY | Female CEO of the Year Awards 2024 15 Aged Care CEO of the Year 2024 (Australia): Rachael Cook Rachael Cook entered Inclusee in 2019 and could not have chosen a moment more serendipitous; just five years ago, the organisation was facing closure and had received a failed business audit. At that point, Rachael’s role had been to determine the viability of Inclusee’s future and make the necessary changes to ensure its sustainability. Before Inclusee, Rachael held a variety of leadership roles in different sectors, ranging from acting as the Owner and Managing Director of her own businesses to the Chief Executive Officer of Renaissant Aesthetic Health, a day hospital in Queensland. These various positions provided Rachael with the necessary skillset to shape a company for success, teaching her about business development, human management, financial reporting and management, brand building and management, and communication. “Building the day hospital in East Brisbane was incredibly tough but is also the thing I am most proud of accomplishing in my career,” Rachael recalls. “I needed to learn so much in order to take the lead role in developing a critical community facility, with all its regulations, requirements, and licensing. From an empty plot of land to construction and design, I was involved in every detail – even putting on the hard hat to be on-site and learning from the tradespeople. “I was determined that the hospital wasn’t just pioneering in its design, but that the culture would be one of the best in Australia. My focus on setting the tone of values from the start meant I needed to make difficult and unpopular decisions at times, but it paid off in the end; the day hospital became an award-winning facility design with a strong percentage of female leaders.” Upon joining Inclusee, Rachael had no previous experience in the aged care sector and found her acclimation to be nervewracking at first. However, her time working at in the hospital industry provided Rachael with the confidence to navigate processes and governance, applying her knowledge of similar principles within the medical health industry. This application proved fruitful; Rachael has successfully rebuilt Inclusee from the ground up, restructuring the organisation to ensure that operations are streamlined and in alignment with its mission. Following her appointment as CEO, Rachael took the time to speak with the employees, gaining a better understanding of Inclusee’s core values and how its daily practices connect to the Aged Care Quality Standards. “I wanted to set a tone from the beginning that our values and practices needed to be compatible, and that I would support the changes every step of the way,” she tells us. “We spent a long time reassessing the organisation’s services and collaboratively determined our core values in alignment with the Aged Care Quality Standards. My experience within the very male dominated fields of corporate banking and medical leadership gave me the confidence to know that I could trust my intuition in making strong decisions, even when they were the harder path to take. In 2024, we achieved a 97% approval rate in our compliance audit, and we have fulfilled our service delivery responsibilities for the first time in the 50 year history of the organisation.” We learn that both Rachael and Inclusee will be focused on rapid growth in the upcoming 5 years, building upon a year of successful operations. Between the organisation’s plans of expanding its community, and Rachael’s personal goals of writing a book on leadership and wanting to branch into TEDx talks, the next year promises to be bustling and prosperous for all. We have no doubt that Rachael, named Aged Care CEO of the Year 2024 – Australia, will achieve all of this and more, driven by an unrelenting passion and unparalleled perseverance. “I am currently the CEO of an organisation, owner of multiple businesses, a mother, and a grandmother,” she says. “I believe it is entirely possible to create an environment in which you can be successful and satisfied in both your professional and personal lives. With dedication, a willingness to ask for support, and a commitment to learn from all experiences, you can achieve absolutely anything.” Contact: Rachael Cook Company: Inclusee Web Address: www.inclusee.org.au Oct24273 Founded in 1973, Inclusee is a not-for-profit charity providing social support services to older Australians via an established virtual community. Working with those vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness, Inclusee strives to ensure that people feel connected with each other from the comfort of their own homes. The charity is steered by Rachael Cook, who has made significant transformations to Inclusee since her appointment as its CEO. We speak with Rachael below to find out more, as she is named in the Female CEO of the Year Awards 2024.
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