Pros
Some fabulous staff who do a great job
Cons
In my view, the Chief Executive is a bully and actively encourages members of the Executive Management Team to behave in the same way. This has, in my opinion, created a culture of fear rather than one of openness, challenge and accountability.
There has been an exodus of long-term staff who have effectively vanished overnight—there one day and gone the next. The frequency of these departures has created a perception amongst employees that challenging decisions, raising concerns or expressing a different view carries personal and professional risk.
As a result, many people appear reluctant to speak openly or provide robust challenge. The Chief Exec has publically stated he won't accept whistleblowing. I believe this has had a negative impact on organisational culture, governance and decision-making, with dissenting voices often being silenced rather than listened to.
From my perspective, the organisation was in a significantly stronger position prior to the current Chief Executive's appointment following the retirement of Darrell. Since that time, there has been a marked deterioration in organisational performance, reflected in declining financial resilience, weakened governance outcomes and increased regulatory scrutiny. What concerns me most is that, despite these setbacks, there appears to be limited willingness to reflect on the underlying causes or learn from past mistakes. Instead, challenge is often resisted and responsibility appears to be directed elsewhere, reducing the organisation's ability to improve and recover effectively.
In my opinion, the organisation would benefit from a leadership approach that welcomes constructive challenge, encourages diverse viewpoints and fosters a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement. Without this, I believe there is a risk that the issues currently affecting the organisation will continue to persist.