COTA Australia CEO Ian Yates has recruited three strategic directors to the national board at a pivotal time for COTA.
As demonstrated by the quickly assembled Federal Government’s aged care Visitor Access Code, with COTA the lead consumer advocacy group, the organisation remains in the Government’s eyes the trusted voice of older Australians.
With the Royal Commission due to bring discussion of both care and support ‘over the last 15 years of life’ into the public forum later this year, Yates has supported the appointment of Hugh Mackay AO, Lesley Podesta and Jim Hazel (pictured L-R) to the COTA Australia board.
Hugh Mackay AO is arguably Australia’s most highly regarded and recognised social researcher. He is also extremely commercially astute. He was the ‘go to’ researcher for John Singleton throughout his marketing career. Politically he is respected by all sides, having been one of the founders of the St. James Ethics Centre.
Lesley Podesta rose at a young age to First Assistant Secretary in the federal Department of Health & Ageing. She left Government to be Head of Global Partnerships & Advocacy for The Fred Hollows Foundation, followed by CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which is recognised for providing best practice violence prevention and care for children and young people.
Jim Hazel is the veteran of the retirement village and supported living sectors in Australia. With Adelaide Bank he led the funding of the growth of retirement villages in the 1990s, then became CEO of Prime Life, then the country’s largest village operator (now Lendlease villages). He is Chair of Omega Communities (private aged care) and Ingenia (land lease and rental communities) as well as a director of Bendigo Bank.
Retirement living and aged care accommodation and services will be reshaped over the next five years by the Federal Government. Yates is ensuring COTA has a strong (consumer) voice at the table.
