The LEADERS SUMMIT 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Sydney attracted more than 500 executives in the ageing sector to hear 43 CEOS and industry leaders talk about the optimism permeating through the retirement living and aged care sector.   

Let us share LEADERS SUMMIT 2024 in pictures. 

DCM Group CEO Chris Baynes launches LEADERS SUMMIT 2024.

579 people from the sector registered for the LEADERS SUMMIT 2024. 

Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, who had to attend Parliament in Canberra, gave a short address via video to update LEADERS SUMMIT on the progress of the Aged Care Act and the intentions of the Government going forward.  

HammondCare CEO Mike Baird was the first ageing sector executive to share his optimism for the future and named three initiatives that excite him. 

Aged & Community Care Providers Association CEO Tom Symondson reflects on how in 12 months the attitude to the sector has changed for the better and how the peak body's title does not reflect its representation. 

The first break for networking and checking out the Suppliers’ Hall.  

Aged Care Taskforce member Grant Corderoy, Partner at StewartBrown, told the packed audience what would happen to the sector if the recommendations were implemented by the Albanese Government.  

Opal HealthCare CEO Rachel Argaman OAM thanked Grant Corderoy for his work with the Aged Care Taskforce.   

Simon Miller, Anglicare Sydney CEO, clearly is the new innovator in aged care and retirement living, as he showed in his discussion with DCM Group CEO Chris Baynes.   

At every session, there were brilliant questions from the floor which were duly answered.  

Ian Yates (AM), Acting Inspector-General of Aged Care, gave a pointed talk about the key challenges and opportunities facing Government and providers including the need to take the sector to the next level. 

Cam Ansell, Managing Director of Ansell Strategic, gave an enlightening speech predicting the growth spots of the sector going head. Read Chris Baynes’ Opinion article on Cam's speech. 

Penelope Eden (left) and Deanna McMaster, Partners at law firm MinterEllison, finished the morning by dissecting the draft of the new Aged Care Act and what it means for the future of aged care.  

The lawyers had the audience spellbound and Sally Taylor, Managing Director of Retirement by Moran, was not alone asking a question as lunch beckoned. 

To start the afternoon, a series of breakout sessions divided the audience into three groups. 

There was Brett Rice, Chief Operating Officer Retirement Living at Bolton Clarke, Tamar Krebs, Executive Director at Group Homes Australia, and Tammy Berghofer, Partner, MinterEllison, with James Wiltshire, DCM Institute Executive Director, hosting. 

DCM Group Editor Lauren Broomham hosted a chat with Will Egan, CEO of Ausmed, Simon Lockyer, Co-founder of Five Good Friends and Lookout Way and Kris Whitehead, CEO of Home Instead.   

DCM Group CEO Chris Baynes hosted a chat with Ian Thorley, healthcare consultant, Stephen Becsi OAM, Apollo Care CEO, and Aged Care Taskforce member Grant Corderoy, Partner at StewartBrown. 

James Wiltshire, DCM Institute Executive Director, hosts another session with Anna Gorgijeski, Head of Retirement Living, Ozcare, and Mark Eagleston, National Advisor Retirement Living, Calvary Health Care. 

Lynda Chalmers, CEO of Care Connect, Cam Ansell, Managing Director of Ansell Strategic, and Bay Warburton, General Manager of HammondCare at Home, were in a session with DCM Editor Lauren Broomham.  

Tania Tsiamis, Group Head of IRT Academy, and Will Egan, CEO of Ausmed, were in another session with DCM Editor Chris Baynes. 

Deanna McMaster, Partner at MinterEllison and James Teodoro, Executive Director DCM Executive Recruitment, were in conversation with DCM Institute Director James Wiltshire. 

Chris Stewart, CEO of Helping Hand, Danielle Robertson, Founder DR Care Solutions, and Aged Care Taskforce member Grant Corderoy, Partner at StewartBrown joined Lauren Broomham, DCM Editor for a talk. 

John Moore, Director, Aged Care Advisory Service, Stuart Hutcheon, Partner, StewartBrown, and Richard de Haast, CEO Scalabrini joined DCM Editor Chris Baynes for a session on the future of aged care accommodation.  

Coffee and cake break with a great opportunity for networking and a chat with the sponsors. 

Darren Gossling, CEO & Managing Director of Rohling International, brought the audience back into one with a fascinating talk of the top three IT challenges for the sector.  

The final address was significant for all operators in retirement living. Mark Langdon, CEO, Prospecta Utilities, and Max Kamali, Market Development Manager, Mondo, told of a revolution in power renewables and the ability to store power and even have your own wireless communication system, saving the business thousands of dollars and residents too. 

Second day of LEADERS SUMMIT 2024 

DCM Group CEO Chris Baynes welcomed everyone to the second day of the conference and introduced the first address.  

Founder of Oak Tree Group Mark Bindon starts the second day by revealing his love for retirement living and promises he will be back after taking his wife on holiday. 

It is another packed house for the second day at LEADERS SUMMIT.  

Stephen Becsi OAM, CEO of Apollo Care, on how he saved regional aged care homes from oblivion.  

Prue Bowden, CEO - Home Health Australian Unity, gave a fascinating speech on how it is breaking away from its established home support and care business model. 

Then the first barista coffee break of the day and more networking and chats with suppliers. 

After the break, John Collyns, Executive Director of New Zealand’s Retirement Villages Association, explains how care services in retirement villages across the Tasman Sea are being radically redesigned.   

Richard de Haast, CEO of Scalabrini Villages, gave a fascinating and inspiring insight of how to build a community. 

A fascinating insight into how the banking sector is looking at retirement living in each State through the minds of Brian Wong, Executive Manager, CommBank Health - National; Belinda Hegarty, Executive Manager, Healthcare and Construction NSW, Commonwealth Bank; Scott Meredith, Relationship Executive Healthcare (including Aged Care & Retirement Living  and the Not For Profit sector) Qld; Kate McKendrick, Relationship Executive, Corporate Healthcare at Commonwealth Bank, Victoria; and Andrew Dunjey, Corporate Relationship Executive, Commonwealth Bank, WA. 

Group Homes Australia Founder and Executive Director, Tamar Krebs, and DCM Group Editor Chris Baynes, sat down for one of the best sessions. The audience broke into applause when she likened the care of people with dementia to putting people in jail, and how her thriving business let the same people live freely.  

Noral Wild, International Director, Head of Alternatives – Asia Pacific, Cushman & Wakefield, informed the audience about the interest from overseas investors in seniors living and then told them what had to happen for their interest to become reality.  

Former Cabinet Minister and Minister for Ageing Chris Pyne, now COTA Australia Chair, and Anglicare Sydney CEO Simon Miller, a former First Assistant Secretary, at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, had a side-splitting chat about being a Minister and the machinations of Canberra. 

Ross Humphreys, Director of GenBridge, which manages the first strata vertical retirement village Victoria Towers in Southport, Gold Coast, followed with why it is such a success and if strata plans for seniors will become more commonplace.      

Chris Baynes, DCM Group CEO, thanked the audience for attending what is arguably the best LEADERS SUMMIT since its inception in 2010. 

As is tradition, the DCM Group employees posed for a photo with CEO Chris and wife Jill.   

See you on Tuesday, 18 March, and Wednesday, 19 March, next year. Save the date.