Esha Oberoi, CEO and Founder of Afea Care Services, was named the Emerging Leader in Health in the 2021 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards.

“I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head,” Ms Oberoi told the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards at the Swissôtel Sydney.

“This quote was from the late Princess Diana. It’s a quote that best describes my leadership style, particularly in the last year.

“The last year has made me question what it means to be an outstanding leader. How do you lead with certainty when you’re not sure what lies ahead?

“I made a decision not to be consumed by the fear of uncertainty. I acknowledged and accepted that fear and made a conscious decision to rise above it all. Something my father has always reminded me to do.”

Ms Oberoi, who migrated from India to Sydney in 1991, attended the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards with her husband, Gaurav, who is CEO of NDIS specialists Inebura.

Afea, which has offices in Chatswood and Parramatta in Sydney and in Melbourne, was judged third in the best workplaces in health services in the AFR Boss Best Places to Work awards last month. It has over 70 staff in the office and over 800 carers across Sydney and Melbourne.