GM People, Culture and Diversity Appointed To Drive Workforce Sustainability

Leading Victorian not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas has bolstered its executive team and commitment to the development of its people with the new appointment of Samira Richards to the role of General Manager People, Culture and Diversity.

Ms Richards joins Benetas with a wealth of experience in Human Resources, having held a range of HR positions at Monash University since 2005. Her most recent position as Director, Recruitment and HR Business Partnering (Faculty Services) at Monash saw Ms Richards lead and manage the HR Business Partnering function, support faculties with strategic HR advice and enable initiatives that foster a culture of high performance. Prior to her time at Monash, Ms Richards worked for IKEA in the UK as an HR Manager.

Leading a team of 30 in Benetas’ People function, Ms Richards will be responsible for delivering a suite of initiatives and programs to a workforce of Benetas’ 1,500 employees and an additional 400 volunteers.

Ms Richards said she looked forward to enabling Benetas’ growth and vision by ensuring the organisation is equipped with the right skills, alignment and customer focus.

“The development of People, Culture and Diversity has a huge role to play in Benetas’ vision of a positive, fulfilling experience of ageing where everyone has the opportunity to age well in communities of choice and support,” Ms Richards said.

“As the demands of the aged care sector grows, it is more important than ever to focus on workforce sustainability. With a leading People, Culture and Diversity program, we can attract and retain high quality staff, and most importantly develop leaders who will champion best practice and secure our vision, not just for Benetas but for the broader sector.”

Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said that Ms Richards’ appointment will ensure Benetas’ People program remained industry leading and forward-thinking.

“Benetas already has a strong track record of best practice in People and Culture having been the recipient of multiple awards in this area over the years, and most recently winning the Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA) Victoria Award for Excellence in People and Culture in 2017,” said Ms Hills.

“We’ve also made an effort to put a focus on diversity and inclusion, and as a result we’ve been recognised as a White Ribbon Workplace in addition to achieving our Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency for the eleventh year in a row.

“With Samira’s breadth of experience, we can continue our strong efforts in the People, Culture and Diversity space and ensure a sustainable workforce that is equipped to take on the challenges and opportunities faced in a contemporary aged care landscape,” Ms Hills said.

Find out more about Benetas.