
With the Aged Care Act 2025 introducing landmark reforms, aged care professionals are entering a new era of compliance, care standards and workforce expectations. Now more than ever, it's crucial to be prepared.
The Aged Care Workforce Leaders Forum is designed for you—the leaders, managers and HR professionals on the front lines of aged care. This is your opportunity to gain the tools, insights, and strategies needed to confidently lead your teams through change and into a more sustainable, rewarding future.
Far more than just a discussion platform, the forum offers:
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Practical strategies to boost job satisfaction, working conditions and retention
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Tangible solutions to address burnout and foster emotionally supportive environments
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Expert guidance on navigating new legislation, pay reforms and compliance requirements
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Opportunities to connect with peers facing similar workforce challenges
Whether you’re responsible for day-to-day workforce operations or longer-term strategy, this forum will help you respond effectively and sustainably.
What challenges will we tackle together?
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Staff Shortages and Burnout: Explore the underlying causes, from casualisation to a lack of emotional and mental health support, and how to build a more resilient workforce.
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Inconsistent Training and Career Pathways:
Discover how to implement consistent, high-quality training, particularly in specialist areas such as dementia and palliative care, and create meaningful career progression opportunities.
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Understanding New Policy and Pay Reforms:
Learn how to manage the real-world implications of key reforms, including the mandated 200 minutes of nursing care per resident and sector-wide wage increases.

Our Advisory Board
These senior Aged Care sector leaders have drawn on their experience and insight to help shape this year’s agenda and speaker lineup for the Aged Care Workforce Leaders Forum.

Rachel Argaman
Chief Executive Officer
Opal

Sara Allotta
Group International Sourcing Manager
Bolton Clarke

Robert Peoples
Teaching Education Manager - Health & Community Services
South West TAFE

Laura Haylen
Director of Aged Care Policy
Catholic Health Care

Arianna Mason
General Manager of People, Culture & Strategy
Fresh Hope Communities
Featured Speakers

Cara Williams
Head of Safety and Wellbeing
Bolton Clarke

Cameron McPherson
Chief Executive Officer
Medical & Aged Care Group

Mason Gismondi
Head of Psychosocial Safety
Bupa

Michael Rasheed
Executive People and Culture
Southern Cross Care

Mark Green
National Director Mission & People
Calvary Health

Adam Priest
Head of People & Culture
Southern Cross Care

Lauren Meredith
General Manager Aged Care Operations, Aged Care Services
Mercy Care

Diana Horvatovic
Chief Executive Officer
St. Basil's Aged Care NSW & ACT

Why Attend?
Better understand what the new Aged Care Act means for the future of talent acquisition and examine changes in government policies to create sustainable staffing solutions that balance compliance with high-quality care, with
Adam Priest, Head of People & Culture, Southern Cross Care

Explore strategies to improve career longevity and staff commitment through improved retention-focused initiatives with
Lauren Meredith, General Manager Aged Care Operations, Aged Care Services, Mercy Care
Rad Popowicz, Talent Acquisition Manager – Aged Care, The Salvation Army Aged Care


Unlock workforce access and leverage technology to enable better care with
Michael Rasheed, Executive People and Culture, Southern Cross Care

Leverage technology to streamline administrative tasks and reduce compliance burnout while delivering better quality information to monitor and improve care quality with
Johanna Westbrook, Professor of Health Informatics and Patient Safety, Macquarie University

Maximise efficiency with HR information systems and discover cloud-based analytics system that provides predictive reporting and decision-making support with
Stephen Becsi, Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Care
Alissa Walsh, Chief Performance Officer, Apollo Care


Learn the best good mental health practices for staff in high stress environments with
Moderator: Mark Green, National Director Mission & People, Calvary Health
Sharon Blackburn, Executive Director, BallyCara
Mason Gimsondi, Head of Psychosocial Safety, Bupa



