Inspiring females par for the course at Hall & Prior

To mark International Women’s Day 2023 and the continuing impact women make at Hall & Prior every day, we interviewed several leading females within the Group to find out what makes them tick.

Kausalia Apparao, General Manager Finance

L&L: What do you particularly enjoy in terms of day-to-day challenges in your role?

KA: I joined Hall & Prior in 2016 and I work closely with CEO Graeme Prior and the executive team to play a critical leadership role within the organisation.

On a day-to-day basis, I am responsible for the financial control of both the WA and NSW regions, including managing regional profit, cash flow and balance sheets, including controls, reporting and compliance with my team.

I have 22 years experience as a Chartered Accountant, working in finance/IT-related roles, and have overseen over the years over $1 billion turnover and 2,000+ employees.

Personally, I am passionate about the current changing phase the aged care sector is experiencing and enjoy working in a stimulating environment to deliver a high standard work via an innovative technology pathway with my team.

L&L: What does being a female leader mean to you - and what particular leadership qualities do you believe you exhibit?

KA: As a female leader, I believe I am able to make bold and wise decisions, which makes the team environment I oversee more collaborative. I value creating a more inclusive environment as a female leader with high emotional intelligence and being empathetic towards any situation that I deal with – whether it’s at work, with my family or in the community-at-large. I was taught me how to be resilient at a very young age and now I am older and more experienced, I believe I am able to use that fire within myself to create a workplace with a strong vision and a matching sense of purpose.

L&L: Aged care in general employs a lot of women - what makes you proud to work within the industry and what do you believe it offers those other women, young and old, who may be considering a career in aged care?

KA: Working in the aged care industry requires passion and empathy and I believe as a female, I tend to have a more co-operative and participative style of leading. As the industry is growing, it has a lot to offer to the younger generation who may be considering their career path in the caring profession. It can provide a strong sense of belonging and giving back to the community. This is definitely an important factor for me to be in this industry.

L&L: What does International Women’s Day mean to you - do you think women are getting a fair bite of the cherry these days compared to the past?

KA: The theme for International Women’s Day this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. One of my biggest strengths is understanding the application of technology and being able to design high level datasets into an analytical way to form a thought process for strategic thinking. STEM subjects are being introduced to all genders at school and I would like to see more women getting into the digital world as this is the future.

L&L: What advice would you give your younger self about pursuing your dreams - is there anything you wish you’d known then that you know now?

KA: I’m currently giving advice to my 17-yearold daughter (pictured, right) while she settles into her new life at university. While being academic is advantageous, it’s important that life and soft skills are also developed after high school. I am very proud to see her enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering (Robotic Automation) degree with a double major in commerce. She has also enrolled herself in the university’s Women In Engineering Club. She also tutors students, works in a café and assists with a debating club for high school students. Those are the things I wished I had done when I was younger - and it’s what I would have advised my younger self to do.

L&L: Are there any challenges you’d still like to conquer?

KA: I have been with Hall & Prior for seven years now and have seen many changes and challenges to the sector during that time, including COVID-19.

We are also going through a huge growth phase in this organisation, and I would like to continue to add value for financial growth and sustainability. It is a fantastic workplace, involving the opportunity to manage both WA and NSW. I would love to see more investment in our technology pathway in the future as our company growth strengthens so we can enhance other critical areas.

HIGH FLYERS

Above, Kausalia with her husband and two daughters, Isha, 17 and Mahi, 14. Right, Kausalia with some of her Hall & Prior colleagues during Diwali in 2022.

Natasha Bamber, Executive Director of Nursing (EDON), Karingal Green

L&L: What do you particularly enjoy in terms of the day-to-day challenges?

NB: I love my role as EDON at Hall & Prior’s Karingal Green Health and Aged Care Community. I enjoy a good challenge and this job certainly provides that. I can come into work and expect to start something and then something else will happen either clinically or with staffing, and whatever I have planned has gone right out the window. My passions in nursing are palliative care, Parkinson’s and education and I get to do all three at Karingal. I love teaching graduate nurses and enabling them to grow and feel confident about making clinical decisions themselves.

I also love the connection we have with our families and consumers. Building that relationship is so important and being a part of their journey is an incredible privilege and so rewarding.

L&L: What does being a female leader mean to you - and what particular leadership qualities do you believe you exhibit?

NB: I admire ex-New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s leadership qualities. I believe leaders can absolutely be both empathetic and strong. Leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room but instead being the bridge.

Being a female leader to me means providing mentorship and guidance to other women and men, and helping them thrive and develop their careers in whatever way they chose. Making people feel empowered and valued.

One quality I believe a great female leader should have is respect. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. I also like stepping out of my comfort zone and taking chances to create new and better opportunities.

L&L: What do you believe the industry offers women, young and old, who may be considering a career in aged care?

NB: I feel very proud to work in this industry. I work alongside so many strong, intelligent, funny and innovative women. I work with women from all sorts of different religious and cultural backgrounds and we may have different ideas and understanding of the world but we all come together to create a unique, gentle and loving environment for our consumers.

Aged care can provide a good steady and reliable income for women. It provides a safe working environment where woman can feel supported and valued. Aged Care also provides the chance for women to progress in their careers if that is the avenue they would like to follow.

L&L: Do you think women are getting a fair bite of the cherry these days compared to the past?

NB: It is a day of celebrating everything about a woman, it is a day to celebrate how far women have come and it is a day to bring attention to gender equality, violence against woman, reproductive rights. It’s also a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

I think things have definitely changed in regards to women having a fair bite of the cherry but we have a long way to go.

Against The Tide

Natasha Bamber is attempting the Oceans 7 Challenge in 2023, swimming the seven hardest oceans in the world.

I think women are definitely stronger than ever though. This year, I start my Oceans 7 Challenge which will mean me attempting swimming the seven hardest oceans in the world. There are only roughly 20 people in the world who have completed the challenge and there are no exceptions made for women; they must swim under the same rules as men. Just the way I like it!

L&L: Is there anything you wish you’d known when you were younger that you know now?

NB: Sometimes it takes those years to learn and gain experience to be where you are today. The one bit of advice I would have given my younger self is not to listen to other people’s opinions so much and do what you feel is best for yourself.

L&L: What do you hope your future holds in terms of your career here at Hall & Prior – are there any challenges you’d still like to conquer?

NB: There will always be challenges in our line of work that’s a given but I also have so many ideas and things I would like to see happen at Karingal so I am looking forward to that.