Renee and Tracy had worked together for 10 years when CareSouth founder Jim McEwan approached them about becoming co-CEOs of the organisation – Tracy as Executive Officer (Practice) and Renee Executive Officer (Business).
They both took a leap of faith and dived straight in.
“There was no blueprint, or ‘how to guide’ for what we were embarking on.” Said Renee.
“We are both 100% committed to the organisation and aligned with its values so every decision comes down to what is in the best interest of the child, or the family, or our organisation and keeping those core issues at the forefront is key to our decision making.”
“It’s been 5 years and we haven’t disagreed on anything yet despite coming from different career backgrounds,” added Renee.
Tracy has had over 30 years’ experience in community sector starting out her career in disability support work, while Renee started out as a trainee accountant working her way up to senior financial management roles in several large-scale companies.
A DISC personality profile 12 months into the joint role revealed they have opposite personality traits and strengths, but a deep mutual respect and trust has served them well in what is a very unique relationship and way of working.
Both agree they have learnt a lot from one another:
“While I do enjoy finding creative ways to tackle problems, Tracy is great at coming up with ideas and sometimes we’ll workshop a few together before we land on a viable solution.”
“She’s stretched my mind to new ways of thinking, which has caused me to grow so much as a leader.” Said Renee.
“What we do every day is very serious, but we enjoy and value humour and always have each other as a sounding board, which makes a hard job easier.” Said Tracy.
“Listening to young people and advocating for them is the essence of what we do and sometimes that involves tough conversations with the Government Leaders.”
“I am very passionate and have a lot to say after 30 years in this industry and knowing what best practice care looks like, but Renee is great at helping us present our case formally with the numbers and evidence to back it up – we make a great team.” Added Tracy.
Both Renee and Tracy have individually won the Outstanding Business Leader Award at the Shoalhaven Business Awards, with Renee winning at a regional level in 2022 and becoming a State Finalist. Renee has served as Treasurer of the Shoalhaven Business Chamber for the past 7 years and is a member of ‘Leaders for Impact.’
Tracy’s passion for child centred care and innovative solutions has won her the support of colleagues state-wide who are eager to join the team and learn from her wealth of experience.
The pair are a formidable force now leading over 500 staff and moving into new regions.
