VMCH announces new CEO

1 February 2017

1 Feb 2017

Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) is thrilled to welcome Sonya Smart as its new Chief Executive Officer. Her appointment follows the recent retirement of Greg Pullen and a competitive national search to find his successor.

Sonya joins us from Perth where she was Chief Executive of Catholic Homes Incorporated, a position she held for over six years. In that role, she provided strategic leadership and direction for the organisation’s seven aged care facilities, four retirement villages, home care services and wellness centre.

Prior to being Catholic Homes’ Chief Executive, Sonya held leadership roles in residential and community care at Southern Cross Care WA.

“I am very passionate about providing quality care for the aged, disabled and especially the most vulnerable in our community,” says Sonya.

“I feel privileged to be in the role of CEO for VMCH and hope to continue their great work.”

Sonya’s entrepreneurship and business acumen was recognized in 2008 when she received a ‘40under40’ award: an honour which recognizes excellence and innovation amongst WA’s young leaders. She received the award for meeting the challenge of establishing greenfield community care services within an established organisation (Southern Cross Care WA). Under her stewardship, the service evolved to have an annual turnover of $10 million in just over six years.

A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2016), Sonya also holds a Master of Business Administration from Curtin University of Technology (2010) and a post graduate qualification in Clinical Psychology from Edith Cowan University (2002).

With a passion for residential aged care, disability and community services, Sonya has been a long-time advocate for delivering exceptional care to marginalised people in the community.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.