What are Executive Learning Sets
HG Sets are intentionally provocative and challenging, in a deeply respectful way, and because of that they achieve lasting impact.
We bring together a group of 9 peers with diverse leadership and industry experience to share their insights gained through lived experience and together, with their expert facilitator, analyse and resolve the complex challenges they face.
The Action Learning Methodology
Explore your challenge
Name the issue
The aim of the Action Learning Set is to address present work-related challenges, which may pertain to individual, team leadership, or organisational leadership, by discussing and reflecting on them within the group.
Developing Knowledge and Insights
Go Deeper
Gain valuable insights by exploring various perspectives from other leaders within your group who have encountered similar challenges. Take into account the context and intricacies of the situation, and carefully consider what is significant and what holds the highest importance.
Create the Vision
Develop a compelling strategy
Sets provide a distinctive environment for reflection, allowing participants to take a step back, engage in discussions about complex issues with peers, and depart from each Set meeting with a clearer understanding. They help solidify your vision, challenge your thought processes, ensure alignment with the issue at hand, and confirm congruence with organisational priorities.
Understanding
Exploration Phase
Executive Learning Sets consistently embrace the concept of reflexivity, where the set member is encouraged to contemplate insights gained from past experiences, challenge assumptions and limitations and evaluate the evidence at hand.
Planning
Consider Options
Set members encourage each other to think creatively and push boundaries, fostering innovative approaches and encouraging action beyond conventional norms. This collaborative environment cultivates new possibilities, enhances capacities and capabilities, and promotes opportunities for collaboration. Together, they evaluate various options to determine the most effective course of action.
Implement Solutions
Action the solution, and report to peers.
Sets are dedicated to the development and implementation of an action plan, with the added benefit of supportive guidance from both the facilitator and peers. This ensures commitment to follow through and accountability for actions taken. Within this framework, specific actions to be undertaken, either individually or as a group are identified, alongside the resources and partnerships required. Details are clarified to elevate commitment levels.
Reflecting and Evaluating
Describe the insights gained from experience.
At your next Set meeting you will reconvene to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented solution, record important insights, and make any required modifications. This involves assessing the action taken and engaging in critical reflection, determining the extent to which the vision has been achieved, and making the necessary refinements for further improvement.
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Connect with the right people
There is a purposeful and structured methodology behind making sure each member is placed in the right set.
HG extended an invitation to the Original Learning Set to share their experiences and what being a part of this leadership group has meant to them. We encourage you to watch their reflections in the video, which serves as a compelling tribute to the transformative impact of Sets on careers and the development of exceptional leaders.
Meet our Facilitators
Astute and experienced, you can count on our team of expert facilitators to provide you with support and guidance in navigating the complex leadership challenges you face.
Anne Skipper
Governance Learning Set Facilitator & Coach
Anne has broad based governance experience and a deep understanding of the health and human services sector leading some of the largest government and private sector providers as a non-executive director. She has over 35 years of experience as a chair and board director of government, not-for-profit and private sector boards, across areas, including but not limited to, health, aged and disability, community and social services, financial services, and education.
David Hughes
National Manager, New Zealand
David Hughes is the National Manager of HG New Zealand. He is an experienced leader with significant healthcare experience across the public, private and non profit sectors, including in a range of specialty areas such as mental health and addiction, disability and primary care. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he conducts senior executive recruitment assignments and facilitates HG’s Executive Learning Sets.
Karen Roach
Executive Learning Sets Facilitator & Coach
Karen Roach has extensive experience as a senior executive in both public and private environments across Australia and New Zealand. She has been both a chief executive and chief operating officer, navigating public health, regulatory and community facing roles. Karen has experience across regional Queensland and understands medium large scale complex organisations.
Christine Leahy
State Manager, Victoria
Christine Leahy is a seasoned executive Human Resources specialist with over 25 years of experience in prestigious national and international corporations. Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce, she has played pivotal roles in HR, aiding companies in recruiting and retaining top-tier talent, thereby enhancing organizational culture and business performance. In addition to her leadership responsibilities, Christine conducts senior executive recruitment assignments and facilitates HG’s Executive Learning Sets.
Paul Ingle
Chief Executive Officer
Paul Ingle is the Chief Executive Officer of HG. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he conducts senior executive and board recruitment assignments and facilitates HG’s Executive Learning Sets. Paul has been a Chief Executive in both the public and private sector for over 20 years, having worked in New Zealand, the UK and Australia. He brings a wealth of experience in supporting organisational leadership, reform, employee wellbeing, and cultural transformation.
Kathryn Cook
Principal Learning Set Facilitator & Coach
Kathryn Cook is a highly regarded leader committed to making a significant contribution to the health of individuals and communities by playing a key leadership role, supporting collaboration and cohesion, fostering innovation and quality, and ensuring a commitment to the most effective use of resources. Kath has over 40 years of leadership in the health sector. During that time, she has worked in a variety of settings, providing her with a diverse breadth and depth of experience. She is a skilled strategist, change agent and people leader.
Ken Whelan
Executive Learning Sets Facilitator & Coach
Senior Health Executive with over 30 years as a Senior Manager and 20 of those years as a CEO across a range of Health providers and purchasers from Secondary/Tertiary providers with large rural and indigenous populations to major Quaternary Teaching facilities.
Sarah Buckler
State Manager, Queensland
Sarah Buckler has an extensive background and in-depth understanding of the public sector in Australia and New Zealand. She has over twenty-five years of experience in executive leadership roles and appointments to advisory and governing boards across public, private and quasi-government boards and authorities. Sarah is a recipient of the Australia Day Honours and was awarded the Public Service Medal for her contributions to regional development, investment attraction, public sector administration, leadership, and governance.
Stephen Hunter
Executive Learning Sets Facilitator & Coach
Stephen Hunter has deep expertise in public sector corporate leadership and governance with particular policy knowledge and experience in agriculture, water, the environment, natural resource management and research governance. He has developed these skills over a lengthy and diverse career in government and the private sector including a decade as Deputy Secretary with three Australian.
Gloria Wallace
Executive Learning Sets Facilitator & Coach
Gloria Wallace has had extensive management, education and clinical service delivery experience within the Health and Government Sectors. She brings practical experience across various Chief Executive and Human Resource management roles at executive levels.
Shelly Park
Executive Learning Set Faciliator & Coach
An experienced non executive director with over 30 years of experience leading complex organisations with ~1BN budgets and 15,000 employees. She has extensive experience on high performing Boards and brings a broad strategic lens in focusing on real world commercial outcomes. Shelly brings experience in financial stewardship, clinical and corporate governance, strength in crisis leadership and passion for quality, leadership, safety, and risk governance.
Dr John Wakefield PSM
Executive Learning Set Faciliator & Coach
Dr. John Wakefield is a highly accomplished and influential leader in the public healthcare system in Australia. With a distinguished career spanning various leadership roles in both clinical and executive capacities, he has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving patient safety, clinical quality, and health service management. As a respected medical professional, educator, researcher, John’s contributions have left a lasting impact on healthcare organizations at national and international levels.
Dr Kevin Snee
Executive Learning Set Faciliator & Coach
Dr Kevin Snee has an extensive leadership and governance career spanning 30+ years in the UK and New Zealand. He is a public health physician and Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. He is distinguished by his proven ability to lead organisations through complex transitions, including clinical and financial turnarounds.
Geoff Lavender
Executive Learning Sets Facilitator & Coach
With over 30 years’ experience in health and human services and working with government, Geoff has an extensive executive leadership background. Geoff facilitates a number of HG Executive Learning Sets and he designs and conducts leadership development programs for HG clients in the public and NFP sectors. In addition, Geoff works as an independent consultant in health and human services, providing management advisory services, particularly focused on policy and strategy in the public and not-for profit sectors.
Dr Melanie Boursnell
Executive Learning Set Facilitator & Coach
Dr Boursnell is an experienced Executive and Non-Executive Director who has contributed to improved health and social outcomes in a multitude of health areas.
She specialises in scaling leadership, innovation, engagement, capability development and change.
Explore the Program’s Benefits
Networking
In addition to your Set, connect with leaders from across the wider HG Set community as and when you need to, all of whom are committed to lifelong learning and each other’s success. Together accelerate impactful results at a system and organisational level.
System Intelligence
Stay across emerging intelligence from different systems and jurisdictions at each Set meeting, enabling you to stay change ready. When executives lead from a place of greater insight and awareness, it allows them to respond, rather then react, and focus on what is truly important.
Experienced Facilitation
Each Set is guided by an expert facilitator who brings extensive experience to ensure Set members leave no stone unturned in examining and responding to complex challenges. Very intentionally their role is to challenge, to hold a mirror up to group think and help hone the artform of critical thinking.
Ready to make people your organisation’s greatest asset?
