Greg Wilkie
Executive Director Manufacturing
What is your role?
My role is about leading a large, diverse team of about 670 people nationally to create and deliver the products our customers need, in full and on time. The team encompasses scientists, technicians, customer service professionals, administrators, change coordinators, and a range of other roles all focussed on delivering the business. The products are mainly blood components, but we also provide testing services. Increasingly, as our business grows, our offering may include other biological products such as human milk or tissues.
In Manufacturing we work very closely with other areas of the Blood Service to make sure that each part of the operation is working together to ensure the best outcome.
How did you get here?
Before joining the Blood Service in 2007 my career was in business, predominantly in business improvement and customer service operations in different industries including logistics, transport and energy. At the Blood Service, I have led operational teams in South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory, as well as establishing the National Contact Centre in Adelaide and, more recently, driving a lean continuous improvement culture in Manufacturing.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
Every day includes checking how we performed the previous day and how we are placed for today and tomorrow. Longer-term planning happens too, of course, but the daily delivery of customer needs is what Manufacturing is about.
Whichever site I am in on any given day, I do try to spend some time just walking through the work areas, talking to people and getting a sense of what is important to them that I may be able to help with.
As ED and having such a large and diverse operation to look after, most days, I am dealing with projects and initiatives which are designed to improve our business. These can be large scale technical projects or smaller process changes and can be Manufacturing specific or business-wide.
What do you see as the most important aspect of your role?
Leadership and engagement. If I can help to paint a compelling picture for people, to help them understand where we are heading as an organisation and why certain decisions have been made, then we are more likely to succeed in our goals.
How are you and your division working to better serve customers?
Over the coming months we will be developing a refreshed customer service strategy which will then be communicated to customers. Like any business, our customers’ needs change from time to time and we need to be close enough to customers to anticipate their changing needs and be ready to meet them. Providing the consistent service that we have promised will be the first step before we look at what else we can do to make our customers’ tasks easier.
What do you love about your job?
So many things! The variety of projects I am involved in; the enthusiasm, dedication and talent of the people I work with; and the reason we all do our jobs – improving or saving the lives of patients.
What’s something unique or interesting about your team that customers might not know?
Our teams get through an awful lot. Last year our Testing staff tested over 1.3 million samples, our Processing team created 2.8 million components, our Customer Service staff created over 22,000 orders and our Order Fulfilment team issued over 2 million units to health providers across Australia.
Dr Frances Guyett
Executive Director Innovation and Commercial Strategy
In October last year, the Blood Service welcomed a new Executive Director for its brand new division, Innovation and Commercial Strategy (I&CS). It was created to build on the Blood Service’s existing strengths and capabilities to develop opportunities for growth, innovation and future commercial services and to help us become a recognised leader in the industry.
What do you see as the purpose and goals of the new division?
I&CS is focusing on future transformation that targets new business and technology; leverages operating models, connections and customer service; and provides an innovative and entrepreneurial direction on the factors impacting stakeholders and business success. We want to ensure a sustainable future in fulfilling our daily obligations of providing a safe and secure supply of blood products and testing services to the Australian community.
How did you get here?
During my career, I have gained both national and international experience (in the USA, Japan and Latin America) in building, financing and establishing ‘start-up’ companies, contract research organisations, manufacturing facilities, and high technology healthcare companies. My technology and business background is broad and covers therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, biological, instrumentation and software.
Prior to joining the Blood Service, I was the inaugural CEO for the New Zealand Health Innovation Hub which provides a framework for the acceleration of smart ideas to market for the four largest District Health Boards.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
A typical day for me always starts with early morning exercise as I like to ensure that I look after both my physical and mental state. This allows me the opportunity to prepare myself for the day ahead.
Over the past months, I have spent considerable amount of time learning about our organisation, meeting the team and understanding our deliverables. Personally, I like to actively communicate face-to-face with my team members to understand their roles, issues and projects.
What do you see as the most important aspects of your role?
Communication and building a culture of collaboration across I&CS, the organisation and our customers. I&CS is pivotal for taking the Blood Service into the future and collaboration underscores everything we do in building partnerships, and contributing to our growth and sustainability.
How are you and your division working to better serve customers?
I&CS is pro-actively communicating with our donors, customers and stakeholders both in Australia and via our international partnership members like the Alliance of Blood Operators and networks in the US, Canada, England and Europe. In the last ABO meeting in November 2016, a range of topics included global and local challenges, recent changes and key issues impacting the blood sector internationally such as pathogen reduction, information technology and data analytics.
What do you love about your job?
The part of my job that I love is identifying new opportunities and creating partnerships with passionate staff members to build, shape and implement successful new services. To realise that one has been involved with a team to create something new is exciting and rewarding.
What’s something unique or interesting about your team that customers might not know?
We have a number of new initiatives that we will be piloting over the next 18 months. These initiatives will allow us to build upon the strong capabilities, expertise and asserts which service the community and allow us to offer new services in the future.