CEO St John Ambulance

Tina Giannoukos

Even charity organisations such as St John Ambulance need to be business-minded, writes TINA GIANNOUKOS.

A LIFE-changing job led Stephen Horton down the path to becoming the head of St John Ambulance Victoria. Horton, a father of five, represents the trend in CEOs in the not-for-profit sector — the commercially focused CEO who can take an organisation forward.

He began as CEO in January after significant successes in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors.

St John Ambulance, known to Victorians through its presence at functions, from sporting events to concerts, has a long history of delivering first-aid services.
It is the largest first-aid provider and trainer in Australia and also sells quality first-aid kits.

Horton says his employment history has been about restructuring and change management. He was first exposed to the not-for-profit sector in 1998, when he was 40. It was to be a life-changing encounter.

“I was working in an agency with people with multiple disabilities and I was able to build relationships with a lot of clients. To see the smile on their faces over the smallest things I was able to do for them, what our team was able to do for them, for some reason it turned on a lightbulb for me,” he says. Horton says business was the reasoning behind St John hiring someone who has had a commercial background. Horton is a business graduate and is currently doing his MBA.

He says this represents the trend occurring in the not-for-profit sector — employing people who are business focused.
“That’s a big shift in the past 10 years. In the past that was pretty much frowned upon. After all, we’re charities,” he says.

He says the trend began when leading players in the sector understood that for long-term sustainability of their organisations they had to take a business-like approach.
It took a while for smaller organisations to follow the trend.

“But it’s fair to say there is an acceptance throughout the not-for-profit sector that we need to become more business-like, otherwise we won’t survive,” he says.
“Sustainability is the key. Sustainability of delivering the key service, whatever it is.” So what does it take to be CEO of a charity such as St John Ambulance?
Horton says a CEO has to have most, if not all, of the skills needed for running a business. They also have to be sensitive to and have empathy with the cores behind the charity they work with.
Financial management skills are a must.

“If you had strong marketing skills, organisations might substitute that for a lesser level of financial capability, but when you’re getting into larger organisations some financial capability is required,” he says.

HOWEVER, when dealing with volunteers, organisations must balance commercial realities with the human factor and respect that a lot of people give their time free of charge to the organisation. He says it’s too soon to assess his contribution, but expects that the value of the charity’s work in the community will satisfy him greatly.

He says his role is one of developing the business aspects of St John for the long-term sustainability of its services and improving the resources it puts into volunteers.

“We want them to have the best equipment, the best tools and do what they volunteer to do,” he says.

He says a critical part of his role is to get St John’s “image and commitment awareness levels right up”.
He says St John Ambulance does more than provide first aid at the footy through its 2500 volunteers.
“We have 500-plus volunteers in community care, visiting sick people in hospitals who don’t have family. They take care of people who are lonely and support them during hospital stays,” he says.

A challenge is funding — he intends to engage the government more in his quest for funding.
Another major task is to attract and keep volunteers.

“That is an enormous challenge for us and any volunteer organisation,” he says.
Horton says that aspiring CEOs need the qualifications, but the key attribute is a passion for community.
“Without the passion for the community you can be the best-qualified person in the role, but I don’t think you would be successful in this sector and I don’t think you’d enjoy this sector.”

By Tina Giannouko, Herald Sun, June 3, 2006.