Media Release
Monday, 2 November 2026

St Vincent’s Health Australia has become the first health and aged care organisation in Australia to bring People & Culture and Technology together under a single executive leadership portfolio, signalling a deliberate commitment to ensuring technological transformation is always guided by human needs.

The new portfolio, led by Chief People & Technology Officer, Rebecca Roberts, forms part of a broader evolution of St Vincent’s executive leadership structure designed to support innovation, workforce capability and new models of care across the health and aged care provider’s national network. 

With 30,000 team members working across 12 public and private hospitals (eg: St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne), 25 aged care facilities, and a growing portfolio of at-home and digital services, St Vincent’s CEO, Chris Blake, said the organisation viewed technological transformation as fundamentally about creating better experiences and outcomes for both the people receiving care and the people providing it. 

“This move reflects a simple but increasingly important reality: technology decisions are people decisions,” said Chris. 

“Healthcare is entering a period of unprecedented technological change, particularly with the emergence of AI. While these developments present enormous opportunities, our starting point must always be people. 

“By bringing People & Culture and Technology together, we are making a clear statement that innovation at St Vincent’s will be guided by human needs.  

“Every significant technological decision will be considered first through its impact on our workforce, our patients, our residents and the communities we serve. 

“Technology can help create new models of care, free up time for clinicians and carers, and improve access and experience. But its success ultimately depends on people. This structure recognises that reality,” said Chris. 

The structural change also complements St Vincent’s newly established innovation portfolio and broader organisational focus on preparing for the future of healthcare and aged care. St Vincent’s has committed to transitioning to providing half of its services in people’s homes and online by 2030.  

Ms Roberts said the integration reflected the growing reality that healthcare transformation succeeds when people and technology evolve together. 

“The most exciting thing about technology in healthcare isn’t the technology itself. It’s what becomes possible when you put it in the hands of 30,000 people who are passionate about improving care,” said Rebecca. 

“Our people see opportunities every day to solve problems, remove friction and create better experiences for patients and residents. We want to enable them to take those ideas and turn them into real solutions.  

“But our ambition is bigger than simply adopting new technology.  

“We want to build a workforce of 30,000 innovators, equipped and empowered to redesign care and care careers and improve outcomes for the communities we serve.” 

Rebecca Roberts is available for interview. 

Media contact: Paul Andrews 0409 665 495