Supporting Transformation at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)

The Challenge

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) plays a critical role in training, supporting, and advocating for doctors working in rural and remote communities across Australia. As the College looked to modernise its governance and strengthen its operations, the Board identified the need for a comprehensive leadership and organisational renewal program.

This required a staged approach: strengthening the Board itself, recruiting a new CEO to review and reset the organisation, and building executive capacity with a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. At the same time, ACRRM needed HR capability to support staff, embed new structures, and ensure the transformation was sustainable.

 

Our Approach

Luminary partnered with the ACRRM Board and executive leadership over a full year of transformation, providing both executive search and HR advisory support. Our work included:

  • Board recruitment: Attracting and appointing high-calibre board members with governance experience and passion for rural and remote health.

  • CEO search: Recruiting a new Chief Executive Officer with the leadership capacity to lead a review of the organisation, build trust, and reset direction.

  • Executive recruitment: Appointment of a Chief Operating Officer and a Chief Financial Officer to provide operational discipline, financial oversight, and delivery capability.

  • Fractional HR support: Providing interim, part-time HR expertise to manage workforce planning, employee relations, and leadership development during the transition year.

  • Embedding new structures: Supporting the CEO and Board in implementing organisational review outcomes, aligning people, processes, and governance with the new strategic direction.

 
 

The Outcome

Over the course of the transformation, Luminary successfully delivered:

  • Strengthened governance with the appointment of new Board Members.

  • A new CEO to lead cultural and organisational review.

  • Appointment of both a COO and a CFO, building the operational leadership backbone of the organisation.

  • Fractional HR capability during a critical year of change, ensuring new structures and practices were embedded effectively.

 

Impact

The impact of this partnership has been significant for ACRRM:

  • Governance renewal: A stronger, more diverse, and effective Board.

  • Leadership transformation: A CEO and executive team capable of driving performance and cultural change.

  • Operational strength: Improved financial management, operational oversight, and service delivery capability.

  • Sustainable HR practices: New structures and workforce processes embedded, supporting long-term organisational health.

  • Sector confidence: Greater trust from members, stakeholders, and government in ACRRM’s ability to deliver on its mission.

 

Luminary’s partnership with ACRRM demonstrates the value of end-to-end leadership and organisational advisory support. By working across governance, executive search, and HR capability, we enabled the College to undertake a year of transformation, strengthen its leadership, and embed structures that will support its mission in rural and remote healthcare for years to come.

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