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Greg. J. Gardiner
BEc (Syd), FCPA, FCICD |
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| It was with deep regret that we reported the passing of our former Chairman, Greg Gardiner, on 14 May 2009, after a brief illness. |
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The Board, management and staff of HCF Group
will miss his strong leadership and his guidance
which has seen HCF grow and prosper to
become one of Australia’s leading health funds,
with an enviable reputation for excellence in
governance, operational management and
industry leading service to our members.
Greg Gardiner was appointed to the Board of
HCF by the Minister for Health (NSW) on
12 October 1988. At that time HCF operating
revenue was $242 million, net assets were
$76 million and we had 301,000 members.
This year the group operating revenue was
over $1.3 billion, net assets were $580 million
and membership now exceeds 1 million.
In 1994 he led the successful negotiation with
the NSW Minister for Health to enable the
election of four HCF members to our Board.
We were the first major health fund operating
in Australia to do so. In 1995, he was elected
by members to a three year term and re-elected
for three subsequent terms, before becoming
an appointed independent director in
November 2007.
His career included an extensive background
in finance and merchant banking at
Development Finance Corporation Limited
and in industry as Deputy Managing Director
of Pioneer International Limited. He was
appointed Chief Executive Officer of John
Fairfax Limited at age 37 and guided that
organisation through some troubled times. He
made a significant contribution to community
welfare, including serving as President of the
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Australia
and as a Governor of the Curran Foundation.
The recent merger with Manchester
Unity was successfully completed under
his stewardship and its subsequent seamless
integration into the HCF Group would have
been a source of great satisfaction to him,
fulfiling his long held commitment to
providing more for our members.
He loved business and its nuances, the land,
and the family who survive him: his wife,
Marilyn; children Anthea and Nicholas;
and grandchildren Zoe and Charlie.
In a tribute to his leadership, HCF Chief
Executive Officer, Terry Smith, said “Whilst
Greg’s many other achievements could be
listed, it is not what is done that is important
but how it was achieved that is the measure
of outstanding leadership. In this regard
we believe he was without peer”. |
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