Uniting NSW.ACT CEO Tracey Burton to retire – “confident” in group’s community strength and collaborative change

After eight years in the top job, Tracey Burton, CEO, is stepping away to retire. Joining the team in 2018, Burton has led the organisation through significant change, expansion and difficulty, particularly within the COVID years. In reflecting on her time at Uniting and decision to leave, Burton shares her fulfilment and joy in the role, and the immense privilege she experienced in being Uniting’s CEO. From navigating COVID, to the awards ceremonies with front-line staff, Burton shares where her treasure lies, in helping to guide Uniting into a strong position to bring about life changing services, alongside the “incredible staff” that pour themselves into making it a reality.

“Recognising people”

In their announcement, Uniting’s leadership team praised Burton for her “lasting mark on Uniting NSW.ACT, the UnitingCare Australia network and the broader social services sector.” Not twenty-four hours after the announcement Burton shares that she remains active, out and about. She’s on the road, doing life and work closely with people that are the invaluable human-beings of the broader social services sector. In recognising them going above and beyond to work with seniors, youth, families and more, Burton is “doing one of the things I love the most.”

“We have ceremonies each year that we do, called the With Hearts awards, and I go to nine different locations around NSW and ACT. We gather people for recognition of their years of service. People nominate colleagues and volunteers under various categories like our values. We get to read all these beautiful stories.”

She says, “there are finalists and winners, and it’s about recognising people.”

“It’s just lovely.”

Her professionalism and heart to connect with the front-line staff that are integral to Uniting shows in what she’s most excited about. The awards ceremonies are an element of her role that culminates as a litmus test of the culture of working at Uniting.

Facilitating colleagues to nominate and write about why they cherish their co-workers, the years of service and impact they have, to the opportunity of bringing together a facility through the awards ceremony means that Burton is currently “riding a high.”

For Burton the decision to step away “has been a really big decision” and done so from a “deep satisfaction that Uniting right now is sitting in such a strong position.”

“It really feels like the right time.”

In being on the floor, in talking closely with staff all around both states, Burton is able to rub-shoulders with exactly the people she has strived to make a lasting impact on. There is no such clarity than in being in direct conversation with the staff that pour themselves into the work of aged care, and the seniors at the centre of the work.

Trust is strength

Liz Nichol, Uniting’s board chair shares, “Tracey has been a remarkable Chief Executive whose leadership has combined strength with compassion. She has never shied away from the hard conversations or the difficult reforms, and she has ensured that Uniting has remained a trusted, values-led voice on issues that matter.”

Burton shares that underpinning her clarity and settled decision to retire at this time is the grounding position and vision that the leadership team have been able to achieve.

“Last year, the board and executives did a deep dive into our strategy to make sure that the settings are right. We got some real clarity about what we’re going to do over the next horizon or two of that strategy. It’s really stable.”

Burton points to the encouraging data points they have seen to affirm the strategy is taking Uniting where it should be, “we’ve really worked towards culture, the culture of the organisation is that turnover is down to around 12%.”

“It’s amazing, it’s part of what I’m doing here today, recognising years of service, there was a lady today with 25 years of service. She came from overseas and started as a frontline care worker. And 25 years later she is a registered nurse and clinical nurse specialist.”

Burton affirms, “it was one of our aged care campaigns, a constant journey for Uniting, and it’s what she spoke about, how her manager had supported her, various managers actually, across the years, to grow and develop in Uniting and aged care.”

“That’s the state we’re in, and so I feel very confident. It’s the leadership, the culture, the ambition and the vision, it’s really helped by a lot of people that are not directly helped by me, so it couldn’t be in a better state for me to be stepping away.”

For Burton, stepping away is from a place of sincere confidence in the culture of Uniting and the strength of it’s leadership team and strategy.

In having conversations this week with countless front-line staff and clients, she has been able to see and hear the feedback of trust in the organisation, and see trust in the data as she hands out awards for years of service in the decades.

Collaborative change

Burton is clear, “I would never have wanted to make a decision that would compromise United. And I’m so glad I don’t have to do that.”

She notes that, “I am someone who believes in leadership renewal.” She highlights there is opportunity of growth for Uniting, from a place of strength to move forward with new eyes, skillset and compassion to continue the work. There is a place for confident and healthy change.

Central to that leadership renewal, Burton advocates, is the playing out of a smooth and collaborative transition.

She shares, “I’m really lucky in that I’m not in a rush, I don’t need to leave right away. When the new person arrives, I will really encourage them to spend a good bit of time on the road meeting the United people, understanding this hugely diverse range of services that we offer, getting to know the United Care Australian network around Australia.”

“So if I can stay long enough to give them the gift of a really strong orientation period, where they don’t have to run the show while also learning about it, that’s important.”

Burton recalls that, “I had that gift when I arrived, my predecessor stayed on.”

“I was able to hit the road and learn so much and meet so many people. It really set me up for success.”

Burton advocates for a time of leadership collaboration, between outgoing and ingoing there lies an opportunity to facilitate healthy, deep and fulfilling onboarding. Collaborative change can be a key strategy towards strength from the former to the new, “if I can manage that, I think that would be wonderful.”

“I’m really grateful that I’ll be able to contribute to setting this person up for success, which will be a great thing for uniting as well.”

The decision to step away is one that Burton has thought deeply about, and done so from a profound conviction of looking for and knowing that the Uniting team is in a great position to continue doing the work she cherishes.