Culture is at the heart of the work Westhaven does in the Dubbo community, and CEO Andrew Everett has been recognised for leading the disability services provider.
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Mr Everett was named Outstanding Business Leader at the 2023 Western NSW Business Awards on Friday, June 23 at Orange.
He said it was "very, very humbling" to head-up the organisation of 800 staff that supports over 350 people in Dubbo.
"It's very humbling to lead such an amazing team, and the amazing things they do every day for people with disabilities," Mr Everett told the Daily Liberal.
Mr Everett was one of 15 people and businesses to win awards at the gala, and they will all go on to represent the region at the State Business Awards to be held in November.
Mr Everett said Westhaven had a "unique culture" that was focused on being "very innovative in how it is supporting people with disability".
"We have a very accountable leadership team. The culture at Westhaven is, bring your A-game - we will treat you as an adult when you come to work for us and I think that's what most people are looking for in a role at an organisation."
Mr Everett prides himself on working on "big and interesting challenges".
"I like to help and support the next generation of leaders and empower them and support them."
He said delivering disability services in Australia was "a big and interesting challenge inside the framework of the NDIS" and navigating this brought him joy, as did "seeing the next generation of leaders" flourish at Westhaven.
"Culture beats strategy every single day of the week and if you get the culture right in the organisation you can do amazing things," Mr Everett said.
IN OTHER NEWS
Fellow Dubbo resident, Kelly Johnson, of Regand Park Early Childhood Education Centre, won the Outstanding Employee title at the awards, which is run by Business NSW.
Vicki Seccombe, Regional Director - Western NSW, Business NSW, said: "The Western NSW Business Awards are all about celebrating and showcasing the diverse array of talent in Western NSW's business community and this year's winners should feel incredibly proud to be named as the region's leading businesses and leaders for 2023."
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