Purpose at the Human Edge

What does leadership demand when every decision carries human consequence?

In a time of rising complexity, economic pressure and growing strain on essential systems, leadership is no longer defined by performance alone. It is defined by judgement — the ability to make decisions where every option carries cost.

In Episode 2 of Purpose: Leading into the Future, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin — CEO of Australian Unity — explores what it means to lead in environments where responsibility is deeply human, and where outcomes shape not just organisations, but lives.

Building on the series’ central premise — that leadership is a practice of guardianship — this conversation moves into one of the most demanding contexts of all: health, care and wellbeing.

Purpose as the driver of potential

For Kelly, purpose is not abstract. It is anchored in a simple but powerful idea: the fulfilment of potential.

Whether it is an individual, a team, or an entire system, leadership is about enabling something to become more than it is today.

“What drives me is all about potential fulfilment,” she explains — a through-line that has shaped her leadership across banking, telecommunications and now health and care. 

But potential is not realised in easy conditions.

It is realised in complexity — in the hard work of solving problems, navigating constraints, and staying committed when progress is uncertain.

This is where purpose becomes critical.

It sustains effort.
It guides decisions.
And it gives meaning to the work when outcomes are not immediate.

A system built around wellbeing

At Australian Unity, this purpose is expressed through a clear and expansive ambition:

Supporting real wellbeing for as many Australians as possible — across health, wealth and care. 

What makes this distinctive is not just the breadth, but the integration.

Rather than treating health, financial security and care as separate domains, the organisation operates across the full spectrum — recognising that wellbeing is not singular, but interconnected.

  • Health outcomes are shaped by financial stability 
  • Financial wellbeing is influenced by life stage and care needs 
  • Social connection underpins both 

This reflects a deeper shift in leadership thinking — away from siloed services, and toward systems-level responsibility.

Measuring what matters

A defining feature of Kelly’s approach is the insistence that purpose must be measurable.

Through a Community and Social Value Framework and a national Wellbeing Index, Australian Unity seeks to quantify impact — not just in financial terms, but in human outcomes.

This changes the nature of decision-making.

Every choice can be tested against two questions:

  • Is it financially sustainable? 
  • Does it improve wellbeing? 

This dual lens removes ambiguity. It aligns strategy with purpose, and ensures that intent translates into measurable impact.

It also reinforces a broader insight from the series: purpose is not just a guiding idea — it is a decision-making framework.

The human reality behind the system

Yet data alone cannot capture the full picture.

Kelly brings the conversation back to the lived experience of care — particularly in aged care, where the stakes are deeply personal.

Around 10% of residents receive no visitors.

In this context, leadership is not just about service delivery — it is about dignity, connection and meaning.

“If you can help someone smile… feel a sense of companionship… that’s adding value beyond the primary care level.” 

This reframes impact.

It is not just measured in services provided, but in human experience — in moments of connection that restore dignity and belonging.

From micro actions to system change

What is striking is how purpose operates at multiple levels simultaneously.

At the micro level, it shows up in everyday behaviours:

  • Spending more time with a customer 
  • Going the extra mile in care 
  • Acting with warmth, honesty and empathy 

At the macro level, it shapes system design:

  • Investing in social infrastructure 
  • Integrating health, wealth and care solutions 
  • Partnering with government to improve outcomes 

This duality is critical.

Purpose is not only expressed in strategy — it is enacted in behaviour.

And when both align, organisations create impact that extends far beyond their immediate boundaries.

Leading through constraint

The health and care system is not a neutral environment.

It is under pressure — from ageing populations, rising demand, workforce strain and funding constraints.

Kelly is clear about the scale of the challenge:

In the next 20 years, the number of Australians entering their 80s will triple. 

This is not a distant issue. It is a structural shift that will redefine how care is delivered, funded and experienced.

In this context, leadership requires:

  • Clarity — understanding what matters most 
  • Trade-off discipline — balancing competing needs 
  • System thinking — recognising interconnected impacts 

Purpose does not remove these tensions.

But it provides a way to navigate them.

Reframing wellbeing as connection

One of the most powerful insights in the episode is the role of connection.

Despite increased digital connectivity, loneliness is rising — particularly among younger generations.

This reveals a deeper truth:

Wellbeing is not just about access to services.
It is about belonging.

Kelly’s response is both simple and profound:

  • Encourage intergenerational connection 
  • Create opportunities for community engagement 
  • Rebuild social bonds through everyday actions 

This shifts leadership beyond institutional boundaries — into the social fabric itself.

Purpose in moments of crisis

Purpose is most visible not in stability, but in disruption.

Drawing on experiences across banking, telecommunications and health, Kelly reflects on how organisations respond to crisis — from financial shocks to cyber attacks and national emergencies.

In these moments, purpose becomes a unifying force.

It aligns teams.
It focuses effort.
And it drives people to go beyond what is required.

“The key to recovery is purpose… it gives people the energy to show up and do what’s right.” 

Paradoxically, some of the strongest cultures are forged in the most difficult conditions.

Leadership beyond the organisation

The conversation also extends into broader societal responsibility.

In addressing rising social division and antisemitism, Kelly emphasises the importance of social cohesion, dialogue and everyday acts of kindness.

Her message is simple:

Leadership is not confined to formal roles.
It is expressed in how we treat one another.

A single act of kindness — a mitzvah — becomes a building block for a more connected, more humane society.

What this means for leadership

This episode deepens the series’ exploration of purpose by placing it in one of its most demanding contexts.

Leadership in essential systems is not abstract.

It is:

  • Human 
  • Relational 
  • Constrained 
  • Consequential 

And in these environments, purpose becomes more than guidance.

It becomes responsibility in action.

Looking ahead

As Purpose: Leading into the Future continues, this conversation highlights a critical evolution in leadership.

From:

  • Strategy → to impact 
  • Performance → to wellbeing 
  • Authority → to care 

Because the future of leadership will not be defined by those who can simply deliver outcomes.

It will be defined by those who can hold complexity, navigate trade-offs, and act with care — when it matters most.

🎧 Listen to Episode 2 — Leading with Care Under Constraint —Purpose: Leading into the Future podcast series.

Australia’s health, wealth and care systems are not failing people because of a lack of compassion. They are failing because they have been built in silos — and wellbeing is not singular. Through her leadership at Australian Unity, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin is making the case that genuine impact requires integrating health, financial security and social connection into a single system of care — one that measures its success not just in financial returns, but in human outcomes.

Her work is a reminder that the most important leadership questions are not always strategic ones. Sometimes they begin with who receives no visitors in an aged care facility — and what it means for an institution to take responsibility for that. Purpose, in Kelly’s framing, is not a values statement. It is a decision-making framework — a way of holding both financial sustainability and human dignity as non-negotiable, even when they pull in different directions.

At the Menzies Leadership Foundation, this is precisely the kind of leadership we exist to support: grounded in lived experience, connecting organisational ambition to equity of wellbeing, and willing to rethink how essential systems serve all Australians — not just those who are easy to reach.

Applications for the 2026 Global Voices Fellowship are now open. If you are committed to leadership that bridges purpose and practice and champions the wellbeing of communities, we invite you to explore the Fellowship and stay connected with the Menzies Leadership Foundation’s emerging leadership community.

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Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

LinkedIn | natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au

Sarah Jenkins

Strategic Communications Manager

Sarah has more than 18 years’ experience in communications and marketing leadership across a range of sectors.

Communications strategy and organisational growth is a continuing theme in Sarah’s career. Most recently, she leads the development of a Leadership Movement, evaluated by Menzies Viral Co-efficient Model; a contribution to the NFP. 

Sarah’s early career centred around best practice in marketing and communications which later culminated into the establishment of her very own agency. This work extensively spanned across PR, traditional media, event management, strategy, digital marketing, graphic design and business development consultancy. 

In 2019, Sarah joined the lean and robust team at the Menzies Foundation. She has since crafted the Foundation’s narrative and communication strategy. The development of this strategic communications platform is essential for ‘movement building’ and requires a strong strategic, management and communication skills set. Sarah has brought so much to this important work, which sits at the forefront of communication practice. 

Sarah continues to contribute to the NFP sector through her commitment to Purpose; as she reflects on her own leadership, builds her own leadership capability and contributes to the greater good. 

LinkedIn | sarah.jenkins@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0401 880 071

Rohan Martyres

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Rohan has 15 years’ experience in facilitating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social and health challenges.  He has worked with the World Economic Forum in Australia, led an international conflict resolution field team in Nepal, and directed a 10-year £40m initiative to reduce health inequity in London.

Most recently, Rohan was Major Grants Development Manager at the Ian Potter Foundation.  He refined the foundation’s major grants strategy, and co-developed a series of large scale initiatives, including joint philanthropic-government funding for a new national organization to support place-based approaches across Australia.

Rohan has held several non-executive roles, including with an international NGO and with London Funders, the peak body of independent foundations in London.  He holds several qualifications including a graduate degree in innovation and strategy from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

When Rohan isn’t exploring Melbourne’s creeks with his partner and 6yo daughter, he’s working on his currently weak Australian accent (after 15 years in the UK).

LinkedIn | rohan.martyres@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0404 505 954

Trudy Morrison

Operations Manager

A marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience in government, corporate and consumer marketing, Trudy brings her adaptive and organisational project management skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

With a BA degree in Public Relations, Trudy began her career with the City of Melbourne and in magazine publishing, before moving into marketing communications consulting. She has worked in strategic marketing leadership roles with retail brands and enjoys juggling many projects and tasks simultaneously. Her skills were further enhanced when managing her own communications business representing industries across private education, financial services, aviation, government and the health industry. 

Trudy is passionate about leadership and all people being encouraged to reach their full potential through research and educational initiatives and opportunities throughout Australia. A skilled and accomplished writer and editor Trudy is enthusiastic about bringing her variety of skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

LinkedIn | trudy.morrison@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0402 361 878

Liz Gillies

Chief Executive Officer

Liz Gillies has had over 25 years experience in a range of fields focused on initiatives for social impact. She has held roles in multiple sectors and academia.

In 2018, Liz was appointed CEO of the Menzies Foundation which aspires to build a leadership movement that supports Australians to pivot to purpose, build their leadership capability and contribute to the ‘greater good’.

Liz joined the Melbourne Business School in 2009 and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre (APSIC) and The Centre for Ethical Leadership. In November 2011 she was appointed as research fellow to lead a partnership focused on strategic philanthropy which culminated in the release of the reports: Philanthropy: Towards a Better Practice Model (2018) and the Philanthropy: The Continued Journey to Real Impact and better Practice (2021).

Liz has extensive governance experience, having served on the Board of the Publish Galleries Association of Victoria, Social Firms Australia, Uniting Care Community Options, United Way Australia and the Development Committee of the Towards a Just Society Foundation. She is currently on the Philanthropy Reference Group of Barmal Bijiril and a Director of Philanthropy Australia.

LinkedIn | liz.gillies@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0416 112 703

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au