When he was appointed as the first full-time national employee of Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia, it was the next step in a career Malcolm Coutts describes as unusual.
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"I've had a funny sort of career. I was a naval officer for a while, then I went to PricewaterhouseCoopers, became a chartered accountant, and specialised in corporate reconstruction. It got quiet, and I saw this role which looked really unique," says Malcolm Coutts.
Drawn to the job by the opportunity to develop a charitable area for one of the world's best known multinational organisations, Coutts hasn't looked back.
"I had some hope I could act independently and really grow with the organisation ... now, with 27 locations, we're a huge brand." Being the guardian of a charity attached to a brand is something he doesn't take lightly.
"I'm a senior vice-president at McDonalds, but my sole role is to develop the charity ... It is something that needs such transparency and integrity," he says.
With a federation of 16 separately incorporated charities, around 160 board members, and a workforce of about 3000 people including volunteers, there's plenty to manage.
"Volunteers are a key to what we do.
"You have to be able to recruit, reward and train them, just like paid employees." Although, there's one key difference when running a workforce relying so heavily on people donating their time.
"One has to be more tolerant of the fact that people are volunteering and [occasionally] timeframes slip," Coutts says.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Malcolm Coutts
Current position: CEO, RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia)
Responsibilities: Steering all facets of the development of the organisation.
Education: · Stint with Royal Australian Navy.
· Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Accounting, University of NSW and Royal Australian Naval College · Chartered Accountant training with at Coopers and Lybrand (PWC) · MBA, Monash University (Mount Eliza Business School.
Additional training/courses: Strategy and performance management courses, Harvard Business School and John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Professional associations: · Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants · Fellow, Institute of Company Directors · Member, Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association · Fellow, The Royal Society of Arts; Honourable mentions: · Order of Australia (2011) for services to seriously ill children.
· Australia Day Ambassador.
Strength: I have integrity and clarity around my decisions. I've also done a good job of hiring really good people.
Weakness: I find it very difficult to juggle the mixed priorities we have around the country, so I rely on people who can help me with that.
Management style and tips: I'm very inclusive of people and their views.
Work motto: "It's not a motto but I'd say 'trying to achieve excellence in what we do'. We provide great services that are needed; I want them to be the best they can.'
