When much loved boss Michael Bassingthwaighte retires on Friday after 36 years as Peoplecare CEO there will be wonderful memories for many people.

In Australia 10 years is considered a good stint as chief executive in any company.

Very few executives get to do what Michael Bassingthwaighte has done by staying in the same role for 36 years.

Starting at the top he has never had a promotion.

But the popular boss who grew up in Crookwell has taken a small industry health fund with eight employees to a national health insurer with almost 200.

For many years he quietly went about his business as a manager and director of a number of industry associations.

But when deregulation of the health insurance industry occurred the community became more aware of Mr Bassingthwaighte and his down to earth leadership style based on encouragement and believing in people.

It is a similar approach to what has made him a great father.

Mr Bassingthwaighte has created a workplace culture that can best be described as being like one big happy family.

He has taken on many leadership roles in the community. And has actively encouraged staff to get involved in community activities.

Now with less than a week to go on his daily job of 36 years he is planning to stay in Wollongong with its big country town feel. He expects to spend much of his time in the garden and on the golf course.

He will remain active in many ways and is taking up a directors position with IRT.

During a farewell at the Illawarra Business Chamber incoming Peoplecare chief executive Dr Melinda Williams listed his many achievements. She said he will never talk about them himself.

They included Peoplecare being named Illawarra Business of the Year in 2008 and 2010.

In 2009 the IPSOS survey saw Peoplecare ranked the No1 health fund in Australia for customer service.

In 2010 it won the International Rebrand Award for the entire rebranding of a company. The awards were open to any rebrand launch anywhere in the world between 2008 and 2010.

In the 2013 IPSOS survey Peoplecare was ranked the No1 company for its customer service, call centre, net promoter score and online member engagement.

In 2014 the Australian Financial Review Smart Investor Magazine ranked it the No1 private health fund in Australia.

In 2015 and 2017 Peoplecare was No1 in the IPSOS net promoter score. And in 2017 it was the first health fund to ever be listed as one the Aon Best Employer list.

“Michael has been the master of job creation and member growth,” Dr Williams said.

“He joined Peoplecare in 1982 as CEO when it had eight staff and 5500 members. We now have 35,000 members.”

“In 2009 Michael was awarded the title of Illawarra Boss of the Year and in 2010 was named Illawarra Business Person of the Year. In 2013 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to private health insurance and the community.”

In 1991 Michael was instrumental in the purchase and continued operation of a technology company called HANB which today is the central technology platform for many health funds. 

In 1994 he was central to the establishment of the Australian Health Service Alliance which is now the third largest purchaser of hospital and medical services.

He was also central to the formation of the Members Health Fund Alliance, the peak industry body ensuring not-for-profit health funds have a voice in the industry.

At the same time he has held many roles in the Illawarra community such as chair of the Red Shield Business Appeal Committee.

Dr Williams described his contribution as significant.

“Your humility, your care, your attention to people are as much a part of your greatness as the many awards,” she said.

By combining his many leadership skills and friendly influential nature Mr Bassingthwaighte has provided a positive constructive influence for many people.

And that includes his role as a loving father. He glows with pride when he talks about daughters Nicole, Lisa, Natalie and Melinda and their achievements.

“Melinda is my eldest. She became a beauty therapist when she left school and ran her own business for the best part of 20 years. She is also creative with an artistic flair. She once worked for Darrell Lea doing window displays. She is now working in the Peoplecare Dental and Optical Clinic”.

“Natalie has carved out a really good career in the entertainment industry. The Rogue Traders are playing in Darwin and Alice Springs this weekend.”

“Lisa the eldest twin left school and went to work for the Accounting Professionals with Garry Pinch at Shellharbour at 18. She is still there and is probably emulating what I did in a sense of having an accounting background and staying with one employer here locally.”

“My youngest twin Nicole is in Canberra and she has done extremely well in the ACT Government. She went to Wollongong university and did a degree as a mature age student in her mid 20’s after being a beauty therapist as well.”

“There is a real mixture between the four of them. They are all great mums as well. And they have eight great kids between them.”

Mr Bassingthwaighte recalls them all dancing at different stages while growing up in Mount Warrigal. And him providing them with a taxi service so they could do everything they wanted. 

“As your children grow up you do everything you can for them. You will move heaven and earth for them.”

An example of that occurred when Nicole wrote a book that she and Natalie collaborated on called Sisterhood: The Journey of Self Discovery.

The timing of his last day next Friday coincides with the start of a family weekend to celerate the birthday of the twins who were born around the time he started at Peoplecare.

Mr Bassingthwaighte said he had enjoyed his job so much that the last 36 years had gone in the blink of an eye. He has spent 44 years in health insurance. Starting when Gough Whitlam was Prime Minister.

“I was lucky enough to be appointed to this job in my late 20’s. The last 36 years have been an absolute privilege. I have worked with amazing teams”

The people he works with feel the same about him. They recently sprung a surprise “This Is Your Life” farewell at the Novotel despite his request to “slide out quietly with no fuss”.

“The things they have done for me I will be forever grateful for. Hillary and I are not leaving Wollongong. We will continue to live here and enjoy the benefits this fantastic city offers.”

Read more: Peoplecare big winner at Illawarra Business Awards

Mr Bassingthwaighte found out how good Wollongong people were at working with and helping each other during his first week at Peoplecare.

The chairman reflected on the origins of the health fund.

“Peoplecare came out of John Lysaghts at Springhill. The company was started 66 years ago by the workers. The majority were factory workers and they just had this inbuilt perspective on life. They wanted to help each other,” he said.

“They wanted to look after each other in their times of need. So they spoke to management in 1952 about starting some kind of arrangement for health to allow them to help fellow workers when they were sick or not well. It was that empathy and ethos instilled in those workers 66 years ago that resulted in what was to become Peoplecare.” 

“I like to think we have carried that on and in essence have maintained the hallmark of what Peoplecare is today. We are here to help people in their time of need. We do go above and beyond. And we are not the only Wollongong domiciled health insurer in the city.” 

Illawarra Business Chamber president Janine Cullen and chief executive Adam Zarth congratulated Mr Bassingthwaighte on the enormous contribution he has made to the business life of the city over the last four decades.

Mr Bassingthwaighte is the oldest of three brothers. The other two retired before him. 

Geoff lives in Canberra and worked for Comcare for a long time and now races Formula Vs.

Alan moved from Goulburn to Hervey Bay after a career as a surveyor with the electricity industry.

Mr Bassingthwaighte’s goals now includes travelling more with wife Hillary.

He wants to attend the British Open when it is held in Northern Ireland for the first time in many decades. And spend more time with his four children and eight grandchildren – four boys and four girls.

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