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Ramsay Health Care appoints next Global CEO

Tuesday 6th August, 2024

Australia's largest private hospitals operator, Ramsay Health Care, has announced Natalie Davis will be its next Global CEO to succeed long-serving executive Craig McNally.

Mr McNally, also Ramsay's Managing Director, plans to retire at the end of June 2025.

The Ramsay Board has appointed Ms Davis to start as Group CEO-elect on Tuesday 1 October 2024 before taking over both of Mr McNally's roles later this year.

Ms Davis has extensive executive experience after nearly a decade at Woolworths Group, where she has been Managing Director of its supermarkets division for the past three years, leading 130,000 employees across 1,000 sites.

"The Board made a conscious decision to select a proven and dynamic leader who has successfully mastered large-scale business transformation during periods of uncertainty and market disruption," Ramsay Chair David Thodey said.

"Natalie's strategic outlook and experience managing industry-wide changes in different markets makes her exceptionally well-equipped to progress Ramsay's strategy and accelerate our growth.

"Her data-driven understanding of customer needs, along with a focus on digital innovation and operational excellence, has resulted in a clear record of success.

"The Board is confident Natalie has the agility, energy, vision and enterprise capability that are critical to achieving Ramsay's goals and fuelling long-term shareholder value."

Ms Davis said she was honoured to join Ramsay Health Care, which has grown from humble beginnings in Sydney in 1964 to employing more than 90,000 people and providing high-quality healthcare to millions of patients across eight countries.

"Ramsay makes a positive difference in the health and lives of millions of people in communities across Australia, Europe and the UK," she said.

"The company's 60-year history is testament to the amazing teams who deliver the very best patient care. What truly excites me is the potential to build on that legacy, as we innovate for the future."

Natalie Davis will become Ramsay Health Care's Group CEO and Managing Director by the end of 2024

Mr McNally joined Ramsay in 1988 and is one of the company's longest-serving executives, having been Global CEO and Managing Director since 2017.

Until he retires, he will remain Chair of Ramsay Santé – a European joint venture with operations across France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy.

"I am proud of our achievements which have established Ramsay as a market leader with a reputation for excellence in numerous countries," Mr McNally said.

"Guiding the company through the unpredictable upheaval of the COVID pandemic certainly tested our resilience, but we have adapted and invested strategically to position Ramsay for future success."

Mr Thodey acknowledged Mr McNally's "dedication and commitment to Ramsay and the health sector more broadly".

"He has been instrumental in the company's development over many years, setting the groundwork for our transformation strategy and championing the caring culture that defines who we are and how we work," Mr Thodey said.