Timna Kerr– GAMA Healthcare

Different industries face similar challenges

Vistage provides a safe space for leaders from a range of industries to troubleshoot issues, gain valuable advice and learn from their peers. Timna cites examples of everything from gaining advice on what CRM to use to how best to ask for shares in the business.

‘It’s once a month where I get to stop for a minute and talk to people who are outside my industry. They know nothing about healthcare or selling in healthcare and I know nothing about their business, but we all have similar challenges. These are really challenging things for people to figure out and it creates a space to be vulnerable. There’s no judging. That’s the big thing.’

New perspectives shake up insular thinking

The healthcare industry is so insular and before Vistage, my colleagues or my peers were all hearing and telling the same story. This made us think we were doing the right thing because we were all doing the same thing. I assumed that what we were doing was right.

Timna’s experience in the healthcare industry has shown how easy it can be to stay on the same path when you don’t have trusted, external peers.

Becoming a member has given Timna, access to collective intelligence, not only is she approaching situations with a healthcare lens but through the lens of the broader range of Australian businesses. She loves finding a little gem of broader knowledge that she can pull out and use in her everyday life.

Planning and being held accountable is magic

I actually get to stop, sit down and map out professionally and personally, what is it that I want to do in the next 12 months. It makes such a difference.

A highlight in Timna’s experience is the yearly planning, both personally and professionally.

Additionally, planning out the next year in a group setting adds a sense of accountability as her peers are there to guide her and ensure she reaches the goals she’s set out to achieve.

Challenging your leadership style

We get all these tools handed to us and explained how they can be utilised in our business and even personal life. That’s where the gold is, you can’t pay for some of these things.

Timna explains her previous leadership style as wanting to make sure everyone’s happy, she cares deeply for her team and that’s always shown. However, since joining she’s gained a new perspective.

“Someone from Vistage said to me that your number one team is not the team that reports to you, it’s the colleagues that you’re in your team with, it’s your peers. I’m part of the leadership team, so my number one team is the leadership team.”

Stepping out of the day-to-day business pressures and gaining other perspectives on leadership styles is exactly what she needed.

About Timna

From the age of 17, Timna worked hands-on in the medical industry as a clinician and registered nurse. After 20 years, she wanted to try something new and started a career in the pharmaceutical industry.  

Timna has now been in a national business and people management role for over 10 years. When promoted to Sales Director with GAMA Healthcare Ltd, Timna’s CEO, who also belongs to a peer group, encouraged her to join as well.