Loretta Byers, CEO at Village Care

The rapid increase in demand for village communities has attracted new investors and operators to the industry. But few are aware of the complexities of managing a business that requires not only a very long-term financial commitment, but also an ethical commitment to the residents.

Village Care, under Loretta Byers, has emerged as the leading independent advisor and village manager for investors.

Loretta: "We provide professional services to over 30 retirement projects across Australia, looking after the interests of about 4,000 residents. I feel a personal responsibility to these residents that they have the home and lifestyle that they had hoped for in their retirement, but these things don't just happen. Villages are individual communities that you have to build from the ground up and then you have to maintain their well being. They have to be planned and well executed. I call this ‘philosophy development.'"

"Our job is to bring 30 years experience to each project. From the selection of the best location for a village - taking into account access to shops, medical facilities and transport relative to the price of land and the end village; to the design and construction of the homes for maintenance and easy living as you age; to staff training; OH&S, planning and regulatory issues; and then finally sales. This is a massive skill set for any developer to bring to a project, remembering that that most villages are up to six years in the creation. While I have personally been a director of nursing in aged care, then owned my own nursing home and previously managed 50 villages with 6,000 residents, there is no way one person can know everything."

"Equally, a developer can't afford to have all these people and skills on staff for the length of the project; that is where we fit in. We do have these skills and have them on tap because of the number of projects we are involved with across Australia. But my personal passion is ensuring that we build integrity into every project. A new resident is entrusting you with the next 10 to 20 years of their life - we have an obligation to deliver the quality result that has been promised to them. And part of that is to ensure that the village is a financial success, which is often not discussed. We have to ensure that the village is sustainable for both the operator and the residents over many years. This means there must be professional systems that are open and fair. There must be excellent communication that is about the real facts. We all have to be honourable, and that includes the residents. Like any community, we all have to live and work together."

"This is a people business. With the banks and big institutions entering the sector, I also see my role as keeping them aware that we have to keep the human touch. I have phone and email contact with residents every day and travel most weeks to meet with them - they need to know that there is someone to talk to and our clients need to know that we lead by example."

"Quality of service and integrity are the hallmarks that we set ourselves and the clients we work with. Experience shows us that these disciplines reward everybody in the long run: our staff, the investors and most importantly, the residents."

Other stories in this section:

• Christine Daly - Reducing Residents' Costs and Saving the Environment
• Stuart Nicholson, the CEO of Becton's Retirement Business
• Dr June Heinrich, the CEO of Baptist Community Services
• The SCV Group Australia's Toughest Village Job
• John Martin, Managing Director, Babcock & Brown Communities

View all stories in Industry Movers and Shakers »