Peter Hill—Executive Director of Mission Leadership

Peter Hill is stuck between a rock and a hard place. In an increasingly complex health care industry, against the backdrop of commercial imperatives and with one hundred years of Mercy ministry before him, Peter has been asked to integrate Mater's Mission across the organisation.

At first glance, Peter's task seems a simple one. After all, the Sisters of Mercy have spent a century building a very clear understanding of Mater's Mission. Today, anybody who has known Mater knows that the organisation exists to meet unmet needs and to provide compassionate service to the sick and needy without discrimination. But what about tomorrow?

The Sisters of Mercy have always been very pragmatic and they understand that for Mater's Mission to live on and continue to have relevance, it must reside firmly in the hearts, hands and minds of Mater people. That's where Peter Hill comes in. Scope caught up with Peter to ask the pertinent questions:

Scope:
What does Mater's Executive Director of Mission Leadership do?

“As a member of Mater's Executive Team, I am involved directly with the integration of Mater's Mission with the organisation's strategic plan and while the organisation is clearly committed to its Mission, Vision and Values there is a need to ensure they are celebrated and embedded throughout the organisation.

“We have a rich tradition inspired by a loving God but it's not my job to be the sole keeper of Mater's Mission or to make people live the values.

“My job—indeed the job of all Mater people—is to contribute to building a ‘Mater culture’ which is aligned with the tradition and values of the organisation and which acknowledges, at all stages, that it is our Mission which motivates and sustains us.”

Scope:
How will you know when you have been successful?

“Actually, I probably won't know whether I have been successful. If Mater celebrates its bicentenary, then I guess the projects we are working on now will have proved valuable.

“My hope is that Mater will continue to offer a community of compassion well into the next century where care is offered without discrimination in ways that are most appropriate for the community we serve.

“We have to recognise that in one hundred years time, the political, physical and financial environments in which we provide our service may be very different to those we know now. Put simply, the what we do will constantly change, the why—our Mission—is timeless.” Peter Hill can be contacted on +61 7 3163 2755 or email peter.hill@mater.org.au