St John Ambulance Qld picks fourth CEO in five years, staff facing job losses

One of the state’s largest charities is teetering on the brink of closure with job losses looming and a new CEO appointed overnight.

St John Ambulance staff wrote to the board of directors and asked them to step down. Picture: Contributed

One of the state’s largest charities, St John Ambulance Queensland, is in urgent government negotiations in a bid to save dozens of jobs after failing to meet contractual obligations.

The organisation, which provides medical transport services, training, community first aid training and ambulance services, could lose as many 70 out of 110 staff if negotiations failed. The contractual woes stirred a snap appointment of a new CEO on Wednesday after disgruntled staff issued the board of directors an ultimatum to step down.

Anxious employees gathered at the organisation’s Nundah headquarters that day to find out their fates and meet incoming chief executive Peter Maher, a CEO at St Vincent de Paul Society for 14 years.

The organisation said no final decisions had been made on employment.

“All organisations regularly assess the work they undertake,” the organisation said.

“St John Ambulance Queensland is constantly looking for new and improved ways to deliver its services and consider opportunities that may arise.”

The organisation had four government contracts valued in the vicinity of $8 million, three of which are due for renewal after June 30. The fourth is not due for renewal until 2026.

One of those contracts is for $3.972 million to facilitate 100,000 patient transportation services for people over 65 and forms part of the negotiations.

It is understood 50,000 trips have been provided.

The former CEO of St Vincent de Paul Peter Maher has taken the reins at the embattled St John Ambulance Queensland after a terse letter from staff calling for the board of directors to be dismissed. Pictures: Contributed

In an email to all staff on Wednesday, May 2, interim deputy CEO Len Fiori said the organisation had hoped to renegotiate an extension along with a more feasible contract to deliver only 60,000 trips and get an increase to the government subsidy per trip.

Wednesday’s snap CEO appointment and staff meeting followed a “night of knives” on Tuesday when the staff sent board directors a letter calling for the entire board to step down in a clean sweep of leadership.

Staff said they were concerned that the service would close leaving thousands of clients without vital medical transport services and community first aid training.

But despite the staff ultimatum and after Wednesday’s meeting and new CEO appointment, no directors had stepped down.

Staff said a deadline date of May 15 for possible redundancies was also put on hold.

The appointment of the new CEO and Wednesday’s staff meeting followed a series of bitter departures at the top of St John Ambulance over the past five years.

The staff letter alleged there had been a “concerning pattern of failure” and alleged misconduct on the part of the board including misuse of funds, conflicts of interest and breaches of regulations.

The staff threatened to escalate the issue with the Australian Securities and Investments Corp and the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission, filing complaints under the State Whistleblower legislation which cited the misuse of public funds.

“Despite our tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to our mission, the absence of effective leadership and strategic direction from the board has left us adrift in turbulent waters,” the staff letter said.

“Furthermore, the lack of sound business Judgement and comprehensive financial analysis and planning has led us to a precarious financial position, with dwindling resources and mounting debts threatening the very existence of our organisation.

“As a result, we are now faced with the heartbreaking prospect of having to make difficult decisions regarding staff lay-offs and program cuts, all of which could have been prevented with proactive and responsible governance.”

St John Ambulance operates a number of transport services for people aged over 65. Picture: St John Ambulance

The financial woes had been under investigation since March when retired ex-CEOs from St John Ambulance in Western Australia, Tony Ahern and Len Fiori, arrived in Brisbane at the request of the board to go through the books after the departure of the previous CEO Bill Lyon three months ago.

Mr Lyon’s departure followed that of Stephen Porter in 2022.

Staff watched as the WA pair, instated to arrest the organisation’s financial ruin, gathered their belongings and left the building on Wednesday morning — minutes before the new CEO called the staff meeting which revealed plans to try to save jobs.

“So many people’s lives are in such limbo at the moment and many are suffering mentally while we wait around for the board and the new CEO to decide who gets to keep their jobs,” one staff member said.

St John Ambulance staff travelled 20,000km to reach and treat 800 patients in remote parts of the state in the past financial year. Picture: Courier-Mail

In the past financial year, the organisation equipped more than 27,600 Queenslanders with the skills to save a life through our First Aid training courses, drove more than 2500 people to medical appointments or on other trips, taught first aid in schools to more than 13,400 students, developed and delivered 109 bespoke key mental health training courses, and spent almost 4000 hours on calls to those who were lonely or needed support.

The St John Eye Van travelled 20,000km to reach and treat 800 patients in remote and rural areas.

Its first aid responders provided more than 225,810 volunteer hours of Health and Medical Services at 134 events and the organisation sold more than 11,000 first aid kits and more than 1000 defibrillators.

Originally published as St John Ambulance Qld picks fourth CEO in five years, staff facing job losses