St John WA hosts distinguished international guest on whistle-stop tour
Early January saw St John WA host a VIP guest in Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque, Secretary General at UK-based St John International.
St John International is responsible for supporting the 44 St John organisations or establishments worldwide, delivering on global strategy and ensuring the movement is on a positive trajectory.
Coming from a small London office of 10 staff, Susan leads a team which looks after establishments “from the Solomon Islands to Vancouver”.
The opportunity to visit the establishments reminds her of the purpose of St John, and instils her with a sense of gratitude.
Although visiting Perth on holiday with family, spending time with her sister who lives here, Susan said she “wouldn’t dream of coming to Perth and not visiting St John WA.”
She spent the day in the company of GCEO Kevin Brown, who, along with other leaders from across the business, demonstrated the breadth of the organisation’s services and the supports which underpin them.
The day started with a tour of the Western Australian Virtual Emergency Department (WAVED) and Secondary Triage Team (STT) under the guidance of Wil White, which gave Susan a clear picture of the alternatives to traditional Emergency Department admissions.
“I’m really impressed with the way in which [St John WA] is using technology to provide the best possible service to your communities,” she said.
“You’ve got human expertise backed up by an incredibly sophisticated use of technology to support, with the human element being brought in when it’s needed.”
Susan’s next stop was a visit to the Osborne Park Urgent Care Centre, where Darren Webb and Jamie Stewart took her on a tour of the state-of-the-art urgent care, medical and dental facilities, and explained how the offering plays its part in easing pressures on the public hospital system.
Returning to Belmont, Susan joined Kevin on a whistle-stop tour of Central Hub (5 Cowcher Place), including meeting Alan Clyne and Shu Yin Chia from the Event Health Services team.
Alan and Shu were able to talk through the service delivery model and explain the value of St John EHS over its competitors in this space.
Apart from the fact that EHS is a volunteer-based service, Susan was particularly interested in the bushfire activation protocol and the relationship with DFES.
Susan was delighted, while visiting the EHS office, to have the opportunity to again meet Sophie van Wyngaarden, Event Health Services Divisional Lead.
Sophie was one of two St John WA representatives at the inaugural St John Global Leadership Development Program held in London last November.
Susan shared the news that the program will continue in 2025 and beyond.
Her own brainchild, the program “exposes potential leaders to the breadth of what St John does globally,” she said.
“It also equips them with some technical leadership skills and helps them understand who they are as leaders, which in turn enables them to contribute to the advancement of St John.”
A walk over to the Fleet and Radio department followed, where Andre Frichot and other members of the team were able to show Susan several vehicles at various stages of commissioning (and decommissioning), and she was able to see first-hand and discuss the complexities and intricacies of readying an operational vehicle for on-road.
Susan’s visit also included the Supply shed, where Aaron Douglas provided a quick tour (accompanied by plenty of insight) of the warehouse and highlighted the range and scale of items supplied both internally and externally.
Before a boardroom lunch with Chiefs and Board Members, a walk-through of the brand new Lapage Building was on the agenda and didn’t disappoint.
“Your new building is amazing,” Susan said.
“It’s open and bright and you have the history of St John integrated into the design of the building which at will allow people to understand where you’ve come from and how you’re part of the history of WA; how you’re part of the community here. I think that’s really positive, and I’ve never seen that anywhere else.”
Until her next visit, Susan reminds us St John WA, as one of the larger St John establishments worldwide, is in an enviable position to be able to share success stories and best practice with others in the federation.
“We are all part of the same [St John] family,” she said.
“Making sure we harness that expertise and learn from each other rather than looking outside St John is a really important part of the vision for the future.”
About Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque
Susan joined St John International in December 2021. She leads the London team, providing strategic direction, and oversight of the Order’s global activity. She heads the team’s work with the Order’s governing bodies on risks and opportunities. The Secretary General is also responsible for the safeguarding the work of the Order’s Honours and Awards system. Before joining St John International, Susan’s career spanned 36 years in the British foreign service, culminating in her role of High Commissioner in Canada.
