At the end of 2018, Carrie Ann Lumsden packed her bags and left Scotland for what was meant to be a year of adventure in Australia with her Aussie partner. Little did she know she’d fall in love with the place. The sunshine, lifestyle and sense of opportunity quickly won her over and one year soon turned into eight.  

“I just love it here” she says. “It’s so beautiful. Summer is gorgeous. We’re so lucky!” 

After stints with Evolve, Women’s Community Shelters and City West, Carrie Ann is now SGCH’s new Head of Customer Voice – a pivotal role under the new PVV and Strategy.  In this newly created role, she will be looking at how we engage with residents, strengthening the accessibility of our communications and helping them have a stronger voice in all that we do. 

Carrie Ann brings to the role a wealth of experience in community housing both in Scotland and Australia and considers us to be very lucky in terms of government support. 

“There’s not nearly the range of grants and incentives in Scotland” she says. “And the HAFF! It’s absolutely amazing! I think there’s a lot of heart here.” 

Working with Evolve to establish their Victorian presence, Carrie Ann has connected with SGCH in recent years, being part of shared thinking about expansion interstate.  

“I could see SGCH was doing a lot of really great things – the portfolio is huge, so far-reaching. And I could see there were a lot of great people working there. 

“The size really appeals to me. I know what it’s like to be at working scale. That’s what drives me – I like to be moving at 100 miles an hour and making lots of things happen. That’s where I thrive.” 

Like many, Carrie Ann is concerned about rent settings and the 15-year limits on Affordable Housing allocations and is keen to be a part of finding solutions. With a background that includes strategic partnerships, she appreciates the importance of speaking with one voice as a sector, and trying to advocate for change. 

Energised by the opportunities at SGCH to improve the lives and experiences of residents, Carrie Ann is looking to build her team, collaborate with peers and build strong relationships with customers. 

She’s excited to have the Support Coordinators, Service Improvements, Feedback, Community Engagement and Housing Plus teams as part of her portfolio and says she can already see there are incredible, purposeful people here at SGCH. 

“I think it’s really important to take a team on a shared journey,” she says. “Whether you’re planning programs or service outcomes you’ve got to involve the whole team and incorporate different perspectives and ideas.  

“I don’t think being a good leader is coming in with a fixed vision. I’ve seen lots of different kinds of leadership and taken the bits I’ve admired. Ultimately everyone is striving for the same thing so you have to both harness and enjoy that shared purpose.” 

Looking ahead, Carrie Ann is hoping to create more accessible and engaging ways of working with customers to help build trust and belonging. Splitting her time between the SGCH offices she’s looking forward to getting to know residents in those properties as well as others in the SGCH portfolio. 

“We have such a range of people living in our properties – we must make sure we’re making everything accessible for our customers, actively listening to them and working alongside them to sustain tenancies and assisting with helping communities to thrive.    

“That’s the most important thing to me,” she says. “Being open and transparent and clear with our customers so we can establish real trust and real community.”