BY JESS ROUSE
Steven Underwood has gone from flying 500 feet above the pyramids of Giza, through the mist of Niagara Falls and above the acropolis of Greece to being the CEO of one of the most iconic, lifesaving services in New South Wales.
Steven was appointed to the role of CEO of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service last year, taking over from Richard Jones who stepped back from the role after 28 years at the helm.
Steven has been in the workforce for 43 years, but it’s been no normal job.
“When I left school, I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do, and I literally stumbled into the Royal Air Force in the UK where I ended up flying for 25 years.
“I was based in Europe for three years, did time in Central America, and the Middle East on helicopters and I flew quite a lot of aeromedical and search and rescue missions. My cockpit was my office, and the view was ever changing, which was a real privilege.
“I was also very fortunate in the last four years of my time in the Air Force, to be part of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows.
“The Red Arrows are also a charitable organisation so a lot of the work that you do in the red suit is like the Westpac Rescue Helicopter because you’re out there as part of an iconic organisation meeting people.”
Steven was part of the Red Arrows for four years before he left flying behind to enter the commercial world.
He started his new role while still in the UK, and then moved to Australia in 2007 then Newcastle in 2014 and spent time in numerous places around the world.
“I had been in work for 43 years when I decided to take a break. I was on the verge of retiring and basically hadn’t worked for five months when I typed CEO Newcastle into Google, and this role came up.
“I looked through the position description and felt I had all the skills and experience to fulfill the role, and then the talent management company that was recruiting were called “Underwood Executive” and my wife said, ‘that looks tailor made for you!’”
Steven reached out to Underwood Executives, and before he knew it, he was offered the job.
“I understood what the crews did on board from my firsthand experience in the Air Force, the fundamentals of getting the clinical team, the NSW Health Doctor, and the NSW Ambulance Critical Care Paramedic, to the point of need, safely and efficiently.
“The biggest thing I’ve learnt so far is what really resonates with everyone involved is just how important the service is.
“It’s inspirational. It’s the same on bases, as it is in the community, people have a choice of where they donate and who they support, and they choose us. We get such great support and we’re so privileged.
During his tenure, Steven said he wants to ensure he sets the service up to operate well into the future.
