Bupa has announced that Kate Dee (pictured), chief people officer for its Asia-Pacific operations, will leave the company to pursue a new opportunity outside the organisation, ending a seven-year tenure.
Dee served as a key executive team member and oversaw human resources and organisational culture during a period marked by sector-wide transformation and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her responsibilities included talent management, diversity initiatives, and workforce engagement strategies.
“While Kate will be deeply missed after seven years at Bupa, she leaves with our best wishes as she continues to pursue her career ambitions,” said Nick Stone, Bupa’s APAC CEO.
Looking back at Dee’s time with Bupa, Stone said Dee had supported the insurer through several organisational shifts and had played a central role in its people strategy.
“Kate has been instrumental in supporting and leading our people through times of significant change at Bupa and in our sector including the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “[She] has nurtured our purpose-driven culture, led advancements in the way we foster our talent and our leadership pipeline, championed the career progression of women, and our leading position in psychological safety.”
He said the company would continue to focus on leadership continuity and employee experience following Dee’s departure.
The leadership change comes alongside Bupa’s announcement of a two-year agreement with private hospital operator Healthscope, ensuring Bupa policyholders can access Healthscope facilities without incurring additional hospital charges.
The agreement, which follows several months of contract discussions, addresses ongoing concerns around affordability and continuity of care in the private healthcare sector. The negotiations were part of broader industry efforts to stabilise patient costs amid rising pressures on health system financing.
The deal highlights the private health insurance sector’s financial position, with the latest Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) 2023-24 report revealing that total industry revenue from insurance activities reached $31.25 billion.
The largest contributors were Bupa HI Pty Ltd with $8.1 billion, Medibank Private at $7.57 billion, and HCF at $3.91 billion.
Insurance-related expenses amounted to $28.08 billion, while investment earnings added $970 million. After tax, the sector reported net profits of $1.58 billion, with Medibank posting $552 million and Bupa $412 million in profits. In contrast, HBF Health recorded a loss of $18 million.
