I am excited to be developing the APA’s next strategic plan so early in my tenure. In my view, strategic development is as much about the process as it is about the outcome. 

The pathway to our 2025 strategic plan has relied on diverse voices both within and beyond our organisation, encompassing feedback from our staff, board members, membership base and key stakeholders. 

Our strategic development process began in October 2024 with a two-day session attended by the APA senior leadership team. Prior to this meeting, each of our general managers held a session with their respective teams to identify key objectives for the next two to four years, assess our current strengths and pinpoint opportunities for growth. 

This information was then synthesised and combined to create overarching deliverables that could be shared at the upcoming board meeting—allowing the board to make well-informed strategic decisions. 

While the board oversees strategy, it is our executives and their teams who deliver on these strategic imperatives. 

In February, we undertook a one-day workshop with the Australian College of Physiotherapists and a further two-day workshop with the board to refine our strategic direction. 

In March, we presented our updated strategy to the National Advisory Council to provide them with genuine opportunities for input. 

Throughout this process, I’ve engaged with our Industry Leaders Group as well as the Council of Physiotherapy Deans Australia and New Zealand to hear their feedback and insights. 

This process will continue when I meet with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Council soon.

The feedback we’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive, providing valuable insights that have helped us to refine our direction. 

While we’ve made adjustments between each consultation, the changes haven’t been fundamental, letting us know that we’re on the right track. 

The strategy will focus strongly on the things that matter most to our members—providing leadership as physiotherapy’s national voice for advocacy, driving career development opportunities with refreshed education initiatives and creating valued opportunities for member connection. 

However, none of this would be possible without the feedback from our members. Understanding what is important to our members, what they value and the changes they wish to see is crucial. 

We’ve gathered these insights through our member survey and through the numerous conversations I’ve had with members since joining the APA in May 2024. 

To ensure that our approach is thorough, we engaged Andrew Hollo, a consultant and facilitator who has worked with organisations such as the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. 

With extensive experience in government and health sectors and a deep understanding of member-based organisations, Andrew has provided us with invaluable support. 

We can’t create informed and inspired strategy without collaboration. 

The APA does not exist in a vacuum; physiotherapy operates within a very complex health environment. 

Delivering optimal outcomes for our members requires teamwork and collaboration. 

This includes partnerships with universities, employers across all health settings, industry partners, regulatory bodies (ie, the Physiotherapy Board of Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Council) and funding entities at federal, state and private levels. Additionally, we must meaningfully engage with consumers to communicate the value of physios and ensure that the profile of physiotherapy remains front and centre. 

We anticipate finalising this strategic plan at our June board meeting, with a membership release scheduled for July this year. 

We are enthusiastic about sharing these details with our members and creating an even stronger, more united physiotherapy profession. 

Rob LoPresti 

APA Chief Executive Officer