Stephen Becsi | The CEO Magazine

With more than 60 percent of aged care homes in regional and rural areas running at a loss, many are faced with imminent closure. But Apollo Care has pioneered a proven formula that supports regional and remote aged care homes to not only remain sustainable, but to thrive.

As the company’s CEO Stephen Becsi OAM explains, this means older Australians can continue to be cared for locally, close to their loved ones.

“We’ve already saved more than 1,000 beds in the bush and we’re just getting started,” he says.

At a time when Australia’s aged care beds are predicted to fall below demand, Apollo Care has invested US$43.5 million in building new resident suites, refurbishing existing suites and shared spaces, building or bringing back online 134 beds.

“Over the past 12–18 months, we have been planning for the construction of 53 new specialist dementia care beds in three regional homes,” Becsi reveals. “Two of those homes are in regions that don’t currently have any specialist dementia care.”

This achievement is especially significant when you consider that dementia is now the biggest killer of Australians. And according to Dementia Australia, around 1.7 million people are involved in caring for someone living with dementia.

“I have lived experience of this, so I can empathize with how difficult that role can be,” Becsi says. “It’s so important that people with advanced dementia support needs have the option to stay living locally when their care needs increase.

“Apollo Care is making that happen so they can stay close to family, remain in a familiar town and live in a community that feels like home.”

Secret to success

According to Becsi, who is a finalist in the Healthcare category at The CEO Magazine’s 2026 Executive of the Year Awards – Australia, Apollo Care’s innovative operating model is at the heart of the company’s success, delivering the scale, capability, technology, governance expertise and capital investment that communities need.

“Unlike other providers, we don’t rebrand our communities under a generic ‘master brand’ model,” he explains. “Instead, we preserve the DNA of every community that joins our alliance.

“We honor and protect what makes them so special to their local area. We retain their name, brand and constitution, and local members remain on the board. These communities have been built by locals for locals and we don’t strip that away – we make it stronger.”

For Becsi, the culture of an organization is everything. As a result, he has prioritized investment in a culture program that has garnered several awards thanks to its ability to harness technology and psychology to change the mindset and performance of Apollo Care’s workforce.

Staff are connected to cloud-based systems and software via a mobile phone care device. Weekly on-the-job learning is delivered to this device to boost individual wellbeing, build psychological resilience and direct focus on what matters most in their community. Staff achievements are celebrated regularly.

“We know the program works, because it’s measured. Improvements in care delivery and leadership are captured online and in real time,” Becsi says.

Tackling talent

Looking ahead, Becsi’s goal is simple: to save and build more aged care beds in the regions where they’re needed most, despite the persistent challenges in the sector, in particular the talent shortage.

Apollo Care’s response is to focus on building a permanent workforce that has seen it reduce its reliance on expensive casual agency staff to less than five percent across its 14 communities.

“Our communities benefit financially and culturally, and our residents benefit from improved care outcomes delivered by familiar staff,” Becsi says. “Our focus is not just keeping rural and regional homes open – we’re enhancing them.

“We invest in resident spaces to make them feel more like home, resident wellbeing programs, improvements to the dining experience and leading technology that optimizes care outcomes for residents.”

This year’s recognition from The CEO Magazine not only shines a light on Becsi’s own stellar work, but also on the aged care sector, highlighting the challenges and importance of keeping aged care communities sustainable in the regions.

“Being named a finalist in this award recognizes how Apollo Care has used innovation to address this problem,” Becsi says.

“As CEO, I see my legacy as helping as many older Australians as possible to be cared for in the town they call home.”