Gem Spotlight - vincent ramos at austin health
Vincent just ticked over six months at Austin Health. Here, we find out more about this impactful position, his love of writing, bookstores and desire to see greater diversity in the sector.
Vincent Ramos, Head of Philanthropy at Austin Health
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’ve been a fundraiser for 15 years. I grew up in Hong Kong to Filipino parents, and Melbourne has been home for 25 years. Six months ago, I started as Head of Philanthropy at Austin Health.
What was your very first job?
In the early 1990s, I had a summer job at the Hong Kong offices of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. I learned all the usual summer job skills, and gained an early experience of spreadsheets (Lotus 1-2-3!).
I will confess that I spent much of what I earned on three things: taxis to work, Dreyer’s ice cream, and a Swatch watch. I want to say I bought my mum a gift as well …
What did you dream of being when you were a child?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I started reading. I went on to major in writing at uni, and quietly I still harbour the dream that I could make it my full-time job! When I’ve had free time (and free mental space) I’ve been working on a memoir about my parents.
What are you passionate about?
So many things - but in our sector, I’m passionate about seeing greater diversity. I’m pleased to see Diversity & Inclusion finally growing as a subject of attention. The boards of our peak bodies are starting to include diverse talent, and D&I goals are showing up in strategic plans.
However, there are charities whose jobs sites promote themselves as ‘proudly inclusive’ but where a search of their staff and leadership profiles turns up little that speaks to that being true. We cannot be complacent.
We can better serve our communities if the for-purpose sector fully and equitably mirrors the multiplicity of our communities. I'm keen for our emerging professionals to put their hands up for senior roles and for hiring managers to see their skills and potential - all things that will help us do a better job at engaging more diverse groups.
What’s the best thing about your current role?
I work with a great, supportive team. It’s been an exceptionally busy six months, but the Austin Health Foundation team is one that rolls their sleeves up and gets a stellar job done.
Having worked in higher education since the beginning of my career, I’ve enjoyed the shift into healthcare philanthropy. It’s meaningful to me that my work supports a great public hospital, and I’m impressed by the care our healthcare workers provide and the cutting-edge research our clinicians undertake.
I’m excited about Austin Health’s big strategic goals - they carry tremendous philanthropic potential, but what we’ll be able to achieve for better healthcare will be the true accomplishment. Watch this space!
What is your proudest accomplishment or career highlight?
Setting up a philanthropic practice for the Holmesglen Foundation has been a standout. It was a true privilege to head the Foundation as the inaugural director. I established an infrastructure for fundraising giving and brought in the first stages of philanthropy and donor support for our students and programs.
We demonstrated how philanthropy can work in an Australian TAFE context, and brought much-deserved support to thousands of learners and students.
I’m particularly proud that during the pandemic we were able to provide emergency financial assistance to Holmesglen learners in a way that was unique among TAFE institutions.
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
Assemble a ‘team’ of mentors and trusted peers - people that not only make work fun, but importantly, who can be your sounding board for when you need perspective, or need to make big decisions.
When I look back at when I’ve faced crossroads or grappled with tough decisions, I recognise that I never faced those issues alone.
What is the key career advice you give to others?
Get to know the features and functions of LinkedIn, and use it in a way that reflects who you are as a professional.
Where is your favourite or dream holiday destination?
I love cities with good food and drink, and good bookstores, and some cultural treasures to explore - that is a lot of world to enjoy!
I also love a beach getaway - whether it’s one that feels largely undiscovered (as many in the Philippines still do), or one that’s been well-trodden by other tourists, there’s something simply wonderful about the sea and sand!
My favourite experiences are when you come upon something you didn’t expect, or where you can return a number of times to develop a bit of discernment, so these experiences become quite personal, but here are two favourite spots:
Sanshotei is a family-run restaurant near the Yamazaki distillery between Osaka and Kyoto. It’s been around for five generations. Of course there’s amazing food, prepared according to the season and the chef’s interactions with you. Stop in after touring the distillery and soak in 110 years of atmosphere.
My idea of the perfect bookshop is Three Lives and Company in New York’s West Village. Maybe take the books you’ve bought and start to read over a negroni at Dante, a few minutes’ walk away.
What is your favourite movie, TV show or book?
I rarely leave a bookstore without a cheeky purchase. I have many favourites, but two recent highlights are:
Jenny Offill's Dept of Speculation, which is written in a trademark style of short fragments and vignettes. It's a slim novel, but an incisive look at marriage, with great lines and riffs on intimacy, trust, parenthood, and life. It's very funny as well.
I’ve also enjoyed Werner Herzog’s first novel, The Twilight World. It’s about the Japanese soldier who hid in the Philippine jungle long after World War II ended. It’s also a slim book, but he’s taken a narrative that describes nearly 30 years of lonely, empty - ultimately futile - anticipation in a way that elevates it to myth.
One of my favourite movies is Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love and I will never stop telling people to go find it and savour it.
Thanks for being a Gem Spotlight, Vincent!