Meet Cain - Partner, Risk Advisory
Meet Cain Beckett, a Canberra-based Partner in our Risk Advisory team. Cain’s focus in our Health practice is primarily on tech enabled transformation, strategy implementation, digital and operational risk.
How did your passion for healthcare start and what was the motivation for pursuing a career in healthcare?
As early as high school I lived in Papua New Guinea and wanted to be a tropical medicine specialist. I was always more focused on the ER than being a GP. My first real work experience was in a hospital. I spent lots of time with the ambulance service. My early roles took me instead into consulting, particularly on complex programs for government. So, for most of my career, I've focused on the largest government initiatives and how to deliver them well, regardless of field.
Could you provide a brief overview of your professional journey leading up to your current role?
It's a tale of two halves. I was born 3 months prematurely with cerebral palsy (CP). So, I've spent several lifetimes navigating the health system as a customer. To ensure others didn't have the same challenges as me, I've spent my life transforming the way Australia and our health system deal with disability. I also co-founded a medical research foundation to drive prevention and a cure for CP as the most common disability. Professionally I've led initiatives in non-profit service delivery, the private sector and in government all over the world. Where matters less than what, I try to be nimble and move around building great teams for things I'm most passionate about. I like rolling up my sleeves to get things done.
What skills and capability do you bring to transform health?
I bring a happy blend of deep understanding of the machinery of government from my time in senior policy roles, a lifetime of implementing the biggest tech and strategy initiatives, wrapped up with personal experience across the health system and medical research.
Representing Australia at the 2005 Para-Archery World Championships in Italy.
What can you tell us about your role at Deloitte and the work you're involved in?
I lead our ACT Digital and Transformation Risk practice. We support initiatives across government that need advanced governance, risk intelligent transformation and risk advisory.
What notable achievements or initiatives have you led throughout the duration of your career that have had a significant impact on healthcare outcomes?
In the health space three main things:
- I co-founded the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation which is driving medical research and prevention of CP globally. It's an amazing team, already improving the lives of millions of people around the world. (To date we've driven about 15% fewer cases. When the team gets closer to 80%, they will win the Nobel Prize).
- I was the last person to edit Australia's National Plan to Transition Australia's National COVID-19 Response - a one-pager that the PM held up on television the next morning. (No pressure!)
- I designed and implemented a big chunk of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), particularly the supply-side framework, the changes to how we deliver residential care is the piece I am most proud of.
What impact are you looking to have on the sector and what is your vision for the future of healthcare?
Digital government and AI are now ubiquitous. In Health, that will make the government's approach to both health care and prevention as well as broader needs like emergency management, unrecognisable over the next 10 years.
