Marion migrated to Australia over 30 years ago. Since her arrival she has held a number of senior management positions in health care agencies, both in the public and private sectors. During this time she has developed her skills in health services management, human resource management and recruitment, financial management as well as public relations.
When appointed Matron/Manager of the Avenue Private Hospital in the early 1970s, she was able to return the proprietors’ initial capital investment within 12 months of operation, and was subsequently successful for ensuring a good annual profit. This resulted in the proprietors being made a generous offer by an American based company, who eventually bought the business.
In her next role as Senior Nursing Advisor for the then Victorian Department of Health in the early 1980s, she was responsible (amongst many other duties) for the preparation of hospital budgets, staff recruitment and management of hospital industrial relations issues.
Marion’s next role in early 1990s as Director of Nursing at the Montefiore Homes for the Aged, saw her implementing a number of changes without incurring any industrial action.
In late 1995, after the death of her husband, she inherited his restaurant of 37 years. With literally no experience in this area of hospitality, except for her innovation and lateral thinking, she managed the restaurant very successfully for seven years. During this time she had to overcome restaurant culture and staff negative attitude to a female boss, the Liquor Licence Commission, the ‘depression’ of the hospitality industry after the opening of the current casino, introduction of GST, as well as many other challenges faced by the small business operators. Despite all this, she was able to run her restaurant at a profit, during a period when many restaurants in Carlton and Chinatown were struggling to make ends meet.
Currently, she works as a Management Consultant through her own consultancy company. The consultancy provides a broad range of services including small business mentoring and support, aged care management, human resource management and health care information technology systems business advice.
Marion’s strength lies mainly in her interpersonal skills, thinking outside of the square, and her capacity for hard work.
Her one strong passion is advocating for people less fortunate than herself, particularly those from non-english speaking backgrounds. As such, she is very active within the multicultural communities. In 1996, she was awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) for work in the Chinese community as well as for older persons generally. In 2003, Marion was awarded the Centenary Medal ‘For services to Multiculturalism and as Chair of the Victorian Ethnic Communities’ Council’.