Kare Plus announced today that its Founder Steve Welsh (47) has officially stepped down as CEO of the company and have appointed Yvonne Tomlinson (52) from Castleford in Yorkshire as CEO, effective 1st January 2020.
Steve has been instrumental in the expansion of the Kare Plus brand, the shaping of the business model and its direction and strategic growth. A passionate leader, Steve has driven the team at Kare Plus to expand the network from 3 businesses to over 80 across the UK and oversees within the last decade.
In founder-led organisations, the transition to a non-founder CEO can be hard: Founders are usually deeply attached to the business and a transition to a new leader can signal a profound change in the direction and/or culture of the organisation.
“While stepping away from a role and team that I am passionate about has not been an easy decision, one of the key responsibilities of a good leader is to ‘pass the helm’ at the right time and to the ideal person,” Welsh said. “In the 30th year of our anniversary, I am excited and confident that Yvonne is the right leader to take Kare Plus into the next chapter and beyond, she shares my vision, understands the company’s operations and can identify the potential that Kare Plus has to continually shape the healthcare industry.”
“During the last two and a half years, she has driven unparalleled results for Kare Plus International in the key Directors role that she has held and has been a vocal advocate for quality and development across the organisation. As founder of Kare Plus, I will be still taking an active role within the Curae Group of companies to focus on innovation, strategy and growth”
Yvonne has extensive and award winning, (Great British Care Awards: Best Employer with over 250 Employees and the Care Trainer Award), executive leadership experience in several companies within the health and social care industry, where she has been a Trainer, a Quality and Development Manager, an Operations Manager and a Consultant, turning around both under-performing homecare businesses and care homes.
“My skills-set and passion for high standards in health & social care fits in well with Kare Plus’s shift towards the sustainable growth and development of its services, its in-house training and development and re-brand and growth of its regulated services.”
A young grandma of two, soon to be three, Yvonne states “I am a driven and competitive individual, (not to mention a 19-golf handicap), and I am really excited and proud to have been handed the reins of Kare Plus, a company with a great philosophy and direction. We have a fantastic brand, team and network and I know that I have the unyielding support and foundations to move Kare Plus to its next phase.
