One week, three ways

Across the HBF family, no single working week looks quite the same.

For Marci Eugenio, Head of Behavioural Health at HBF, the week is shaped by decisions, inputs, and people as she leads work on a strategic project that requires clear direction and close collaboration.

For Reuben Stephens, Claims Team Leader at see-u, the week involves balancing reporting, team rhythms, and claims work that turns a process into relief for members through confirming benefits, resolving issues, or delivering good news.

For Carley Rizk, Head of Operations Excellence, her week moves between Technology and Cyber, member experience design and quarterly planning, with a steady focus on helping teams make complex work clearer, simpler and easier to manage.

Live a week alongside them and you start to see what the experience of working at HBF looks like in practice. People are trusted to lead, supported to grow, empowered to work in ways that make sense, and connected to purpose beyond their daily tasks.

Monday: where the week begins

For Marci, the first priority on Monday is clarity.

“I spend time sense-making across multiple inputs and balancing direction with hands-on problem solving so the team has clear intent and momentum for the week ahead,” she said.

That sense-making is part of the responsibility of her role. She is holding the long-term ambition of a strategic project while staying close to the practical work needed to move it forward.

Reuben’s Monday starts with a different kind of operational leadership and his ritualistic coffee run.

“It’s a great way to start the week, having a relaxed catch-up about our weekends while strengthening the strong working relationships we’ve built over time,” he said.

Many of Reuben’s peers have worked together for more than eight years. By the time the week begins, those relationships already have a rhythm. People know how to check in, when to ask questions, and how to help each other move through the work.

For Carley, Monday asks for a different kind of balance. Her husband is in Melbourne for work, her teenage daughter is heading into exam week, and the usual school drops, sport runs and home life have shifted.

“I am grateful that my role affords me the flexibility to adjust my calendar as needed so that I can step up as needed for our teenage kids.”
— Carley Rizk, Head of Operations Excellence

She still plans to spend at least three days in the office with her team that week. For Carley, flexibility is the thing that lets both parts of her week work. Being present at home when her family needs her and present with her team when the work needs her there too.

Tuesday: turning priorities into progress

By Tuesday, Marci’s work is moving from alignment to delivery. Assumptions are being tested in practice, decisions are becoming more concrete, and her role is to help the team move through the choices ahead with enough transparency that they understand what needs focus now, what can wait, and why.

For Reuben, leadership check-ins help connect his team’s work to what is happening across HBF and see-u. They align priorities, raise upcoming focus areas, and help leaders understand how their own decisions fit into the broader member experience.

“Moments where we’re able to support someone when they need it most are a great reminder of why our work matters, particularly when we can deliver good news and make a difficult situation a little easier.”
— Reuben Stephens, Claims Team Leader at see-u

That same day, Carley follows up after a governance forum, connecting with others involved to understand recent feedback and explore how the process could work support the teams who rely on it. Because she works across different stakeholders, priorities and improvements already underway, Carley can bring the right perspectives together and help turn feedback into practical change.

“My team is uniquely positioned to connect the dots, to surface challenges with the right people, and move solutions forward,” she said.

Across three very different roles, Tuesday is about making priorities actionable. A strategic initiative needs clear trade-offs, a claims team needs to understand where its work fits, and a technical forum needs to be revisited to keep serving the people it was created to support.

Wednesday: working with people, not just process

By midweek, Marci, Reuben and Carley are all focused on work that depends heavily on relationships.

Marci is moving between formal forums, team check-ins, and one-on-one conversations to remove friction before it slows the team down. A team lunch gives her time with people away from meetings, where listening and reconnecting people to purpose are part of how she leads.

Reuben’s team makes time for the small routines that help people work well together, a kitchen conversation, a shared lunch, a coffee run, or a walk to his favourite nearby bakery. In a claims team with both deep tenure and newer staff still building confidence, those ordinary moments make it easier for people to ask questions, share what they know, and bring others into the way the team works.

For Carley, Wednesday brings a detailed piece of contract structuring work with a third party. She and Adam Wallace, Manager of Operations Excellence, who she describes as her “off-sider,” lean in to help another team progress the work.

“It was detailed work, and that’s where Adam really shines,” she said. “He brought a bold, experimental mindset to it.”

Adam used AI to compare versions, identify gaps in the scope and make complex documents easier to understand. That helped the group work through a dense review more efficiently before coming together through a lens of whether the work will make things better for the people using it.

Thursday: flexibility, trust, and responsibility

As the week progresses, Marci begins to sharpen direction for what comes next. Decisions are clearer, ownership is more visible, and she steps back to assess what still needs attention.

“What really keeps my work sharp is staying grounded,” Marci said.

For her, that means making time for self-care, reflection, and cutting through the noise.

Reuben’s Thursday is steady, supported by a capable team and a hybrid rhythm that works for him. He usually works in the office from Monday to Wednesday, using those days to connect with peers and his team. The rest of the week allows for a different rhythm, supported by trust in people who consistently deliver high-quality work.

“I’m fortunate to have a highly competent and capable team,” he said.

For Carley, Thursday brings the familiar reality that things shift every week.

“The key to sustainable progress is staying true to the why, understanding the purpose, staying focused on the problem and adapting as the work evolves.”
— Carley Rizk, Head of Operations Excellence

Carley’s team often sits between technical specialists and business leaders, particularly those closest to the member experience. Each group brings different expertise, language, and priorities, so her team helps bridge the gap, translating complexity, keeping the purpose clear and bringing the right people together to shape better outcomes.

Away from work, her evenings are full with her husband away, her children’s commitments and her own goal of getting to the gym at least three times a week. The week is busy, but it is workable because there is room to adjust.

With everything happening at once, flexibility is practical. It gives Marci, Reuben, and Carley room to keep the work progressing, be present at home, and continue the routines that help them work and live well.

Friday: looking back at what moved forward

By Friday, progress looks different for each of them.

For Marci, Friday brings space to consolidate. Working from home allows focused reflection on what has progressed, what needs follow-up and how to set the next week up well.

“For me, the week isn’t about big standout moments, and more about creating the space for lots of small conversations, good decisions, and shared ownership to come together.”
— Marci Eugenio, Head of Behavioural Health

For Reuben, the week’s progress comes into focus through completed reporting, training, leadership conversations, and work to strengthen business rules with more practical examples. A discussion on complex claims processes reinforces his pride in the team.

“They demonstrated strong expertise and professionalism, showcasing themselves as exceptional processors and a valuable asset to the business,” he said.

That pride is personal too. Reuben has grown within the claims team from Processor to Senior Processor and now Team Leader, supported by leaders who encouraged him to develop. It is the same kind of support he now wants to offer his own team.

For Carley, progress comes when a complex piece of work lands well with the people it is designed to help. After a week of alignment, problem-solving and improving the way work moves between teams, the most satisfying moment is knowing the team has understood the brief and made a difference.

“It’s important work that delivers value and efficiency for those involved and is immensely satisfying,” she said. “In that way, it’s super easy to be connected to purpose.”

What one week can reveal

Together, Marci, Reuben and Carley’s weeks show how much sits inside a career at HBF, and the value of each role seen in motion.

The work reaches across teams, into members’ lives, through careers that build over time, and into the ordinary routines that help people keep doing good work. There is real trust in the way people manage their time, teams and responsibilities, and a true connection of each task to its bigger purpose. And that is more than three ways a career at HBF supports people to enjoy making a meaningful contribution to a healthier tomorrow.