Meet the Team

Unrivaled aged care experience

Gaynor Giro

Founder and Director


Altaira was founded in 2008 by Gaynor Giro, and since then it has grown exponentially from just two nurses locally to a vibrant and robust national organisation. In 1991 at the age of 21, Gaynor began her career as a Carer, Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, and Registered Nurse, with Florence Nightingale as her inspiration.

It was her experiences working in these roles within aged care facilities that made her realise that she needed to make a positive change within the aged care industry. She wanted to ensure that our aging population was getting the best care possible, and established Altaira with that mission.

Gaynor established Altaira wanting to become a partner to her clients in the sector, not just another service provider. She was instrumental in setting the foundations for Altaira, achieving the goals she set for herself and her small team, and then guiding and growing Altaira into a company where family matters, what you stand for matters, and how you achieve it matters.

Gaynor is exceptionally proud of how far the company has grown and the direction that Jelena and the rest of the team are taking it. Gaynor feels that one of Altaira’s strengths is the great sense of teamwork amongst the team, and this is one of the reasons the company runs so effectively.

Her greatest accomplishment has been building and maintaining personalised relationships with both clients and staff. It is important to Gaynor that everyone feels valued and seen, instead of merely a number in the company.

Jelena Giro

Director


As the Director of Altaira, RCSA SA council member and vice chair of ANRA, Jelena is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and supporting the labour hire and recruitment industry with over 10 years’ of Executive Leadership experience. She brings a unique value proposition to the table with a strong and deep understanding of the Health and Aged Care Sector with her specialties being recruitment, staffing, and workplace solutions.

Throughout her career, Jelena has demonstrated a strong record of success driving growth, profitability, and brand awareness while growing Altaira from a small start agency into a national provider. Her strengths are implementing innovative solutions and strategies for staffing and workplace solutions as well as optimising operational processes. Jelena’s passion is to advocate and contribute to the industry at every level with the goal of driving positive change.

She received RCSA’s CEO Outstanding Contribution in 2023, which recognises RCSA Members who have gone above and beyond in selflessly supporting the community. Jelena’s biggest accomplishment achieved at Altaira is implementing the mentorship program for graduate nurses. Jelena is a strong advocate in supporting fairness and equality in the workforce and strongly believes that everyone needs to start somewhere, they just need to be empowered with the right opportunities.

John Denham

Client Operations Manager


John is the Client Operations Manager at Altaira and has been in the position since 2014 where he has been instrumental in implementing best practice systems, procedures, and databases. In this role, John manages all aspects of the business, including the recruitment, training, and supervision of staff, maintenance of databases, marketing, and business development, and quality control.

In 1999 John became a Nurse and worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. For ten years he worked as the Unit Manager in Aged Care, and alongside this, he continued his work as a Business Development Manager in the recruitment industry before commencing his role at Altaira. John has 25 years of experience in the recruitment and sales industries, developing well-regarded and valued relationships nationally. He also has experience managing his own recruitment agency in Melbourne.

John is proud to be a part of the team that transformed Altaira from a boutique agency into the prominent leader it is now in South Australia and the Northern Territory. He enjoys working with Altaira’s clients, partners, and staff to ensure that Altaira can offer a comprehensive range of high-quality services and support. John’s goal for Altaira is to continue to be more diverse and grow into a national recruitment company that specialises in the aged care sector.

It is the diversity in his role as the industry evolves that inspires John. He is a strong advocate for social and cultural rights in the workplace and values the importance of providing equal opportunities for all.

Michael Zoumaras

Allied Health and Wellness Operations Manager


Michael joined Altaira as Allied Health and Wellness Operations Manager early in 2021, and with both a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and a Bachelor of Medical Science he is well equipped for this role, which aligns with Altaira’s Allied Health division expansion.

Michael’s previous work experience was mostly in Occupational Health Physiotherapy but he has also worked in other areas such as Aged Care, Sports & Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, and Community Care. Before becoming a Physiotherapist, Michael worked as a Disability Care Worker, which gave him a great foundation in holistic client-centred care and building trust with clients.

Michael is extremely passionate about helping clients to maintain their independence and believes that this will result in better long-term outcomes for the clients. It is important to Michael for clients to be empowered, and to self-manage their injuries and concerns in a way that is meaningful for them.

Michael’s greatest accomplishment while working at Altaira has been building the Allied Health team from scratch, with a focus on building a culture of trust and ensuring the team has a high professional standard. He also developed a professional, high-quality, and evidence-based pre-employment Functional Assessment service. Michael is excited about the company’s future growth into the occupational health field and his part in helping the staff grow and develop their skills in this area.

Josie Woll

Recruitment and Clinical Development Manager, RN, B Health Science (Honours), BN


Josie Woll joined Altaira in 2023, bringing with her extensive experience in the field of aged care, including 10 years in aged care management. With a background as a registered nurse, Josie possesses a deep passion for providing exceptional care to older people in the aged care setting. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) and a Bachelor of Nursing. Josie’s expertise extends beyond direct care, as she also has a sound understanding of accreditation compliance. Her leadership and recruitment skills enable her to source quality staff and motivate them to deliver high-quality care

Bradley Holden

Allocations Manager


Bradley joined the Allocations team at Altaira in January 2023, where he excelled in his ability to roster and meet our diverse client demands. Now Senior Allocations Administrator, Bradley’s role has substantially expanded involving supporting our Allocations Manager Jayde McCullagh and our corresponding departments along with daily supervising and supporting the dynamic Allocations team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and drive for delivering quality service while focusing on positive staff development and training across all our teams. His ability to utilise latest technologies in order to streamline processes and workflows has provided Altaira with cutting-edge service delivery across the sector. His aim is to pursue further studies in leadership and management to continue growing with Altaira.

Luke

Allocations Team Leader


Luke Parletta has been an integral part of Altaira since joining in February 2021, rising to the role of Allocations Team Leader by September 2024. Known for his leadership and problem-solving abilities, Luke has been instrumental in managing client requests, streamlining processes, and guiding his team to success. His input in IT and training projects has helped implement innovative solutions that enhance Altaira’s service delivery. While pursuing a Bachelor of Law, Luke continues to develop his skills, aiming to combine his legal knowledge with his role to grow within the organisation. Luke’s commitment to Altaira’s supportive and family-oriented culture makes him a valued leader, and he believes this strong environment sets Altaira apart as a truly exceptional workplace.