Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
As the CEO and Executive Director of The Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia, I lead our organisation's purpose, vision & strategic growth. For me, leadership of Starlight is both a responsibility and a privilege. I am often described as an inspiring & authentic leader & this is what I strive to be every day. I consider my networks & influencing skills to be of enormous value in a business world where relationships are key. I regularly call on my contacts for advice & support. I see my strengths in the areas of vision, relationships, transformation & growth. I am passionate about the creation of organisational purpose & believe this is key to delivering maximum impact through people. I have been successful in developing high performing teams within a culture where change is embraced & innovation is embedded. My experience has given me an understanding of the energy levels & the resilience required to achieve the required change. To me influence & collaboration go hand in hand. The more you seek to understand the motivations of others, the better placed you are to drive better outcomes. My goal is to always be transparent, connected & authentic. My mantra is, if you have purpose & are challenged every day, then you will always have the energy to keep your eye clearly focused on what you want to achieve. I was born on the Land of the Gadigal People, raised on the land of the Wallumettagal People & now live & work on the Land of the Cammeraygal People. I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land & I pay my respects to Indigenous Elders past & present.
I returned to Starlight mid 2009 as Chief Executive, this was post GFC and in an incredibly challenging economic environment. Since stepping into the CEO role, I have led a complete business turn around with every metric recording improvement. This has been an amazing journey from a business and personal perspective and would not have been possible without authentic leadership skills. As CEO I am accountable for Starlight's performance in achieving its mission to brighten the lives of seriously ill kids. This includes responsibility for the strategic direction of the organisation, aligning and inspiring our team to implement and be responsible for achieving agreed strategies, and promoting the uniqueness and value of the impact of Starlight within the community. Starlight is committed to growing sustainable revenue streams to meet the increasing demand for our programs and the changing needs of seriously ill kids and their families into the future.
A national leadership forum to enhance the recognition of the Charity sector by the Australian Community and its Governments.
A world first start-up which brings four Australian NFPs together in an independent joint venture to provide an innovative and sustainable approach to fundraising.
Building the capacity of the social sector through education.
Responsibility for Marketing & Sales function including $40m revenue from premium seating and Club membership sales plus membership vote to change the constitution requiring 75% “yes” vote - over 90% achieved.