Equity Trustees' Not For Profit CEO Award

The Chief Executive Officer of the Breast Cancer Network of Australia (BCNA) is the national winner of the Equity Trustees’ CEO Award for most outstanding head of a Non For Profit organisation.

Lyn Swinburne, founder and head of the BCNA, has been named Equity Trustees’ 2004 CEO of the Year for her efforts in helping women across Australia face the challenges of breast cancer.

The Equity Trustees’ Not For Profit CEO Awards recognise outstanding achievements of chief executives working in the Not For Profit and charitable sector.

There were more than 60 nominations for the awards this year from across Australia. The awards recognise excellence in delivering services, enhancing the organisation’s image and building strong and successful partnerships.

Lyn Swinburne established BCNA in 1998 and it is now the peak national breast cancer consumer organisation representing 115 member groups and over 10,000 individuals in every state and territory in Australia.

The awards night ceremony heard that Lyn Swinburne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 so she personally understands the issues women with breast cancer and their families face. The BCNA has been hugely successful at working with clinicians and a range of breast cancer support organisations to provide breast cancer sufferers with information and assistance. The BCNA also plays a strong consumer advocacy role to ensure the issues, needs and voices of women with breast cancer are heard.

Major BCNA achievements under Lyn’s leadership include producing the My Journey Kit, a free information and empowerment resource for newly-diagnosed women and the Beacon quarterly newsletter, both of which are promoted by breast care nurses.

The awareness raising event, Field of Women, comprising silhouettes planted in the ground to represent the annual Australian breast cancer statistics, is now held in every Australian capital city (except Darwin) and many regional centres and it has been taken up by a number of international groups.

Equity Trustees Chief Executive Officer, Peter Williams says CEOs of Not for Profit and charitable organisations receive precious little reward or recognition for their efforts, yet their jobs can be difficult, demanding and challenging.

Williams says they routinely face funding shortfalls and difficulties maintaining services, but nevertheless they roll up their sleeves and get on with the job and often they take their organisation forward and leave it stronger.

The winners of the Equity Trustees’ 2004 Not For Profit CEO Awards, announced at a celebratory dinner at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne on 25th November 2004, are:

Equity Trustees’ Not For Profit CEO of the Year: Lyn Swinburne, Breast Cancer Network of Australia
Equity Trustees’ Significant Innovation Award: Jack Heath, Inspire Foundation
Equity Trustees’ First Year Achiever Award: Peter Brown, Wimmera Uniting Care
Equity Trustees’ Long Term Achiever Award: Councillor Vernon Knight, Mallee Family Care
Equity Trustees’ Judges’ Award: Father Chris Riley, Youth off the Streets

The Equity Trustees CEO Awards are sponsored by Deloitte, Bell Potter Securities, Grange Securities and Lithocraft Graphics. The Awards recognise the true worth of those who lead not for profit and charitable organisations.

To look at photos from the award ceremony go to www.eqt.com.au.