New CEO for Benevolent Society
21 July 2011 at 11:37 am
After an extensive national search, Australia’s oldest charity has appointed a new CEO to lead it into its third century.
Australia’s first charity, The Benevolent Society, has announced Anne Hollonds will take the reigns as CEO in August.
Anne Hollonds in the former CEO of Relationships Australia NSW and Chair of the Family Relationship Services Australia Board.
President of The Benevolent Society, Sam Weiss says Hollonds’ qualities as a leader and as a person were clearly evident during the search, which attracted an exceptionally strong field of candidates.
Weiss says Hollonds shares The Benevolent Society’s passion for social justice and for transforming people’s lives and he is looking forward to working with her as their collective journey approaches its third century.
Hollonds says she is very excited to be asked to lead an organisation with such a distinguished history and solid track record in caring for families and advocating for social change that improves people’s lives.
Author and social researcher Hugh Mackay says this is very good news for The Benevolent Society as Anne Hollands is unquestionably Australia's greatest authority on managing relationships.
Prior to Relationships Australia, Anne worked for the NSW Government in Community Health, and the Department of Community Services, in child and family counselling, out-of-home care and child protection, domestic and family violence, and community mental health. She has also worked for Barnardos and UnitingCare, and has lectured in social work at the University of NSW.
Weiss thanked outgoing CEO Richard Spencer, under whose guidance the organisation has grown significantly, with revenue more than doubling to $80 million and the organisation now employing nearly 800 staff and 600 volunteers.
Spencer says he is proud to have led an organisation that is not only recognised as a high quality provider of welfare and support services for vulnerable people and communities, but has also embraced innovation to achieve positive change.
He says The Benevolent Society jumped at the challenge of joining Social Ventures Australia, Mission Australia and the Brotherhood of St Laurence to create the GoodStart consortium which has taken over the running of more than 600 of the failed ABC Learning child care centres – making GoodStart the biggest social enterprise in Australia.
Anne Hollonds joins The Benevolent Society on Monday August 8th and takes over as CEO from Friday August 19, 2011.
