At the beginning of 2020 I embarked on a long-planned break from my executive role to travel extensively. Whilst in New York COVID hit which meant a sudden change to my plans. Upon returning home, I reassessed my priorities and, given the unique environment across the world, I decided to extend this time to focus on some personal projects and family commitments. It has been a blessing to take this time out of an always busy and demanding career and I feel privileged to have had this time, recharged and reenergised to embark on the next chapter.

Cancer Council Australia is the nation’s leading non-government cancer control organisation. Part of a complex federated structure of Cancer Councils involving eight State and Territory Cancer Council organisations. This role was responsible for leading change management and team engagement initiatives during a period of divisional review and restructure whilst transforming the Federation’s approach to corporate partnerships; achieving the first ever accord in this area, across all entities, and achieving a long-held goal of the organisation. Leadership of National Business Development function including the national corporate partnerships and Licensing teams. Member of Cancer Council Australia’s Leadership team and strategic advisor to the Cancer Council Federation and Board.Founding member and sole Asia-Pacific representative of an inaugural global alliance of cancer charities collaborating on multinational partnerships.Delivered new national strategies for both national corporate partnerships and licensing; contemporising Cancer Council's approach to partnerships and gaining agreement for an aligned national partnership approach across the Federation.Managed a portfolio of national corporate partnerships and nurtured strategic corporate relationships, including overseeing all national corporate campaigns, contract negotiations, strategic planning, budgets and crisis and risk management.

Westpac cemented its community engagement and sustainability leadership which was consistently recognised as truly world class. Taking this cultural transformation to the next level, a key role I played during this time was to influence traditionally business-focused divisions to recognise the joint value-creating opportunities. This was an exciting new chapter for the organisation that delivered innovations that provided both business and social value; and an approach that was widely embraced and became embedded into the new 'way we do things’ in all divisions across the Group. Developed and delivered Westpac Group’s community engagement strategy. Led group-wide community programs including: employee engagement (Matching Gifts, volunteering), community partnerships and sponsorships, disaster relief, grants/donations (philanthropic gifts) and all employee community communications.Strategic advisor to group senior executives, divisional business leaders and management across all Westpac Group brands. Within a multi-brand business environment, brokered relationships and connections between the business and the community sector. Identified value-creating opportunities and delivered innovations that provided both business and social value.Managed a portfolio of national community partnerships and nurtured strategic not-for-profit relationships, including overseeing all Group-wide campaigns, contract negotiations, strategic planning and crisis/risk management. Facilitated community support for disaster response and general appeals. Spokesperson for community related issues in media and at internal and external events. Managed community team, servicing Group-wide stakeholders.Member of: Westpac Retail & Business Banking (WRBB) Community Board and Institutional Banking Community Awards and WRBB Community Leaders Awards judging panels.

This was a time of significant cultural change within Westpac. As an early leader in community engagement and sustainability, and with other banks investing heavily to ‘catch up’, Westpac was seeking to maintain its competitive leadership and further embed community involvement into the broader culture of the organisation.Responsible for strategic direction of the bank’s community involvement activities, community relationships and community campaigns.Renewed group-wide approach to community involvement to align more closely with business objectives and oversaw development of the bank’s community funding program to better support business strategy.Global and local recognition for leading best-practice community partnerships and programs: • Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy programs consistently top rated in Dow Jones Sustainability Index• Rated no.1 in Brand Tracking Surveys • Inaugural award winner - Volunteering Australia’s Excellence in Corporate Volunteering (2007). Awarded for best practice and innovation in a program with a positive community impact.Leadership of Community team and financial accountability of budgets.Westpac spokesperson for community related issues in media, internal engagements and at external events. Member of Westpac Social Advisory Group and Stakeholder Impact Report Editorial Review Committee.

Westpac emerged as an innovator in corporate community engagement and sustainability after a challenging period of public disenchantment with banks. A time of great autonomy to try new things and push the boundaries of traditional banking roles, those risks paid off for my team and our innovations were rewarded with wide-spread recognition and laid the groundwork for future transformation.Developed innovative partnerships and programs with leading community organisations, recognised as best-practice by numerous industry and external rating agency awards including:• 2004 Strategic Community Investment Award - AFR Magazine Corporate Partnership Awards• 2004 - topped the list of Australian companies’ social awareness - Corporate Responsibility Index• 2003 Outstanding Long-Term Partnership Award - AFR Magazine Corporate Partnership Awards• 2002 Special Award for Impact in the Community by a Business - Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships• Rated most socially responsible company in Australia and outstanding in Social Impact by RepuTex.