From Lesley Ray FFIA, Chairman, Fundraising Institute Australia
After almost five years as FIA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sue-Anne Wallace has resigned from her position. FIA has thrived under Sue-Anne’s leadership and expertise, and the organisation is now positioned as a key reference source and significant influence in the shaping of fundraising regulations and standards. Working with five Boards and leading and developing a terrific team across two states, Sue-Anne has achieved significant results for FIA, in particular building FIA’s reputation and authority, increasing membership and income and enhancing our professional standards. As evidence of Sue-Anne’s contribution and FIA’s increasing relevance, membership has increased significantly since 2004 and our professional development programs now engage an unprecedented number of fundraising professionals. Sue-Anne should be justly proud of the enduring mark she has made on fundraising in Australia and also at an international level.
FIA staff, Board, Committees, Chapter Executives, Members and colleagues will miss Sue-Anne’s energy; her vision; her ability to see possibilities; and the leadership she has provided to FIA during her time as our CEO. Sue-Anne has been a great leader for FIA during this time of growth and relevance in the sector. She has engaged with our members, governments, businesses and the wider nonprofit sector to enhance FIA’s role as the peak national body for professional fundraising. We thank Sue-Anne for the contribution she has made in advancing professional fundraising in Australia and extend our very best wishes for the future as she takes up her new role as Managing Director, Global Philanthropic.
It is with pleasure that I introduce Chris McMillan as FIA’s next Chief Executive Officer. Chris will take up her position on 24 March and comes to FIA with a depth of expertise in peak body and member-based nonprofit organisations. This experience has been drawn through senior executive roles with the Australian Institute of Management, Australian Business Limited, Securities Institute Australia and the Financial Planning Association.
Having commenced her career within the health care sector, specialising in neo-natal and paediatric intensive care nursing, Chris has worked across many other industry areas including: information technology; learning and development; human resources and management consulting; and most recently as the Chief Executive Officer of Variety, the Children’s Charity (NSW).
Chris’s human resource and management consulting experience includes major projects for BORAL Ltd., P&O Ltd., Shell Australia, Fauldings Ltd, BHP, Sony Australia, Unisys Australia and Telstra.
Chris’s board appointments include serving on the Board of the Open Learning Institute (1995 – 1997) and Board of Vocational Training NSW from (1999 – 2001). Her professional associations have included acting as a business mentor for Postgraduate students from the Queensland University of Technology, participating as a judge in the Young Australian of the Year awards (1996 &1997, member of Advisory Committee – Financial Literacy Skills IBSA (2005), Sectorial Advisory Committee for Financial Services Education (2006) and the Course Review Committee, Faculty of Business and Law, Victoria University (2006).
She holds a Master of Business (Knowledge Management) from the University of Technology Sydney, a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology and a Diploma of Applied Science. I welcome Chris to her role and look forward to working with her.
Filed under: FIA update | Tagged: charities, Chief Executive Officer, Chris McMillan, FIA, Fundraising Institute Australia, Variety New South Wales
