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After 4.5 years, Bush Heritage Australia CEO Heather Campbell has announced her departure from one of Australia’s largest conservation organisations, leaving a thriving organisation on track to deliver its ambitious 2030 strategy.
The Board accepted her resignation with sadness, gratitude for what has been achieved and confidence in what will be achieved.
Heather will take on the role of CEO for Greening Australia. She will continue to lead an organisation in a sector she loves, contributing to the future of our planet but with considerably less remote travel and time away from her family.
“On behalf of the Board and staff, I sincerely thank Heather for her leadership and commitment to achieving outstanding results for some of our most precious ecosystems and all those who care about them,” said Bush Heritage Australia President Sue O’Connor.
“Heather leaves a strong organisation, led by a committed and capable Senior Leadership Team and staff, all focussed on delivering our 2030 strategy – an ambitious strategy that will see us deepen and double our impact by the end of this decade.
“We can already see that our 2030 strategy is gaining real traction and is delivering on the ground results. We have confidence that we have the right people, partnerships and support from our donors and volunteers to deliver the future that we all want.”
Heather Campbell joined Bush Heritage in January 2019, but had been part of the Bush Heritage family for much longer than that as a long-time supporter and keen advocate for conservation.
During her 4.5 years with the organisation, Bush Heritage has acquired 7 new reserves, deepened its Aboriginal partnerships including 3 new ones and significantly expanded its work with agriculture to now be working across over millions of hectares of pastoral land.
“Leading an organisation funded largely by individuals and organisations who trust in our work and share our belief that with a right-way approach, we can have a real impact, has been humbling,” says Campbell.
“The decision to step away from this role has been incredibly hard, but it’s the right decision for me. I am a mother of two teenagers in the later high school years, including one on an elite sporting pathway. I have spent my life chasing my dreams and, at Bush Heritage, living my dreams, and now I need to be able to support my kids as they work towards their dreams.
For me, that means a shift to less travel to remote areas and working with an organisation that is at a different stage of their growth journey."
Taking on the role of CEO of Greening Australia allows me to work in another part of the conservation sector and use my skills working with corporations to be part of the solution for our planet without significant travel.”
Campbell will be leaving the role in late July. An internal and external recruitment process will commence shortly with an internally appointed Acting CEO to be announced shortly.
Bush Heritage Australia is a leading not-for-profit conservation organisation that protects ecosystems and wildlife across the continent. We use the best science, conservation and right-way knowledge to deliver landscape-scale impact. We’re on the ground, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the agricultural sector to make sure our impact is deep, sustainable, and collaborative.
Coco McGrath
Social Media & PR Coordinator, Bush Heritage Australia
0455 635 035
[email protected]
