The Fred Hollows Foundation is on the hunt for a new Chief Executive Officer, announcing current CEO Ian Wishart will leave the organisation next year.
Mr Wishart has been in the role since March 2018 and will remain on until 30 June 2025 to ensure a smooth transition.
Acting Chair Michael Johnson paid tribute to Mr Wishart for his outstanding leadership over almost seven years.
“Ian is the third CEO in our organisation’s 32-year history and brought with him extensive experience in international development, which The Foundation and in turn, millions of people around the world, have benefited from.
“The Foundation’s impact has grown significantly under Ian’s leadership and we have also expanded our work to new areas. We have become a global development organisation tackling blindness and vision impairment at the systemic level,” Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said the search for a new CEO has begun, with the organisation seeking someone to “provide visionary leadership in delivering bold eye health solutions that transform lives”.
The Foundation’s impact has grown significantly under Ian’s leadership and we have also expanded our work to new areas.
Reporting to the Board, the CEO will lead the implementation of The Foundation’s 2024-2028 Strategy, building on the rollout of its launch earlier this year. The Foundation’s vision remains what Professor Fred Hollows had always dreamed of – a world in which no person is needlessly blind or vision impaired.
In a statement on The Foundation’s website, Mr Wishart described it as an “honour and privilege” to have served as CEO.
“After a lengthy career in international development, in many ways this role has been my dream job – heading up an iconic Australian NGO that is also the global office of an expanding international development organisation,” Mr Wishart said.
“I have been privileged to work alongside incredibly dedicated and talented staff and board members. We have delivered so much together, not least a bold strategy for the future. I know the next CEO will be inheriting a fantastic team.”
“It has been an absolutely amazing experience to have played my part in the restoration of sight to so many people. I can think of no other international development intervention that has such an immediate and profoundly positive impact on people’s lives.”