ReachOut is excited to announce a new Board Chair, and the appointment of five new Board Directors, including our first Youth Board Director.
These changes come at an exciting time for ReachOut as we begin implementing our new Social Impact framework and growing our new digital service, PeerChat. PeerChat is a first-of-its-kind one-to-one text-based digital service that connects young people with trained peer support workers to help to connect through shared experiences, gain clarity on their situation and take positive action.
Joining the Board is Emma Hogan, the Secretary for Digital, and the NSW Department of Customer Service; Josh Lowy, Head of Product – Core, Growth and Workflows at Calendly; Stuart Munro, Group Head of Strategy at Commonwealth Bank Australia; Glen Selikowitz, Managing Director of Ritam; and Tiara De Silva, current ReachOut Youth Ambassador and Managing Director of Captivate the Future.
This announcement comes as current Board Chair, Andrew Wilson, and Board Directors, Alison Hughes and Aaron Green conclude their terms on the ReachOut Board.
Stepping up as Board Chair is current Board Director, Michael Gonski.
Gonski is a partner at global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. He co-founded ‘New Gen’, the next generation of giving programs run by Philanthropy Australia and currently sits on the Board of Carriageworks.
Gonski welcomed the incoming team and thanked the departing Board Directors for their outstanding contributions to youth mental health and their strong leadership.
“While it is always sad to say goodbye, we are thrilled to welcome a new group of board directors to ReachOut.
“Our outgoing Board Directors have been a source of great knowledge and experience, and contributed immensely to ReachOut over the years - in particular Andrew, who has been a wonderful Chair. On behalf of the entire ReachOut team I would like to say thank you and farewell to Andrew, Alison and Aaron.
“Each of our incoming Board Directors has their own unique set of skills. We’re excited to learn from their expertise and embrace their new ideas and perspectives as we continue to drive impact within our service and advocate for greater investment in digital mental health services.
Ashley de Silva, CEO of ReachOut is looking forward to working closely with Michael and the new Board Directors.
“Our incoming Board Directors will provide a depth of knowledge across many key areas of focus for ReachOut. It’s an exciting time to add their skills and experience to the team and I look forward to working together to grow ReachOut’s impact.
Ashley de Silva, said the organisation is particularly excited to welcome ReachOut’s Youth Board Director, Tiara De Silva, to the team.
“ReachOut is founded on the value of co-production, and though we’ve always worked directly with young people to shape our services, we are excited to see this perspective and experience fully represented on our Board,” he said.
Tiara De Silva welcomed the opportunity to represent the young people that ReachOut serves.
“As a young person with lived-experience of mental ill-health, it means a great deal to me to join the ReachOut Board.
“ReachOut has always done a tremendous job of engaging with young people to help design and deliver their services. Embedding a youth voice on the Board will help to further ensure that young people have adequate access to the support services they need.”
Andrew Wilson, outgoing Chair of the ReachOut Board, is stepping down from his position after ten years of service. During his ten years at ReachOut, Wilson has overseen major milestones such as the growth of our signature fundraising event Laps for Life and most recently the ReachOut rebrand and launch of a new digital peer support service called PeerChat.
“I have had the privilege of working with the ReachOut team for the last ten years. During this time I have watched as ReachOut has paved the way for youth digital mental health solutions in Australia.
“I am incredibly proud to see the impact that ReachOut has had on the lives of young people. I will be watching from the sidelines as ReachOut drives digital innovation in the mental health sector forward. I thank the team for their unwavering commitment and passion to support young people in Australia.”
Incoming
- Emma Hogan, the Secretary for Digital, and for the NSW Department of Customer Service
- Josh Lowy, Head of Product - Core, Growth and Workflows at Calendly
- Stuart Munro, Group Head of Strategy at Commonwealth Bank Australia
- Glen Selikowitz, Managing Director of Ritam
- Tiara De Silva, current ReachOut Youth Ambassador and Managing Director of Captivate the Future
Outgoing
- Andrew Wilson, Current Board Chair
- Alison Hughes
- Aaron Green
