The Chair of OzHelp Foundation, Mr Hugh Chalmers stepped down from his official duties at the Annual General Meeting held on Friday 16 October.
Mr Chalmers notified the Board of his intention to step down in June, after 8 years in the role, and 9 years on the Board.
He appointed OzHelp’s current CEO and guided the organisation through the successful application for the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program.
Mr Chalmers said it had been an incredible privilege to serve as Chair.
“I’m pleased to have worked with a strong, diverse and dedicated board, and as I leave the organisation, I am confident it can meet current challenges and is well placed to take on future ones.” Mr Chalmers said.
OzHelp’s CEO Mr Darren Black thanked Mr Chalmers for his steadfast commitment to the organisation during his tenure.
“Mr Chalmers has played a vital role in ensuring there was sound direction and governance processes in place, and he has been a great support to both myself and OzHelp’s executive team”.
“On behalf on the current Board and the entire team at OzHelp we wish him every success as he heads into retirement” Mr Black said.
Mr Peter Howman has been appointed as Chair and Ms Lyn O’Connell to Deputy Chair.
Mr Howman joined the OzHelp board in 2019 with more than a decade of board level experience across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors with experience in property funds, urban development, housing construction, high technology, and investment management sectors. Mr Howman is an executive director and chair, non-executive director, board committee member, and National CEO of the Year.
Mr Howman brings experience in all major board disciplines including accounting, audit, finance, governance, legal, policy, technology, strategy, and property. In an executive capacity Peter has experience in a range of organisations from high technology start-ups to large multi-nationals and multi-billion-dollar residential development and property management. He was awarded the coveted Australian CEO of the Year in 2015-16 by the Customer Services Institute of Australia (CISA). Peter has an MBA, GradDip Management, GradDip Computer Science and MSc in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Oxford, UK. Additionally, Peter is a Fellow of the Australia Institute of Company Directors.
Ms O’Connell has been on the Board of Directors since 2011 and is currently a Deputy Secretary of the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment. Ms O’Connell is also a member of the Advisory Board of Deakin University Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics; the Institute of Public Administration Australia and a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
OzHelp is currently recruiting to fill three vacant positions on the Board.
