SuperFriend, a leading workplace mental health and wellbeing not-for-profit, is pleased to announce the appointment of Darren Black as their new Chief Executive Officer, effective from Tuesday, 6 September 2022.

Black joins SuperFriend following his four-year tenure as CEO at OzHelp Foundation, a national workplace mental health and suicide prevention organisation. A respected leader in the not-for-profit and mental health space, Darren has pioneered the transformations of leading organisations, including Outward Bound Australia and NSW Police Citizens Youth Clubs.

Black also sits on the boards of Suicide Prevention Australia and The Australian Men’s Health Forum.

SuperFriend Chair Elizabeth Proust, AO, says “Darren was a standout applicant with excellent NFP experience who has led several transformations of Australian “for purpose” organisations and has much to offer SuperFriend and its team.”

“Darren has also proven to be a great advocate for collective impact approaches to addressing complex societal problems, most recently improving mental health and reducing suicide. His depth of advocacy experience, practical knowledge and networks will be extremely valuable and beneficial to the SuperFriend team, our partners and stakeholders.”

On his appointment, Darren Black says “I am thrilled to be joining SuperFriend, an organisation with an established, strong reputation in Australian workplace mental health. With mental health and suicide prevention issues being more widely recognised nationally, the role of workplaces is also being acknowledged. Workplaces have a very important role in fostering positive mental health.”

“Promoting mental health and wellbeing adds value to organisations and positively correlates to their performance.”

“In facilitating Australia’s largest annual survey for workplace mental health, SuperFriend’s Indicators of a Thriving Workplace – the SuperFriend team is uniquely placed to positively impact workplace mental health across all industries and sectors nationally, and so it is an excellent opportunity to lead the organisation through this important next chapter.”

Black succeeds SuperFriend’s former CEO, Margo Lydon, who stepped down in March this year. SuperFriend would like to thank and acknowledge Dina Goebel for her work as Acting CEO.