The Centre for Social Impact (CSI) brings together the business, government, philanthropic and not-for-profit sectors in an effort to build community capacity and generate social innovation. Its mission is to create beneficial social impact in Australia through teaching, research, measurement and the promotion of public debate.

Its new CEO Dr Andrew Young completed a PhD in engineering at the University of Adelaide. He then became a strategy consultant with Andersen Consulting, providing strategy, business and marketing advice to a range of large Australian and international companies.

Seeking to use his skills for social outcome, he took up a role as head of marketing and fundraising for The Smith Family for four years. He was then appointed CEO of CanTeen in 2004, winning the Equity Trustees’ Not-for-Profit CEO First Year Achiever Award in 2005.

During his time at CanTeen Young has developed and delivered a five-year strategic plan that greatly enhanced CanTeen’s public recognition and influence. He grew the organisation from 30 staff to nearly 100 and lifted turnover from $4.5 million to over $22 million. He also re-defined CanTeen’s mission, introduced a new focus on research, advocacy and collaboration and greatly broadened the reach and impact of CanTeen’s work with young people living with cancer. He was successful in negotiating a $15 million grant from the Australian Government towards a $30 million Youth Cancer Fund. The Fund is creating, for the first time, age-specialised youth cancer services in public hospitals around Australia.

The inaugural CEO Peter Shergold will stay on in a part-time position as Macquarie Group Foundation Professor of Social Impact.

Young will take over as CSI’s new CEO in mid-January 2012.