CARE Australia announces the appointment of Morgana Ryan to the permanent position of CEO.   

Morgana has been the Interim CEO of CARE Australia since February this year, after stepping off the CARE Australia board, which she served on since 2021.  

Her appointment follows the news that former CEO of Caritas Australia, Kirsty Roberston will sadly no longer be commencing in the role of CEO due to unexpected ill-health.  

The CARE Australia Board wishes Kirsty good health, and whilst saddened she will no longer be joining CARE, is confident the organisation is in good hands with the permanent appointment of Morgana Ryan to CEO. 

“We are extremely grateful for Morgana’s exceptionally strong leadership over the last seven months, and are enthusiastic about Morgana continuing in the role of CEO,” said CARE Australia Chair Marcus Laithwaite. 

“Considering the remarkable contribution Morgana has made to CARE in such a brief period, her appointment to the position permanently was an obvious decision and one that is unexpectedly fortunate for staff and the organisation.”  

Morgana brings to CARE Australia extensive experience in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors at a governance and executive level. Her work has spanned strategy, organisational change, international development and IT at the International Secretariat, Regional and Country levels of large INGOs.  

She is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Morgana is the co-author of two acclaimed books focused on supporting INGOs to operate effectively and maximise impact.  

Morgana has spent more than 15 years working in the for-purpose sector, including projects with Oxfam International, Plan International, Amnesty International, CRS, Save the Children International and Fred Hollows Foundation. She led Accenture Development Partnerships in the Asia Pacific Region and is the former board chair of Infoxchange.   

Morgana’s own heritage as the granddaughter of refugees, along with her experiences living and working in Oman, Qatar, Brunei, Nigeria, Netherlands, Norway, and the UK, have shaped her views and her strong passion for social justice, equality, diversity, and collaboration.   

“It has been my privilege to lead CARE as Interim CEO over these past seven months,” said Morgana.  

“I’m passionate about CARE’s work and am grateful for the opportunity to continue working alongside our amazing staff and partners to deliver our vision of improving the lives of women and girls around the world.” 

Menchie Khairuddin

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Menchie Khairuddin is a writer Deputy Content Manager at Akolade and content producer for Third Sector News. She is passionate about social affairs specifically in mixed, multicultural heritage and not-for-profit organisations.

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