Recruitment underway for new Social Traders CEO to drive continued development of Australian social enterprises.

The Board of Social Traders, Australia’s organisation connecting social enterprises with social procurement opportunities, announced it had commenced recruitment of a new CEO following the decision of inaugural Managing Director, David Brookes, to step down in October.

Social Traders Chair, Patricia Edwards, said: “I want to acknowledge David’s tremendous contribution to Social Traders. His dedication to the organisation, his calm professionalism and passion, and his significant contribution to the social enterprise sector in Australia and internationally has been simply outstanding.

“David’s decision comes at a point of natural inflection for Social Traders having managed through the COVID-19 restrictions. It provides the Board and our highly capable team with an opportunity to build on David’s legacy and bring new energy to Social Traders’ purpose and mission ensuring we continue to deliver social impact,” she said.

Since David first joined us in 2009, Social Traders has made significant progress in creating a thriving social enterprise sector that is an increasingly vital part of the Australian economy.

With the support of government, philanthropy and the business sector, Patricia said they have created a social enterprise marketplace that has the potential to deliver over 25,000 jobs for vulnerable Australians over the next decade.

“David leaves the organisation in great shape, having built a passionate and highly capable leadership team. Our focus is now on the recruitment of the best possible candidate from inside or outside Social Traders to lead the organisation in its next phase in pursuit of our Vision 2030 Strategy,” she said.

Outgoing Social Traders Managing Director David Brooks said: “I am proud of the progress and achievements that Social Traders has made to date. These were made possible by the fantastic commitment, capability and support I’ve received from the Board, my senior management team, and the great team of staff we’ve built over the years.”

“It has been an enormous privilege to be part of, and learn from, the social enterprise sector in Australia, and I hope I’ll continue to be part of it in a different capacity,” he said.

David will continue in his role until the end of October as the Board undertakes the recruitment process for his successor