Former independent MP Kylea Tink is set to become the new Chief Executive Officer at Foodbank Australia.
She will replace outgoing CEO Brianna Casey, who announced her resignation in July.
As well as being the former federal member for North Sydney, Tink also brings her experience as the former Managing Director for Edelman Australia, inaugural CEO of the McGrath Foundation and CEO of Camp Quality to her new role.
Tink joins Foodbank Australia at a critical time, with nearly a third of all Australian households currently experiencing food insecurity.
“Over the years I have been fortunate to work with incredibly smart, committed and passionate people and organisations who have pulled together to address fundamentally and completely untenable systemic inequities in our society,” Tink said.
“The opportunity for me to join Foodbank Australia is a natural extension of that experience as it provides the opportunity to again work with dedicated and brave people to fix what is a wholly fixable issue – hunger.
“No one in Australia should ever have to worry about what they are going to either feed their families or eat themselves and its time we worked to bring that truth to reality.”
Tink said it’s possible for Australia to make food insecurity a “thing of the past”.
“But it’s going to take all of us; everyday Australians, business leaders and governments at all levels to say enough is enough. We will not tolerate or accept hunger in Australia,” she said.
According to Foodbank Australia, about $100 million per year is required to ensure every person seeking food relief in Australia has access to it. The non-profit has a new ambition to ensure anyone in Australia experiencing food insecurity can access the support they need.
Foodbank Australia Chair, Duncan Makeig said this ambition required a certain type of leader to join as CEO, noting that Tink fitted the bill.
“I’m looking forward to working with Kylea as we all turn our full attention to solving this challenge once and for all,” Makeig said.
“Kylea’s appointment comes as the organisation embarks on a bold and ambitious strategy of raising more than $100 million per year to support the national distribution of at least 120million kilograms of nutritionally and culturally appropriate food relief annually.”
Makeig said Tink’s vision, energy and leadership were going to be crucial, noting she will oversee flagship programs including Feeding Australian Kids, Supporting First Nations People, Foodbank in the Regions, Ensuring Emergency Preparedness and Response, Fuelling Healthy Eating and Fighting Food Loss and Waste.
“This is no small target strategy and I cannot wait to throw my experience into the mix to help reshape our Australian reality,” Tink said.
Tink also told the Australian Financial Review she would push the federal government to introduce a national food waste tax incentive.
Tink is due to commence in the role on October 27.