Vision Australia CEO Recruitment Campaign
In July 2024, Ron Hooton resigned from the position of Chief Executive Officer of Vision Australia, Australia’s largest Disability Service Provider which provides services directly to Blind and Vision Impaired Australians. In spite of Ron’s resignation serving as an excellent opportunity for the organisation to open up the position to Blind and Vision Impaired leaders, The Board of Vision Australia announced its intention to appoint Vision Australia’s next CEO through an internal, expression of interest process.
United Blind and Vision Impaired people from across Australia, and internationally, wrote an open letter to the Vision Australia Board expressing their dismay about the decision, arguing that leadership of organisations which provide services to Blind people, should be led by Blind people.
United Blind Leaders also wrote an open letter to Vision Australia expressing this view and inviting signatures and comment from members of the public who believe in a fair, open and transparent recruitment process and that Blind people have an inalienable right to lead organisations which are about them.
What Happened?
United Blind Leaders called on Vision Australia to commit to an open and transparent, external recruitment process. We asserted that this process must be accessible to, and promote applications from, Blind and Vision Impaired Australians.
This campaign centres around the opportunity for the Board of Vision Australia to appoint the organisation’s first ever Blind or Vision Impaired Chief Executive Officer. Such a leader would ensure the entrenchment of Lived Experience into the culture and operations of Vision Australia, allowing it to improve service delivery and raise its profile within the Blind community.
On 17 September, Vision Australia’s Board advised that they would change course and move to appoint the organisation’s next CEO via a public search. You can read more in our update.
What Comes Next?
At its Annual general Meeting held in Melbourne on 31 October, 2024, Vision Australia’s Chair, Bill Jolley provided an address and answered questions, (tabled by United Blind Leaders), in the organisation’s name. United Blind Leaders found the Board’s comments and responses to our questions concerning and disappointing. Check out the transcript containing extracts from the Chair’s address and full answers to the questions tabled by United Blind Leaders.
How You Can Help
You can write to companysecretary@visionaustralia.org to express your concerns about the Board’s statements. We have prepared an Open Letter which you can use as a guide. Also, if you haven’t already, you can join Vision Australia to keep up-to-date and have your say in the future.
Check back regularly for updates on this campaign and subscribe to our mailing list so you can receive future updates.