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Update from the CEO

From April to September this year I will be taking a sabbatical from the Foundation due to some family commitments. We are fortunate at the Foundation to have a wonderful high-performing team, a huge amount of support from the industry and also a great pool of talent in and around the organisation.

Acting CEO
As such, I am delighted to announce that Steve Gatt, currently the Chair of the Board of Advisors in NSW and also a member of our National Board, will be the Acting CEO while I am on leave. Many of you will already know Steve and of his wealth of experience and knowledge – both of the Foundation and the property industry.

Steve has been on the NSW Board of Advisors since 2011 and became Chair of the Board of Advisors in 2016 and also joined the National Board that year. He has a deep understanding of the Foundation, our stakeholders and our cause. Steve and I will be working closely together between now and April to ensure a smooth succession and Steve is currently working at the Foundation one day a week. You can contact him on sgatt@pif.com.au.

In addition, we have extremely experienced teams in each state and the day-to-day operations of the Foundation will continue to operate at its usual high level. We have a very good pipeline of projects underway and expect to start building 20 bedrooms this year.

Also, please don’t be concerned by my need for a sabbatical. It’s that time of life for my father where I want to spend some good time with him and give him the support he needs to get his affairs in order. It requires no commiserations – we will all be old one day.

I’m grateful for the support of the board and the team at the Foundation to enable me to spend some time with him. We all play different roles in our lives – siblings, children, parents, team members, colleagues and friends – and each role at some point takes the centre stage. I am very much looking forward to putting the role of daughter at the centre of my life for a few months and then returning to my work at the Foundation.

As a supporter of the Foundation, I am sure you will welcome Steve and ensure he is supported by the broader network in his time as Acting CEO.

Kate Mills