Stepping into a CEO role in what was for me a very new sector was initially a bit daunting, despite my many years in senior leadership positions.  I was introduced to Kilfinan Australia by the Chair of my Board as she understood the challenges that an NFP CEO experiences – juggling tight resources and executing bold ambitions to increase the charity’s impact.

Meeting and working with my mentor Kathy Hirschfeld over the last 3 years has been truly invaluable.  I was matched with her given my funding imperatives and her expertise in this area, but our many coffees and conversations went beyond this.  A CEO role can be quite isolated in many ways, and with Kathy I knew I could share my challenges, concerns, doubts and plans and in return, receive objective, non-judgemental and supportive advice and insights.  

Our conversations helped me see things more clearly regardless of the situation I was dealing with.  Located interstate, Kathy would always let me know when she was in town so that we could meet in person and it was always a treat to be able to do that. Other times it would be a Zoom call or a quick 15-minute call to touch in about something I was grappling with.  At all times, these conversations helped me validate what I was doing or helped me approach things differently to achieve a better outcome. 

I feel really privileged to have had access to Kathy’s professional insights, support and her generosity – and grateful to Kilfinan for this wonderful service.