Foodbank Australia has appointed Kylea Tink as its new chief executive officer, effective 27 October. She will take over the position from Brianna Casey, who is stepping down after being in the role since June 2016.
It is a pivotal time for Foodbank Australia, with food insecurity affecting almost a third of Australian households, according to the organisation’s annual Hunger Report. The 2025 update is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Tink joins the food relief organisation with a professional track record spanning federal politics, commercial operations and the not-for-profit space. Previously holding positions including inaugural CEO of the McGrath Foundation, CEO of Camp Quality, and managing director for Edelman Australia, she has a deep knowledge of the sector.
“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,” said Tink.
“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 it's time we worked to bring that truth to reality,” she said.
The organisation has calculated that around $100 million per year is required to secure the food, funds and logistical support needed to ensure every person seeking food relief has access to it.
Foodbank Australia chair, Duncan Makeig, said the organisation’s new strategy, at a time of challenging economic pressures, called for a particular type of leader to join the organisation.
“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 120 million kilograms of nutritionally and culturally appropriate food relief annually,” said Makeig.
“In this capacity, Kylea’s vision, energy and leadership are going to be crucial in building Foodbank’s continued success as Australia’s most trusted food relief organisation, driving systemic change and overseeing the growth of our flagship programs: 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.”
