Elaine Henry
Elaine Henry, OAM, is the Chief Executive Officer of The Smith Family, a position she has held since 1998. Prior to this she was the Executive Director of the Cancer Council of NSW for 12 years.
Elaine has served on numerous committees at the state, national and international levels. Currently she is Chair of Nonprofit Australia, a director of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, and of Social Ventures Australia.
She is a member of a number of bodies including the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board, the Australian School of Business Advisory Council, University of NSW, the Sydney Advisory Council of the Centre for Social Impact and Chief Executive Women.
Elaine’s passion is ensuring that disadvantaged kids in Australia get access to educational and learning opportunities to ensure they get the best out of their education to go on to make the most of their lives.
Articles by Elaine Henry
Choosing your own life
This week marks National Career Development Week (17-23 May), with the aim of encouraging all Australians to take responsibility for…... Read more
Prescriptions for a healthy Australia
It’s sobering to know that Australia has now joined the ranks of nations lining up to grapple with the obesity…... Read more
A program for change with room for everyone
I was heartened last week to note the launch of the GenerationOne project to address Indigenous disadvantage in Australia and…... Read more
Maternity leave: why progress depends on values
When Tony Abbott announced his paid parental leave policy on Monday, I – like many of those at the International…... Read more
The GFC might be over but the poverty crisis remains
According to the Australian Treasury the global financial crisis is now officially ‘over’, with business booming and the unemployment rate…... Read more
MySchool should help us reinvent education
The launch of the MySchool website has resulted in some of the most contentious debate about education in our country…... Read more
Successful schooling begins at home
This week I was struck by the story of an 18-year-old Victorian student who was among 48, 594 young people…... Read more
Why giving your time is the best Chrissy gift of all
You can’t go anywhere without hearing about climate change. There’s no denying that it’s a critical issue for many of…... Read more
Learning to empathise is the key to healing hurt
The depth of the distress revealed by members of the ‘forgotten children’ this week should be a wake-up call for…... Read more
The silently booming sector of the economy
Throughout the global financial crisis, the spending habits of populations around the world have been scrutinised and stimulated as a…... Read more
Cycling to break the cycle of poverty
The generosity of Australians never ceases to surprise and inspire me, despite these uncertain economic times. Philanthropy is a defining…... Read more
Cycle of disadvantage is getting worse each generation
At the heart of the Australian ‘fair go’ is the belief that our society provides every individual with the opportunity…... Read more
When names hurt as much as sticks and stones
Once upon a time, in a 20th century age of ‘things’, people used to make sense of who they were…... Read more
Almost half of Australians have problems with literacy
If you are reading this piece you’re probably not among the close to half of the population with literacy and…... Read more
Women are the real losers in the Global Financial Crisis
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same adage can be applied to women’s equality in society. However, lately…... Read more
Lost in translation: helping refugees find a voice
It’s not a new adage that it takes a community to raise a child, but sometimes the simple assumptions we…... Read more
Putting self-esteem on the school syllabus
Recently, a private boys’ school in Queensland took the progressive step of incorporating emotional intelligence into its syllabus. Bravo. In…... Read more
Tweet all you like – but don’t forget how to talk
We live in an era consumed by communication technology. Walk into any home, library or education institution and you are…... Read more
Finding happiness in the middle of a crisis
Last week we held a public event we call Sydney Conversations – a series of talks we host where, with…... Read more
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