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
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
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To damage your reputation, hire Max Markson
``How do you start a small business? Give Warwick Fairfax a big one’‘, should be reworked… Read more
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Gentle jabs to the ribs
Breaking news: Something is going on
Is this the greatest ever send-up of 24-hour news? Warning: contains strong language and hilarity. From… Read more

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