Wendy McCarthy
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Wendy McCarthy AO |
|
|---|---|
| Chancellor of the University of Canberra | |
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In office 1 January 1996 – 31 December 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Donald Horne |
| Succeeded by | Ingrid Moses |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wendy Elizabeth Ryan 22 July 1941 Orange, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Gordon McCarthy |
| Children |
Sophie McCarthy, Hamish McCarthy, Sam McCarthy Grandchildren = Elias Green, Lara Green, Aidan Green, Luca McCarthy, Freya McCarthy |
| Alma mater | University of New England |
| Profession |
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Sophie McCarthy, Hamish McCarthy, Sam McCarthy
Wendy Elizabeth McCarthy, AO, (born 22 July 1941 in Orange, New South Wales) is an experienced businesswomen, manager and executive.
Wendy began her professional life as a secondary school teacher and since then she has remained committed to shifting the concept and reality of being female in Australia, and globally. For five decades Wendy has worked for reform across the public, private and community sectors, in education, family planning, human rights, public health, and overseas aid and development, as well as in conservation, heritage, and media.
Her first experience as an activist came about in 1968 when, newly pregnant, she and her husband joined the Childbirth Education Association in Sydney, campaigning for, amongst other issues, the rights of fathers (men) to be present at the birth of their children.
In 1972 she established the NSW branch of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, before taking on the role of Education, Information and Media Officer with Family Planning Association of NSW in 1975, and eventually that of CEO of the Australian Federation of Family Planning Associations.
Her leadership in these issues was quickly recognised with her appointment to the National Women's Advisory Council in 1978, a new office that was to advise the then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser on policy issues effecting women.
From here Wendy’s career as a trailblazing leader for women accelerated as she led the Australian Broadcasting Corporation through period of significant reform and change as Deputy Chair (1983-1991), while also working as General Manager Communications with the Australian Bicentennial Authority (1985-1989).
In the education sector, she was the first woman appointed to the NSW Higher Education Board and also served on the NSW Education Commission. She was a founding member of Chief Executive Women, an organisation established to mentor and support female executives, and its president for 1995-96. In 1995 she was appointed to the Economic Planning Advisory Commission’s four member Task Force report to Prime Minister on Australia's child care needs to 2010. In 2005 she completed a decade as Chancellor of the University of Canberra.
Her leadership in the public and women’s health sectors continued with her role as chair of the National Better Health for All and associated National Better Health Program Management Committee (1989 – 1992). A decade later she was a member NSW Health Care Advisory Council, chair NSW Health Participation Council, and co-chair of the NSW Sustainable Access Health Priority Taskforce. She was also a member of the Royal College of Physicians Research and Education Foundation (1991-1994), President of the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation (1995-1998) and patron of the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (2007-2011). Most recently served as chair of the Pacific Friends of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (2007-2015).
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