Global role for Caritas CEO
International
Caritas Australia chief executive officer Kirsty Robertson has been elected vice president of Caritas Internationalis at its 22nd General Assembly in Rome.
Ms Robertson will serve the confederation of 162 national Caritas member organisations over the next four years.
With over 20 years of experience in humanitarian aid and development, Ms Robertson started her career at Caritas Australia in the justice resources team, and has since lived, worked and travelled in more than 50 countries, including in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Gokyo Valley in Nepal.
Ms Robertson has worked at Anglican Board of Mission, Act for Peace, and spent five years as CEO of Mary MacKillop Today. She returned to Caritas Australia in September 2019 to become the first female CEO of the organisation.
“It’s a wonderful privilege to be taking on this role, a privilege to be serving the members of the Caritas confederation across the world, and a privilege to be serving the Church and all of the supporters of Caritas Internationalis,” Ms Robertson said.
“We are an amazing confederation, one united by our mission in service to the world’s poor. As a woman it is a particularly important day for us in the confederation. By every measure possible, women are disproportionately affected by poverty. As a confederation we are committed to serving women in villages, parishes, and communities, but also in leadership. My appointment today reflects that commitment.”
Alistair Dutton, Executive Director of SCIAF (Caritas Scotland), was elected as Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, having been elected on May 15. The election of Mr Dutton and Ms Robertson comes two days after that of Archbishop of Tokyo, Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, as the new President of Caritas Internationalis.
“I would like to congratulate Alistair Dutton for his election to the role of General Secretary of the Confederation. I believe that Caritas is in safe hands with him leading the Confederation over the coming years,” said Ms Robertson.
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