Social Ventures Australia welcomes James Toomey as its new CEO

13 January 2025 Consultancy.com.au

Impact consultancy Social Ventures Australia has begun the new year with a new boss, with James Toomey taking the reins from former chief executive Suzie Riddell after six years in the top role.

A former consultant at Bain & Company, Riddell declared her intention to step down as CEO of Social Ventures Australia (SVA) in the middle of last year, having altogether served with the not-for-profit social sector consultancy for close to a decade and a half.

Riddell’s decision sparked the hunt for a new chief, with former Mission Australia CEO James Toomey ultimately tapped as her replacement, bringing four decades worth of experience across the social and public sectors in Australia and the UK.

SVA chair Rob Koczkar said the firm had been committed to finding the right person to drive its innovation agenda and deliver maximum impact, and was delighted with the appointment, adding; “I would like to say how grateful we are for Suzie’s dedication to this organisation and the way she has primed SVA to continue leveraging its considerable and unique strengths under James’ leadership.”

Having started out in law enforcement in the UK, Toomey soon pivoted to a career in the social sector, with a focus on child protection, youth justice and family services. In 2011, he took up a senior position with Mission Australia, before later serving as the charity’s CEO for four and a half years to 2022 and then as a deputy secretary within the NSW communities & justice department.

In addition, Toomey has collaborated on the formation of a number of organisations and social initiatives aimed at tackling issues such as homelessness, including the Constellation Project (in partnership with PwC) and the End Street Sleeping Collaboration, the latter for which he served as inaugural co-chair among other director stints for various not-for-profit organisations.

The next chapter

“SVA is in a unique position in the social sector, and I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to work with the team and partners to drive better outcomes,” Toomey said. “I have long admired SVA and have known Suzie for several years. I look forward to working closely with the team as we work together to challenge orthodox thinking about what is considered ‘too hard’.”

Established in 2002 as a collaboration between The Benevolent Society, the AMP Foundation, Work Ventures, and The Smith Family, SVA according to its annual report consulted on over 260 projects across more than a dozen sectors last year, along with making eight formal government submissions, its work altogether supporting more than 430,000 people “with lived experience of disadvantage.”

“It has been an incredible privilege to be a part of this organisation for the past 14 years, and I’m proud of the impact we've had,” Riddell said of her departure. “I’m excited to see what comes next at SVA. We are on such a positive trajectory, and have a highly engaged team of talented people. SVA will be in good hands with James and all the fantastic leaders across the organisation.”

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