The Fred Hollows Foundation CEO Mr Ian Wishart has been selected as a finalist for the University of Canberra’s (UC) prestigious 2019 Chancellor’s Alumni Award.
Wishart has been shortlisted in recognition of his contribution to the global community. He is one of Australia’s most accomplished CEOs in the international humanitarian sector, having dedicated his 30-year career to helping impoverished people.
“Forging a career out of humanitarian work has opened my eyes to the importance of being generous in everything we do – especially in sharing resources and knowledge with countries that are less well-off than we are,” he said.
“The road to where I am today has not been straight and smooth, and humanitarian work takes discipline and hard work to be able to succeed with limited resources.”
The 2019 US Chancellor’s Alumni Award celebrates the outstanding achievents of alumni worldwide. The inaugural ceremony was held in 2001 as part of the University’s celebrations to mark 30 years of teaching on the Bruce campus. They were hosted again in 2008 to coincide with the 40th anniversary, and have run on biennial basis since 2011.
According to the charitable organisation, Wishart’s experience of growing up in pre-independence Papua New Guinea during the 1970s paved the way for him to support people impacted by poverty, disaster and disease.
He has since become one of a select few to have worked at virtually every level of international development, including grassroots response, as a country manager in a developing country and as a global senior leader.
Wishart commenced his career as a graduate international emergency response officer with World Vision Australia. Prior to joining The Fred Hollows Foundation, he was the CEO of Plan International, helping to improve the lives of children across the world.
The winner of the Chancellor’s Alumni Award will be announced on 26 October
