Leadership lives in people. At the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), we see it every day, in the way people show up for their communities, respond to change, and bring others along with them. We have spent more than 30 years walking alongside these people, listening, learning, and growing together.
We have seen the power of leadership when it’s shaped by place, grounded in experience, and shared through strong networks. And over time, we’ve become more than just a provider of leadership programs. The ARLF is the leadership hub for rural, regional and remote Australia.
We are a place where leadership is developed, tested, supported and shared. A national centre that connects learning, practice and impact not just within individuals, but across communities, organisations and systems.
Now, we’re stepping into a new chapter.
As of Monday 1 July, the ARLF leadership team is evolving to reflect the bold, purposeful strategy guiding us toward 2030. At the heart of this evolution is a simple truth: the challenges facing rural Australia are growing more complex, and the way we support leadership must adapt, too.
We will soon be farewelling two long-time senior leaders: Philippa Woodhill, who has led our partnerships and engagement work for many years, and Lockie McDonald, who has stewarded our internal operations with care and expertise. Their impact has shaped who we are, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions to the ARLF.
For Philippa, I find it difficult to put into words for someone who has been with us for 19 years and performed in a myriad of roles over that time. Philippa’s own leadership has been a significant influence on the ARLF. Her grace and poise under pressure, her remarkable contributions to strategy and team, her internal refedex of people and history, her support for her colleagues and many others and her deep humanity. I remember a team exercise we did several years ago where we were completing a human ‘map’ of connections in the ARLF team – when we completed it a looked around Philippa was the central cog in the structure – this speaks volumes to the part she is in the team and its culture.
Similarly, Lockie’s deep care for people has had a strong influence on the culture of the ARLF where relationships and care for others is evident. Over the years he has demonstrated the value of dedicated, persistent communication internally and externally, played a key role in helping reshape the organisation as we navigated our way through a changing world and holds a deep care for people. Lockie has been an enthusiastic supporter and co-designer of a growing ARLF – in terms of impact first and foremost but also scope and size.
In their place, we welcome a refreshed executive team to pave way alongside myself as the ongoing Chief Executive of the ARLF.
Andrea Hogg steps into the role of Director Leadership Innovation. Merging our program design and funding streams, Andrea will ensure our leadership learning continues to meet the real and changing needs of communities across Australia.
Jorunn Lorenzen becomes Director Impact, leading how we measure and share the outcomes of our work. Through data, stories and influence, Jorunn’s role will help us and others understand the difference leadership makes.
Nelum DeSilva continues as Director Capability and Services, bringing a focus on the finance, people and governance that keep us strong behind the scenes, and ready to support a growing network.
In the coming weeks you may also notice some movement in our internal staffing structure as people move into new roles outlined in our strategy. We will also be advertising a number of newly established roles which we will continue to update over the coming months. This new strategy strengthens what we already know to be true: leadership is needed everywhere, and it looks different in every place. Our role is to create the conditions for it to thrive.
What won’t change is our foundation. Leadership development remains at the heart of what we do. Our values continue to guide every decision. We will keep walking alongside our alumni and our partners, supporting communities to lead through complexity, challenge and opportunity.
We will share more over the coming months about what this next phase looks like for us and there will be opportunities for our network members to ask questions and learn more about the strategic plan.
