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Godwell new CEO of Stronger Smarter Institute by Kerry Klimm 7 November 2014
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n a clear signal of its ambitions and reflecting the scale of the job ahead, the Stronger Smarter Institute is boosting its executive capabilities. Institute founder and now chairman, Dr Chris Sarra, is appointing one of Indigenous Australia’s best credentialed senior executives as its CEO and adding a former Deloitte’s partner to its board. Effective from the 6th November Darren Godwell will be the Institute’s new Chief Executive, taking over from Lisa Signato who’s moving onto the board “We are pleased to have attracted Darren to our team. His skills, experience and networks gained from advising the World Bank, the New York based Synergos Foundation and media conglomerate Bertlesmann add clout to the Institute’s capabilities,” Dr Sarra said. “Mr Godwell has a reputation for being a straight talker, driving growth and executing clear strategy that transforms. “With more than a third of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population under the age of 15, the Institute is gearing up to meet the demand to transform Indigenous Australia. “We are committed to not just increasing educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, but forever changing our future by supporting parents, community
Darren Godwell with IUIH South East Queensland Chair Stella Taylor Johnson. Image: IUIH
leaders and teachers through our schools,” Dr Sarra adds. “To do this we need to attract the best in business, best in
Indigenous education and best in the Indigenous Australia. Mr Godwell and Ms Signato represent this. ” Mr Godwell’s attraction to the Institute is because education is the key to unlocking a world of possibilities for the growing population of Indigenous young people. Plus Australia’s educators and communities clearly trust and support the ‘stronger smarter’ philosophy. “The ‘stronger smarter’ philosophy is based on the transformative power of high expectation relationships and as such the Institute’s growth is not just eminent, it’s crucial. “The Institute has already worked with over 450 schools across Australia, welcomed over 1,700 school and community leaders through its program who have, in turn, influenced the classrooms of over 32,000 Indigenous students. Ms. Siganto has been the interim CEO of the Stronger Smarter Institute for the last year establishing a sound footing for growth in the organisation. “Being able to attract executives of the calibre of Lisa Siganto to our board bodes well for the Institute’s future. ” Siganto joins Mr Herb Elliot AC MBE, long-time school educator Paul Bridge and National Australia Bank’s Executive General Manager Finance Gary Lennon, Dr Chris Sarra, and NITV Channel Manager Ms Tanya Orman on the Stronger Smarter Institute’s board of directors.
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