Today Mind welcomes Denise Cumming as our new Chief Executive Officer, following six years of leadership from Gill Callister.
Gill, who announced in May that she would not seek a new contract with Mind, is still with us for one more week to support a smooth handover to Denise. Gill’s last day with Mind will be Friday 2 October.
Denise is well known within Mind and the mental health sector, having worked with Mind for nine years, most recently in the Executive Director, Operations role overseeing service delivery in Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales (through One Door Mental Health), Allied Health and housing services. Her time with Mind forms part of a 30-year career spanning clinical mental health, leadership and policy roles across the UK and Australia.
“It’s a privilege to lead Mind through its next chapter. Nine years at Mind has taught me that this organisation’s strength is its people – our amazing staff, our lived experience leaders and above all the people and communities we work with,” Denise said.
“While I’m excited about leading this wonderful organisation into the future, I also want to acknowledge the tremendous work Gill has done to lead Mind through a period of considerable growth and change. Gill’s legacy is bigger than any one program or service; it’s about the scale, maturity, culture and confidence of the organisation she leaves behind.”
We’ll have more to say on Gill and her incredible contribution to Mind before her final day on Friday 2 October.