McKinnon has today announced former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill will lead the Democracy strategy; a focus area McKinnon Chief Executive Officer Mike Baird has described as acutely important in the current moment.
McKinnon's democracy focus area incorporates a range of programs aimed at addressing threats to Australia's democracy, including misinformation, polarisation and declining trust in institutions. Mr Weatherill will work alongside fellow former Premier Mr Baird, who this year joined as CEO.
Mr Baird said Mr Weatherill was uniquely placed to help accelerate McKinnon's vision of strengthening Australia's democracy.
"The work Jay will lead is critical – especially in this moment," Mr Baird said.
"We can't be complacent and assume that Australia will continue to enjoy a strong democracy. When you consider the global climate, a broad decline in trust in institutions, and the disengagement we see among young people we need to be vigilant and work intelligently. I'm very excited that McKinnon is assembling a team of the country's most valued experts to address this challenge.
"Jay brings an incredible wealth of leadership experience that I'm confident will allow us to build on the foundational work done to date.
"During his long period as Premier of South Australia Jay led some truly innovative work in Australian democracy, including the use of direct democracy tools like citizens juries and one of the largest participatory budgeting exercises in the world. He has also demonstrated an exceptional ability to build coalitions across political divides which is crucial to the non-partisan nature of McKinnon's work."
Mr Weatherill said he was excited to be joining at such a pivotal moment.
"We take it for granted on a daily basis, but the fact is that democracy is fragile and Australia is not immune to the global challenges we see," Mr Weatherill said.
"McKinnon has a unique role to play in this country and I can't wait to get to work with Mike and the team."
For the past five years, Mr Weatherill has led Minderoo Foundation's Thrive by Five campaign, advocating for bipartisan early learning reform. Mr Weatherill will continue in his role at Minderoo Foundation until next year's federal election.
McKinnon has also announced the addition of accomplished Australian business leader Leigh O'Neill as Chief Operations Officer and Director of Leadership.
Ms O'Neill brings some two decades of executive experience across financial services, technology, and the not-for-profit sector, including recent senior leadership roles at Xero and at NAB.
"Leigh's leadership experience at the highest levels of Australian business, alongside her strategic vision and commitment to innovation, make her an invaluable addition to the McKinnon team we've been building to address the challenges of the future" Mr Baird said.
"The appointment of Jay and Leigh marks an exciting new chapter for the foundation, and I am looking forward to working with this team to help facilitate meaningful, long-term change."
Ms O'Neill said she was looking forward to applying her skills and experience to progress McKinnon's ambitious aims.
"I am excited to join a talented team and look forward to contributing my expertise in support of our shared mission, driving impactful systemic change together," Ms O'Neill said.
