Foundation SA welcomes new Chief Executive Officer

The Wyatt Trust Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Sophie Doyle will step into the role of Chief Executive Officer at Foundation SA, effective 20 May 2024.

Pam Simmons, Chair of The Wyatt Trust Board of Governors says the leadership transition reflects the organisation’s extraordinary growth in its first three years.

“When The Wyatt Trust embarked on the work to establish Foundation SA, it was always the plan for the Foundation to become independent of Wyatt,” Pam explains.

“We are thrilled with the growth of the Foundation, which now has a corpus of over $3 million and has granted more than $800,000 to South Australian communities. The transition to a new CEO is an important first step towards Foundation SA’s independence.”

Sophie Doyle steps into the role after three years as the Foundation’s Philanthropy & Engagement Manager. Pam says Sophie’s “deep knowledge of the community foundation model, her thoughtful approach and respect among the donor community and wider sector” make her the right person to take up the role.

With a bold ambition to triple the growth of the Foundation SA donor community within the next three years, Sophie’s priorities are to continue to raise awareness and deepen the organisation’s community connectedness.

“I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of CEO at such an important time in Foundation SA’s growth,” Sophie says.

“The next two years will see Foundation SA start to mature into its own independent entity and keep growing its corpus to a level that gets us closer to long-term sustainability.”

“The simplicity of giving through a community foundation and the collective impact we make together are the basis of Foundation SA’s success,” Sophie continues.

“I look forward to continuing to make philanthropy accessible to even more South Australians.”

“I’m grateful to Stacey Thomas and The Wyatt Trust Board and humbled by their faith in me to take on this role. I particularly thank Stacey for her leadership, guidance and support over the past three years.”

Foundation SA is overseen by The Wyatt Trust Board of Governors until it grows in scale to become its own independent entity, at which time it will have its own Trustee and Board of Directors.

In announcing the leadership transition Pam Simmons thanked outgoing Foundation SA CEO, Stacey Thomas, for her vision and leadership. Stacey will continue to provide support to Foundation SA as needed in her role as CEO of The Wyatt Trust.

“We are very grateful to Stacey Thomas for initiating the establishment of Foundation SA and for her outstanding leadership in its formative years,” Pam says.

“Our thanks also to Australian Communities Foundation for its support as Trustees and advisors in Foundation SA’s early years of development.”

“Foundation SA has a strong future built on sound footings, and the appointment of a CEO solely for the Foundation is a signpost of great confidence for that future.”