A note from batyr Chair, Ellen Derrick
On behalf of the batyr Board I am thrilled to announce that Katie Acheson has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer at batyr, starting next Monday 19th February.
Katie has spent over two decades working on the ground with children and youth. She is deeply passionate about amplifying young voices and their lived experience, alongside equipping young people and their communities with the tools to live their lives and flourish.
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Image: Portrait of Katie Acheson, batyr's new CEO
Katie’s leadership is centred around driving transformative change, with lived experience at the core of this. As the Co-founder of Numbers and People Synergy and previously as the CEO of Youth Action, Chair of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and Executive Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Arafmi, Katie Acheson is a powerful voice in the international and Australian community sector. Her journey and insights are shaped by a rich tapestry of roles within community services, government, and international development organisations, and this wealth of experience and knowledge is going to be critical in guiding batyr towards our 2030 strategy.
Katie said of the appointment:
“I am beyond excited to join the batyr team. I have been championing batyr from the sidelines for many years and it’s an absolute honour to now be stepping into the role as CEO to lead this incredible organisation.
batyr is at the forefront of change for youth mental health in this country. Their expertise in prevention and championing lived experience is being recognised and acknowledged in Australia and abroad for its proven impact. batyr programs lead to 35% more young people reaching out for help*, their award winning app OurHerd decreases self stigma and helps young people feel less alone, and their lived experience storytelling training is world class.
I’m already proud of batyr’s work on the ground to date, and can’t wait to amplify this further. I’ll continue to ensure the team are supported, motivated and inspired to keep driving positive change for young people now and for generations to come.”
Katie Acheson
batyr CEO
Image: Photo of the batyr team sitting together on steps, with batyr CEO Katie Acheson.
Katie’s depth of knowledge and experience across youth and mental health, her past executive roles and her genuine and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of young people is inspiring. We are excited to officially welcome Katie into the batyr family and see her leadership build on our strong foundations and guide batyr into the future.
Ellen Derrick,
batyr Chair
**Based on a research trial conducted by the University of Sydney in regional and rural areas