Red Cross shifts to skills-based board as demand grows for aid

The 111-year-old organisation hopes the move will help it to remain relevant at a time when demand is growing for emergency response and recovery services and international humanitarian aid.

Established just after the outbreak of World War I – and now a major player in the world’s largest humanitarian network – the organisation finalised the governance restructure in mid-2025 and believes the change has already improved its board’s capability in strategic leadership, digital transformation and financial stewardship.

Former chair Charles Burkitt, who was at the helm of the organisation as it implemented the changes but stepped down at the end of 2025, said the shift had “already begun to enhance our capacity to adapt to the evolving humanitarian challenges the world is facing”.

Board shrinks to meet needs

The changes:

• The board reduced its numbers from 16 members to between eight and 10.
• Positions are filled through an open, competitive recruitment process.
• Roles are defined by skills and experience, rather than representation.
• Four roles are reserved for long-standing members, subject to skills requirements.
• Ambassadorial functions and representation are now the preserve of the National Council president.
• Board members can no longer sit on the National Council, to prevent conflicts.

The National Council – which in turn is drawn largely from Division Councils in each state and territory – remains the peak representative body for members and appoints all but one of the board members.

The board’s main roles are to:

• review and approve strategies to guide, monitor and control activities
• determine and oversee the financial and human resources needed to carry out strategies
• monitor organisational performance
• oversee legal and regulatory compliance
• overseeing processes to manage risk and support decision-making.

The transformation stands as a useful exemplar for other complex federated organisations seeking to speed up decision-making without sacrificing effectiveness or transparency.

The changes required care, because of the Australian Red Cross’s deep roots in the community, and the importance of consultation with its 17,000 members, volunteers and staff.

Burkitt told Community Directors that the Red Cross had undertaken the “comprehensive review of its governance arrangements with the aim of ensuring the structure is contemporary, aligned with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement requirements, and will support the organisation’s vision and purpose for the next 111 years”.

Shift from federated structure

The changes required the organisation needed to recruit board members with the skills it needed.

“We needed to shift from a federated appointed board to a skills-based board to boost our agility in decision making and governance oversight,” said Burkitt.

The previous structure reflected the organisation’s federated, member-based history, and it meant strong representation from divisions and a relatively large board.

In 2007, then CEO Robert Tickner addressed the underlying problems associated with the federated structure when he told a national health conference that the structure had “dramatically limited the capacity of Australian Red Cross to respond effectively on a national basis”.

Burkitt said the reforms were developed over four years using an “issues-led approach”, with agreement on key principles guiding the process, rather than a pre-determined outcome.

The review involved comparisons with other international Red Cross societies and Australian organisations.

Consultation was extensive and included the formal oversight bodies for the Red Cross, thousands of members, and stakeholders such as the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The organisation’s Royal Charter meant final approval was required from both the National Council and the Governor-General.

Asked about the response to changes by the outgoing board, Burkitt – who stepped off the board in December – said it had unanimously endorsed the new rules.

Transition focus on stability, knowledge

Burkitt said once the National Council approved the reforms, members, volunteers, staff and other stakeholders were informed through newsletters, website updates, emails and letters.

He said the process had seen a careful rollout of the changes, including staggered end-of-board terms to maintain organisational knowledge and stability.

“A key consideration in the transition was implementation and induction timeframes. Thanks to thorough planning, transitional arrangements were put in place to ensure continuity and stability at board level throughout the change process.”

To recruit new board members, the board established an elections and appointments panel to oversee the process and called in a specialist board search firm to find strong candidates.

He said the panel came up with a “relatively deep shortlist for interview”, with the new structure in effect by July 2025.

Early board meetings had reflected the “depth and breadth of experience and strategic insight brought by our new board members,” Burkitt said.

Separating governance roles, including removing the past president role from the board, also made sense, creating “significant efficiencies” and making a role that had been too cumbersome for one person more manageable.

Burkitt said the reforms were a “significant step forward”.

“By modernising our governance, we’re… strengthening our ability to respond to the evolving needs of communities … and will ensure Australian Red Cross continues to be effective, efficient, and there for people in their times of need.”

Tips for other boards

Asked whether the Red Cross had advice for leaders of other organisation, Burkitt stressed that “strong leadership and alignment from the board instilled confidence … regarding the importance of this project and its goal being firmly grounded in organisational best interests”.

He said the organisation focused on a “strong process”. It gave itself sufficient time to roll out the changes, and the “issues-led approach” allowed for clear and objective discussions on critical issues, even before any new rules (the constitution) were drafted.

“Once the principles were all agreed upon, it was important to ensure that the draft documents clearly reflected the principles discussed and agreed. This required a more comprehensive approach to drafting, rather than just adapting a law firm precedent.”

This also contributed to a more efficient approval process, he said.

More information

More about the Red Cross governance structure | New board and National Council members