Kylie Ward, FACN
An extraordinary leader who holds honorary academic appointments with five leading Australian Universities and was ministerially appointed as a director to the Australian Digital Health Agency and the NHMRC Health Translation Advisory Committee, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN is CEO of the Australian College of Nursing. Championing the belief that all nurses can be leaders, she and the ACN advocate on behalf of the nursing profession with a commitment to shaping and enhancing healthcare, nurturing future leaders, and providing accredited higher education. “By bringing together thousands of extraordinary nurses from across the country, we build a strong collective voice for nursing and command the respect and recognition our profession deserves,” Kylie says.
As CEO, Kylie leads by example—demonstrating powerful leadership, transformative practices, and the empowerment of women. She is responsible for leading the dynamic national body as well as its 85 staff members who support membership, education, policy and advocacy, leadership, scholarships, publications, and events. Internally, Kylie manages ACN’s culture and oversees the financial, operational, legal, and moral decisions of the organization. “As a leader, I work at all network levels to mentor and support people, especially women, on their journeys to personal and professional fulfillment,” she adds.
Kylie’s belief in the importance of connecting, loving, and listening to people underpins everything she does, such as establishing the ACN Foundation, the Policy Summit, Policy Fellows, and other programs, which have helped to build a formidable, reputable, and influential college. As a result of her efforts, Kylie was named Telstra’s 2017 Businesswoman of the Year for Purpose and Social Enterprise in ACT, she received the 2018 WSU Alumni Award for Professional Excellence, and she was recently featured in CEO Magazine.
Prior to joining ACN, Kylie held multiple management and leadership positions within the healthcare sector, including director of nursing, executive director of nursing, academic researcher, policymaker, and reformer. She also ran her own consultancy—Kylie Ward Enterprises—for seven years, in which she worked as a transformational specialist, management consultant, and coach.
Contact:
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN
Chief Executive Officer
Australian College of Nursing
website: https://www.acn.edu.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adjunct-professor-kylie-ward-801a7213/
Download the magazine and see Kylie's feature on page 56.