Arete Podcast With Richard Triggs

How do you turn an organisation with a tarnished reputation into a thriving charity? By working towards a shared mission with the right staff and innovative technology. In this episode, I chat to Mark Townend who has been CEO of RSPCA in Queensland for 19 years. He has local government, commercial and not-for-profit experience and likes to think outside the box to find creative solutions. RSPCA QLD deals with some 56,000 animals a year - more than anyone else in the Southern Hemisphere - and has an 88% save rate with a $51m budget. Its 340 staff, 5,300 volunteers and 24 inspectors deal with 18,000 cruelty complaints a year As well as significantly strengthening RSPCA QLD’s future health, Mark has several Board responsibilities with Bio Security, Animal Welfare, St Paul de Chartres and Regional Development Australia (RDA), a government initiative. He’s also the director of Tap Tins, a fully self-serve contactless payment system for donating to charity, and Pet Cloud, an Airbnb-type setup for animals.