Turning Surplus Clothing into Social Impact

 

Anthony Chesler is the CEO of Thread Together, one of Australia’s leading clothing charities, providing brand-new clothing to people experiencing hardship with dignity and choice. Under his leadership, Thread Together has continued to grow its reach across Australia, working with fashion brands, charities, corporate partners and volunteers to ensure surplus new clothing is directed to people who need it most.

A Chartered Accountant who began his career at EY before moving into management consulting, Anthony has built his career around solving problems, improving organisations and finding more effective ways to use available resources. His decision to move into the for-purpose sector reflected a desire to apply those skills to more meaningful social challenges and to pursue purposeful work earlier in his career.

Today, Anthony is focused on building sustainable, scalable solutions to social need and demonstrating what can be achieved when business, philanthropy and community work together around a shared purpose.

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.

I started my career at EY, where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant and developed a strong grounding in finance, business and problem-solving. From there, I moved into management consulting, working with organisations to help them become more efficient and effective. That experience shaped the way I think about organisations today, understanding the problem, challenging the status quo and finding practical ways to make things work better.

At a certain point in my career, I began questioning where I wanted to apply those skills and what sort of problems I wanted to spend my time solving. I wanted to work on problems that felt more relevant to the community and to do purposeful work at the front end of my career, rather than waiting until the back end to give something back.

That thinking ultimately led me to Thread Together. What resonated with me was both the simplicity of the idea and the scale of the opportunity. We have brand-new clothing sitting unused, while at the same time people in our community are going without something as fundamental as appropriate clothing. Thread Together connects those two realities, but importantly does so in a way that puts dignity and choice at the centre.  Since becoming CEO, my focus has been on building the partnerships, systems and infrastructure required to take that simple idea and deliver it at scale.

Looking back, there is a common thread throughout my career: solving problems, making organisations more effective and finding better ways to use the resources available to us. At Thread Together, I have the privilege of applying those skills to a problem that matters deeply and where success is ultimately measured by the positive impact we can have on people's lives.

Take us through a typical day of work for you.

My day generally starts early with some form of exercise. I find it gives me time to think and sets me up well for the day ahead.

I like to start the working day alongside our volunteers at Thread Together. It keeps me connected to the practical work of the organisation and, importantly, to the people who make so much of what we do possible. There is something very grounding about starting the day working alongside volunteers who have chosen to give their time to help someone they may never meet.

From there, no two days are particularly alike. I might be meeting with a corporate or philanthropic partner, talking with a fashion brand about how they can support our work, visiting one of our services, or working with the team on an operational challenge or a new opportunity.

A significant part of my role is also spent looking forward — building relationships, thinking about where the need is greatest, and considering how we can continue to grow our impact while making Thread Together stronger and more sustainable.

I try not to become too removed from the work happening on the ground. Being close to our team, volunteers, charity partners and the communities we support provides perspective and is a constant reminder of why we are here.

The days can be long and unpredictable, but that's also what I enjoy about the role. I can start the morning working alongside volunteers and, by the afternoon, be in a conversation that could help us reach thousands more people.

What is the biggest challenge you've encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge in my career was probably making the decision to step away from a more conventional career path and pursue work that I felt had greater purpose.

There is a certain comfort in continuing along a path where you have experience, established networks and a reasonable idea of what comes next. Choosing to do something different — particularly when there isn't a clearly defined roadmap — requires you to become comfortable with uncertainty.

For me, the question became quite simple: what problems did I want to spend my time solving? I realised I didn't want to wait until the back end of my career to contribute to something I genuinely cared about. I wanted purpose to be part of my working life now.

I overcame the uncertainty by focusing less on what I might be giving up and more on where I believed I could add value. I trusted that the skills and experiences I had developed were transferable and could be applied in a very different environment.

That decision ultimately led me to Thread Together, and it has reinforced something I now strongly believe: purpose and commercial discipline aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, bringing the two together can be incredibly powerful.

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career?

I would tell myself not to be too focused on having a perfectly mapped-out career.

Early on, it's easy to think that success means following a particular path, reaching the next milestone or having certainty about where you're heading. I've learned that some of the most valuable opportunities come from being prepared to take a different direction, particularly when it allows you to work on something that genuinely matters to you.

I'd also tell myself to stay curious, keep learning and invest in relationships. The people you meet and the different perspectives you're exposed to will ultimately shape you as much as any qualification or job title.

Most importantly, I would tell myself not to wait to find purpose in your work. Ask yourself early: what problems do I want to spend my time solving, and where can I make a meaningful contribution?

You don't need to have the entire journey figured out. Be prepared to take opportunities, back yourself and work out some of the answers along the way.

How do you unwind after work?

Exercise is a big part of how I switch off. I enjoy running and have completed a number of marathons. There is something about getting outside, having some uninterrupted time and simply putting one foot in front of the other that helps clear my head.

More importantly, I value spending time with my family and friends. My role can be incredibly busy and often extends beyond conventional working hours, so making time for the people closest to me helps provide balance and perspective.

I also enjoy reading and the opportunity it gives me to slow down, switch gears and explore different ideas and perspectives. I don't always get the balance right, but I've learned that making time to recharge is important, not just personally, but also to be effective in what I do professionally.