Righting wrongs

For much of his life, Clancy Moore has been interested in righting the world’s wrongs. After working with various not for profits, he has found a new home at Transparency International Australia at a critical time in geopolitics. He is this week’s Changemaker.

Sometimes, our destiny is written for us well ahead of time. For Clancy Moore, new CEO of Transparency International Australia (TIA), one could say that was the case. Moore’s mother was a social worker and academic with a passion for improving the world, so it was only natural that he would inherit that same passion. A turning point was when he travelled to Brazil with his mother at 14.

“I saw such extreme poverty and inequality that I was determined to create a more just society,” Moore explained.

After leaving school, Moore followed his love for industrial relations and studied business at RMIT. He found a job as a union organiser with the Australian Services Union, where he stayed for five years and helped win a campaign for equal pay for female workers in the community sector. 

He moved on to study a masters in international development and followed his partner to the Solomon Islands, where he had stints working with Oxfam and Union Aid Abroad APHEDA. Back at Oxfam again, he worked on climate and food security and balanced this with dad-life. 

Work then took Clancy and his family to Myanmar where he landed a role with ActionAid Myanmar managing a human rights and democracy program. Here in Australia he has also worked as the Australian director of anti-corruption coalition Publish What You Pay.

In this week’s Changemaker, Moore explains why he is so dedicated to working on issues around transparency and corruption and how he’s passing that on to his kids. 

How did you get the job you’re in now? 

Having previously been the Australian director of Publish What You Pay in Australia this new role was a logical step up. What’s more, as Transparency International Australia is a member of the Publish What You Pay, I was aware of the great work that TIA does, especially in ensuring accountability in the mining sector.

What did getting this role mean to you, was it something you had aimed for? 

I feel deeply honoured and highly motivated to be the new CEO of TIA. What’s more, I love getting the best from teams and engaging with MPs, corporates and the media. So this role is such a good fit for me personally and for the organisation’s strategic agenda.

Why are you drawn to working in the areas of transparency and integrity? 

Corruption, secrecy and undue influence are the root causes of so many of the challenges facing society. So it’s only natural that I devote my working life to addressing these issues. 

What does a typical day look like for you?

I normally start with a quick scan of the media to see if there’s any breaking corruption stories. More often than not there is, so we’ll respond often via a radio interview or a quick call to journalists.

Then I’ll do a 1:2:1 meeting with one of my amazing direct reports to plan out their work, prioritise and troubleshoot any upcoming issues. This is followed by some emailing, meetings with MPs to talk about our political integrity agenda or a coffee catch-up with our generous corporate members and donors who fund our important work and share our values of transparency, integrity and preventing corruption. I normally carve out a short lunch break and try to get some fresh air, followed by more meetings and check-ins with staff, before sending off a few emails, and finishing off key tasks.  

Working for a global movement, I often have late night calls with our chapters from Europe, Asia or other parts of the world. 

What is your proudest achievement?

My two boys (aged 5 and 10) who care deeply about the world, advocate for truth, treaty, voice and respect the rights of women and girls. 

What are some of the challenges facing your organisation and the sector more generally?

Australia, and the region, is at a critical juncture politically and with the climate crises. We’re seeing rising authoritarianism, populism, attacks on civil society and media, and the impacts of climate change, affecting communities and how NGOs operate. This brings great responsibilities and opportunities as leaders to ensure our work is tackling the root causes of these issues. That’s why I am so motivated by TIA’s work addressing corruption to build healthy democracies and help drive a just transition.

What do you most want to achieve in this role?

Working with my team and members, I hope that TIA will be a driving voice for a strong National Anti-Corruption Commission, stronger laws to stop the flow of dirty money and undue influence of money in our politics and for Australia’s important mining and infrastructure sectors to be free from corruption.

How do you wind down at the end of the week? 

As a family, we try to get away on the weekends, go surfing and spend time bushwalking. If we’re at home in Melbourne, I’ll go for a jog with a friend, take the boys to the swimming pool, play some guitar and enjoy a meal, a nice wine or a movie with friends and loved ones.