Fighting Perinatal Loneliness and Isolation

Since 2017, Arabella Gibson has been the driving force behind perinatal mental health charity, Gidget Foundation Australia and leads the National Perinatal Mental Health Week awareness campaign every year – comprising of 45 parenting and mental health charities and organisations.

Arabella joined Gidget Foundation Australia after a lengthy career in the media industry, working in executive management for small businesses and publicly listed entities in Australia and the UK. Read on for our fantastic interview with this weeks Pro Bono Australia change maker, Arabella Gibson.

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

For almost 8 years, I have been the CEO of Gidget Foundation Australia, a national not-for-profit mental health organisation supporting the emotional wellbeing of potential, expectant and new parents and their families. I joined Gidget Foundation Australia after a lengthy career in the media industry, in executive management for small business as well as publicly listed entities.

I was formerly General Manager UK of iSUBSCRiBE, an online magazine subscription business, based in London. Before moving to the UK, I was the Director of Communications for Australian media entity PBL Media (now Nine Entertainment Co) as well as its subsidiary businesses Nine Network Australia and Bauer Media (formerly ACP Magazines). I also previously held the roles of Group Public Relations & Media Manager – ACP Magazines, General Manager Marketing & Sales – RM Williams and General Manager – Colvin Communications International.

I have a Masters Degree in Communication Management from the University of Technology, Sydney and I am a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and am an Executive Director of both Motherland and Future Women.

Take us through a typical day of work for you.

As CEO at Gidget Foundation Australia, no two days are ever the same. 

A key component of my role is effectively engaging and communicating with our vast range of stakeholders including: our Chair, founders, board members, executive and senior leadership team and clinical support teams, Government, individual donors, corporate and perinatal mental health sector partners, health professionals and those with perinatal mental ill-health lived experience.  

A typical work day can often involve the review of various documents from board papers and government submissions to client services delivery reports and e-newsletters! I will often have a speaking engagement or participate in media interviews and film messages of thanks to donors, corporate partners and volunteers! You can’t thank people enough!

I am regularly focused on our overarching strategic delivery which includes advocacy, policy, clinical excellence, revenue development and expansion plans. I often ensure that I am available for all of our team members where possible to touch base if needed and have regular check-ins with my direct reports too! A rather full day!

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

The most significant challenge for me was in joining the Gidget Foundation and seeing the vision of how the Foundation could expand yet being potentially constrained by the nature of the usual facets of a charitable entity. 

Having a relatively limited funding model at that time, meant that there was both need and opportunity to diversify the revenue streams for the Foundation. Developing a strategic plan that would achieve significant funding in a sustainable manner, with the resources available, presented several barriers. Securing funding from a range of sources meant constantly having to pitch, convert and deliver on multiple initiatives – all at once. It wasn’t for the faint hearted! 

The Foundation has now grown from an annual income stream of less than half a million when I joined to now being over $8m this financial year – which of course is an incredible team effort!

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

I always took opportunities that presented themselves. In hindsight, I think I would have liked to have been more considered and strategic in my decision making earlier in my career. Having said that, I wouldn’t have necessarily had the opportunities to be able to work in a multitude of areas and diverse roles such as media, retail, ecommerce and health, had I been more selective!

I wouldn’t change my career path, but I do wonder, if I had specialised in a specific sector, where I might have landed on the executive ladder! Regardless, my advice to others would be to follow opportunity and passion to grow, develop and achieve wherever you find yourself! 

How do you unwind after work?

I spend weekends trying to relax and unwind!  This usually involves spending time with my twins, walks with friends as well as the inevitable chores and getting set up for the week ahead. I don’t mind binging good TV and I also love to have a massage and keeping busy in the garden!