Negaya Chorley is CEO of Results International (Australia) and is a Cohort 3 SILA graduate. She is a Rotary World Peace Fellow and a driven leader with an inspiring mission to help tackle poverty and give voice to the world’s most marginalised people.
Negaya Chorley’s passion for development has been a central force throughout her whole life.
“At a young age, I remember having this dawning realisation of what we (our British ancestors) had done to our First Nations people, it was a painful moment where I grasped the idea of injustice. It inspired a lifelong commitment to human rights and social justice.”
This unshakable passion for human rights has been the driving force behind her extensive career. Negaya has led organisations focused on women’s rights, youth development and refugees, working across East Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.
After spending more than 20 years living overseas, Negaya returned to Australia to start a family and has been working with leading development organisations such as UNICEF and the Fred Hollows Foundation. Over the last five years, Negaya has served as the CEO of Results International (Australia), an organisation that leverages millions in government funding for some of the best anti-poverty initiatives in the world.
In this capacity, she joined the 10-month Social Impact Leadership Australia (SILA) program as part of Cohort 3, with two dozen other for-purpose CEOs from South Australia and Western Australia.
Driving systems change through collaboration
Living and working in a rapidly evolving global operating environment motivated Negaya to apply for the SILA Program.
“The growing global impacts of climate change, humanitarian crises and inequality are wreaking havoc on our ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This made me reflect on the need to sharpen our tools – as individuals, as organisations and at a systems level,” she says.
Designed by and for leaders in social impact, the SILA Program offers world-class professional development to for-purpose CEOs and their organisations through personalised leadership development and capacity building.
Through the world-class SILA Program, Negaya was equipped with valuable insights and bold strategies to help drive change in her organisation.
“SILA has been incredibly helpful for our organisation. The program was comprehensive and supportive, but it also pushed us to new heights. It was a life-changing experience,” Negaya explains.
“We need strong leaders at the moment, because the challenges are enormous. SILA is invaluable to help our sector face those challenges.”
“I would tell any for-purpose leader who has the opportunity to apply to go for it,” she adds.
For Negaya, whose work has such a strong international focus, SILA was also a welcome opportunity to collaborate and connect with fellow Australian CEOs in the social change sector.
“It’s been great to be more locally rooted with other CEOs and people doing work here in Australia. I’ve come out of the SILA Program with a powerful network of 23 amazing CEO colleagues.”
Results International launched in Washington DC in 1980, with the mission to lobby the US Government to do more to end poverty. Since then, the organisation has expanded to become a global network of organisations that leverages millions in government funding for people living in poverty.
“We’re anti-poverty lobbyists, if you like,” says Negaya. “We primarily work on global health issues, preparing for future pandemics and ensuring all children are vaccinated, regardless of where they are born.”
Participatory democracy is the core of Results’ model for change. Volunteers and staff are empowered to develop relationships with their local MPs and become keen advocates for change.
For Negaya, this bottom-up model is important, especially in the current political climate.
“With democratic decline taking place around the world, grassroots advocacy is critical in helping young people feel like they’re part of shaping the future, which is key to a healthy, thriving democracy,” says Negaya.
Transformative leadership for greater social impact
SILA’s personal approach to leadership development and the opportunity to take a sabbatical were key in drawing Negaya to the program.
“As we all know, burnout is a huge issue for leaders,” she says. “The sabbatical was the first chance I’ve had to step back, to breathe and to renew. It also gave me a chance to look at our organisation’s mission in a whole new light. I was able to take a bird’s eye view and think more broadly and creatively about how we can best tackle global poverty.”
The program also encourages personal growth. “SILA encourages participants to bring their whole self to the program,” says Negaya.
“The process is very holistic and can go deep because you are not just talking about leadership in the abstract. You are wrestling with the things that have held you back.
“I’ve come out feeling really galvanised and, looking at the world’s challenges, I believe we need leaders that are galvanised, that are clear-sighted and highly capable.”
As a SILA participant, Negaya also received $35,000 of unrestricted capacity building funding for her organisation.
“With a team spread across multiple states, we used part of the funding to bring everyone together for a wellbeing retreat. It was a rare opportunity to step away from daily demands and reconnect – combining semi-structured discussions on leadership using SILA learnings with dedicated sessions on wellbeing”.
“We also allocated a portion of the funding to support our step-up leader, recognising the additional workload and responsibility she was taking on. This was a crucial investment.”
“The remainder was dedicated to professional development – ensuring lasting impact beyond the program itself.”
As applications for Cohort 5 close soon, Negaya shares this advice:
“If you’re a for-purpose CEO with the chance to apply—don’t hesitate. It was truly life-changing.”
