I saw the following announcement this week:

“RESIGNATION OF ADCA CEO

To ADCA members and stakeholders

It is with regret that the Board of ADCA announces the resignation of the CEO, Donna Bull. Donna has played a major role in ably steering ADCA through a period of transition and managing the multiple, and often competing demands. She leaves the organisation in a very strong position.

Donna will be leaving ADCA on 7 September to take a leading role in delivering AOD services in a major Australian industry. The Board expects to appoint an Acting CEO by that time.

While the Board will miss working with Donna as ADCA CEO, we are very pleased that she will be remaining in the sector and look forward to her future contribution to the sector in her new role.

Prof Robin Room
ADCA President”

I have no inside knowledge on the resignation but it seems it’s one of those cases where industry has come in with the more attractive offer. NGO’s can’t hope to match those sort of offers and so there’s more knowledge lost in the sector that becomes the property of the company the person moves to. Any company with good corporate governance processes in place will make new employees, particularly those higher up the food chain, sign an agreement that states any work they create during their employment becomes the property of the company. It’s not an unreasonable request given the degree of competitiveness in some industries, but it further decreases the likelihood of someone moving back into the NGO sector.

If you’re on twice the salary and can’t utilise any new intellectual property you’ve created, would you move back?