Helen McHugh will become the next President of ACS (Australian Computer Society) after a vote earlier this month at the ACS National Congress. She will be the second woman to hold the role after Brenda Aynsley, who led the organisation during 2014-15.
McHugh, who has 30 years experience as an IT Project Manager and technical team leader, will succeed Dr Nick Tate, who is stepping down at the end of the year.
“It’s a great privilege to be elected President of ACS,” said McHugh.
“As the peak body for Australia’s IT profession, ACS represents both the heritage and the future of the nation’s technology sector.
“On a personal level, being elected President is a great honour given my father worked with Trevor Pearcey, one of the great pioneers of Australian computing.
“I’m hoping we can build on those foundations to grow ACS’ member base.
“I’m also focused on how we can deliver more value for members for the sector and boost ACS’ engagement with other groups and associations to amplify the technology sector’s positions.”
Along with volunteering for ACS and serving as the current NSW Branch Chair, McHugh has also worked with groups ranging from TechGirls, Women in ICT and ACT Wildlife in developing business frameworks.
Outgoing President Dr Nick Tate, said, “It’s a great pleasure to hand the reins over to Helen. It has been a privilege to represent ACS during a period where we came out of COVID stronger than ever with a strong member base.”
ACS Chief Executive Officer, Chris Vein, added, “I look forward to working with Helen over the next two years as we look to transform the organisation to build its relevance to members and the wider technology community.”
The latest elections also saw the following members elected to roles on the National Management Committee:
- Jeff Smith (Victoria) – Vice President (Membership Boards)
- Roger Clarke (Canberra branch) – National Congressional Representative
- Tapan Dave (South Australian branch) – National Congressional Representative
- Rod Dilnutt (Victorian branch) – National Congressional Representative
McHugh and the newly elected Management Committee members will formally take their positions from 1 January 2024.
This article was first published in ACS InformationAge.
