Simon Ruth Steps Down as CEO of Thorne Harbour Health

Wednesday 8 October – After 12 years at Thorne Harbour Health, Simon Ruth will be stepping down as CEO next month. Shortly after joining the (then) Victorian AIDS Council in 2013 as the Director of Services, Simon was appointed CEO and went on to transition the organisation from the leading the community response to HIV in Melbourne to supporting the broader health needs of LGBTIQ+ communities in Victoria, South Australia and beyond as Thorne Harbour Health.

His tenure with the organisation included several significant changes including formally expanding to address the health needs of LGBTIQ+ communities alongside people living with HIV. This saw the expansion of services to address mental health, family violence, and alcohol and other drug use in LGBTIQ+ communities.

Thorne Harbour Health President Janet Jukes OAM has applauded Simon’s accomplishments while in the role.

Recently, Thorne Harbour Health celebrated 10 years since the organisation began delivering health promotion campaigns and later a range of services in South Australia. In 2016, the organisation established its Bendigo-based service supporting people living with HIV and LGBTIQ+ communities in the Loddon Mallee Region. Simon Ruth has also been behind a number of partnerships and initiatives that have seen the organisation deliver national initiatives and support the work of likeminded organisations overseas.

While the recruitment process for the next CEO has already begun, former Director of Services (2014-2018) Kent Burgess will be returning to the organisation as interim CEO as Simon Ruth undertakes the CEO role at wayss - supporting people at risk of or experiencing family violence, housing insecurity or homelessness in Melbourne’s southeast.