Simon Ruth Steps Down as CEO of Thorne Harbour Health
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09 Oct 2025
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.
I have loved working at Thorne Harbour Health, and it has been an honour to lead the organisation. When I came to VAC in 2013, I had no idea how meaningful this work would become for me and how I would embrace our cause.
Simon Ruth
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.
When you step back to look at how far the organisation has come in the time that Simon has been CEO, it’s quite remarkable. The reach and impact of our programs and services has grown outside of Melbourne to improve the health and wellbeing of countless individuals across Victoria, South Australia, and beyond.
Janet Jukes
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.
I am deeply grateful for the support, dedication, and collaboration I have had for the past 12 years from countless individuals I have had the privilege of working with. Furthermore, I am grateful for the trust and support from the communities we serve as we navigated some incredible challenges. My confidence in Thorne Harbour Health’s future remains unwavering.
Simon Ruth
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.
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