Kim McKay AO, environmentalist, author, and international marketing and communications expert, has been confirmed to speak at the fundraising event┬áMosman Address on Thursday 3 September on the topic of ÔÇ£Valuing our most precious assets ÔÇô Sydney Real Estate or Sydney Harbour ÔÇô Is there a Choice?ÔÇØ

Kim notes, ÔÇ£Sydney’s world-renowned harbour is surrounded by priceless natural bushland populated with unique species. What is the impact on our harbour and local environment of Sydney’s skyrocketing real estate prices and what value should we ascribe to Sydney Harbour? How can museums and local galleries play a role in communicating the balance between development and caring for the natural environment?ÔÇØ

Kim McKay AO, was appointed Director and CEO of the Australian Museum in April 2014, the first woman to hold the role in the history of AustraliaÔÇÖs first museum. Immediately prior to this she served for two years as a Trustee of the Australian Museum.

KimÔÇÖs international career in social innovation, marketing, communications and management spans over 30 years. She is an environmentalist, the co-author of five books and has created and developed many large international projects and citizen science initiatives.

Kim previously ran her own social and sustainability consulting business, Momentum2 in Sydney working for clients including Qantas, CEFC, WWF and Harpo Productions. In the early 2000ÔÇÖs she was senior vice-president Global Marketing and Communications at National Geographic Channels International (USA) and also worked as a consultant to the National Geographic Society in Washington DC where she co-created the Genographic Project, the worldÔÇÖs largest population genetics study. To date, almost one million people have participated in the Genographic Project. Prior to that she co-founded and was deputy chair of Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World (1989-2009).

Kim was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2008 for distinguished service to the environment and the community. In 2013 she received Australian Geographics Lifetime Achievement in Conservation award and was named one of the Australian Financial Reviews 100 Women of Influence. In 2011, Kim was included in the book The Power of 100One hundred women who have shaped Australia, marking the 100th anniversary of International Womens Day. In 2010 she received the UTS Chancellors Award for Excellence and was named a Luminary at the University of Technology, Sydney. She graduated from UTS with a BA (Communications) in 1980.

She currently serves on the boards of Sydney Institute of Marine Science Foundation; Fair Trade Australia & NZ; Macquarie Graduate School of Management Advisory Board; UTS Business Advisory Board; UNSW Science Advisory Panel and the Australian Museum Foundation.

The 2015 Mosman Address is a three-course fundraising dinner to be held at The Bathers’ Pavilion, an iconic restaurant owned by multi-award winning chef, Serge Dansereau. See more information on Mosman Address here.

Photo credit – Ross Coffey