I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Siona Hardy as the next Chief Executive Officer of Canteen Australia.
Siona has comprehensive experience in health care leadership, operational management and strategy across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. We have seen her ability to inspire large teams to deliver gold standard care firsthand, with Siona already making an enormous impact in her tenure with Canteen and the cancer centres we partner with.
Siona joined Canteen’s Executive Leadership Team in 2023. Prior to her time as the Executive Director for Services and Impact, Siona was the Statewide Director for the Queensland Youth Cancer Service, where she played a transformational role in ensuring that adolescent and young adult cancer patients received excellent medical treatment and psychosocial support. In 2023, Siona was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to investigate international models for care for young cancer survivors.
Siona has also applied her highly effective strategic thinking and exceptional people leadership skills at the executive level and other senior management positions within the Mater network of hospitals as well as the management of a large physiotherapy private clinic. In parallel, Siona was also a Visiting Academic at the University of Queensland.
Siona will officially start as CEO on 1 July 2025, aligning with the rollout of Canteen’s new strategic plan. Our key ambition for the next four years is to deliver one million meaningful touchpoints to ensure that every young Australian impacted by cancer can access the support and care they need. Under Siona’s leadership, we will achieve this by focusing on growing our reach, deepening our impact and amplifying our voice as an influential force in the cancer landscape.
As we welcome Siona, we farewell and thank Peter Orchard after 13 years of leading Canteen to deliver life-changing impacts for thousands of young people impacted by cancer across Australia and around the world. Peter’s leadership saw Canteen establish numerous significant new initiatives, including the internationally recognised Youth Cancer Services, which provide specialised medical treatment and support for young cancer patients in hospitals across Australia. Peter was also the driving force behind Cancer Hub, working closely with the CEOs of Camp Quality and Redkite to secure funding for this online service that makes it easier for families impacted by cancer to access the different support they need in one place.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to pay tribute to Peter’s dedicated service and congratulate Siona on her appointment as our new Chief Executive Officer. This year sees Canteen mark 40 years of providing life-changing support to young people impacted by cancer. As we embark on the next four decades, I’d like to thank the wonderful Canteen staff and volunteers, our generous supporters, key partners as well as the Australian Government for their critical support of the Youth Cancer Services and Cancer Hub initiatives.
Dr Madeleine Way Chair, Canteen Australia Board
