Helen McKenzie steps down as President

Published 6 March 2025

Respected employment lawyer and business leader Helen McKenzie has made the difficult decision to step down from her role as President of the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW due to health reasons. 

Ms McKenzie brought not only a wealth of experience to her role, but also an inspiring vision and commitment that has left a lasting impact on the organisation.

During her time as President, Ms McKenzie and the Anti-Discrimination NSW team successfully navigated challenges including COVID-19 and the Voice Referendum, and changes relating to the introduction of new religious vilification laws and the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024. 

As President, Ms McKenzie oversaw several key initiatives including:

• a new Workplace Adjustments Series – including videos and podcasts
• a new resource to help multicultural communities recognise and report discrimination 
• a referendum resilience resource
• an Inclusive Recruitment research report, tip sheet and videos.

Over the course of her term, Anti-Discrimination NSW answered more than 8,500 enquiries and responded to almost 5,000 complaints. 

Chris D’Aeth has stepped into the role of Acting President while the NSW Attorney General considers recruitment. 

Mr D’Aeth is currently the Deputy Secretary, Courts Tribunals and Service Delivery within the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and is passionate about ensuring access to justice. Before joining DCJ, Mr D’Aeth held leadership roles at the NSW Bar Association and Mental Health Review Tribunal. 

Ms McKenzie's contributions will be remembered with great respect, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for her inspiring dedication and leadership.