In December 2022, Shake It Up Australia announced Vicki Miller’s elevation to CEO, following nearly six years as the Executive General Manager of Strategic Partnerships. Founder Clyde Campbell AM will continue to serve the Foundation as Chairman of the Board.

“As Shake It Up continues to grow and expand, this was the right time for me to pass the CEO baton over to Vicki. I look forward to seeing Vicki’s contribution to the Foundation, whilst continuing my active involvement as Chairman of the Board,” Mr Campbell said. “Vicki is an empathetic and strong leader who has all the traits to successfully guide Shake It Up into its next phase. I look forward to continuing to work closely with her.” 

Vicki brings to the role a wealth of experience in the not-for-profit sector, from holding key managerial and fundraising roles at Black Dog Institute, Barbara May Foundation and Quest for Life Foundation to running her own PR firm, Burton-Taylor Communications, and launching the iconic Jeans for Genes fundraiser for the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI).

Vicki’s vision for the future

Shake It Up has made incredible progress in advancing Parkinson’s research since its inception, co-funding 63 research projects with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to the value of $22 million. 

Speaking to AusBiz, Vicki shared her vision for the continued growth of the Foundation as she takes the helm. “As I take over this important role, my eyes are on the future. We have just announced $1.7m in funding for a Nix Gene Therapy research project at NeuRA. Nix Gene Therapy is a revolutionary project which will hopefully increase the energy supply to brain cells so people with Parkinson’s can function for longer, stopping disease progression”, she says.

“My goal as CEO is to continue growing the company profile so that we can fund cutting-edge projects like this. I really want to help everyone living with Parkinson’s now and in the future.”

Collaborating on a shared goal

Vicki’s new role will continue to build on the hard work of the Foundation since it was founded in 2011.

Speaking with Pro Bono Australia, Vicki says her elevation to CEO is “validation of my commitment to the foundation and what has been achieved over the last six years. We are a very small team…It is all of us working together that has contributed to the success and I am looking forward to leading the team through further growth as we continue to drive and support cutting-edge Australian Parkinson’s research and collaborating with our partners at The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Cure Parkinson’s UK.”

How you can help

Shake It Up relies entirely on donated funds to support our research. We encourage everyone to get on board and support the foundation by either making a donation, fundraising or joining a clinical trial. Your contribution makes all the difference to finding a cure for this life-changing disease.

Read Vicki’s Q&A with AusBiz here

Find out more about Vicki’s vision for Shake It Up in Pro Bono Australia’s Changemaker series here