Over the years, Greg Hebble has spoken to Applecross Rotary on many occasions, wearing one of three different CEO hats - Foodbank WA, DV Assist, and now Wheelchairs for Kids Australia.  Not bad for a kid from Girrawheen Senior High School, whose single Mum told him he couldn’t leave school in year 11 if he didn’t have a job!

Greg has always spent his speaking time with us, talking about his current not-for-profit venture, but one of our members said to me, next time we ask him along, get him to talk about himself because we really don’t know anything about him.  So that’s what he did when he visited us recently.

So what was his first job, that enabled him to escape high school?  Well it didn’t start well.  There was a job available at the local Coles New World, picking up empty trolleys in the carpark and stocking up the freezers.  He didn’t get it.  He was shocked, and sought advice from his local CES office.

“There’s another job available with Coles in the CBD, but don’t go there dressed the way you are today for goodness sake - I wouldn’t employ you if you turned up for an interview dressed like you are today!”

According to Greg, there was not of money for “luxuries’ at home - you had one pair of shoes and only got a new pair when the current ones started to fall apart.  Anyway he managed to borrow some clothes and clean his shoes, and got the job!  It was a retail job and soon lead to jobs as food company reps, like  Carnation (Nestle), Simplot (Birdseye), and eventually as State Manager for Masters Dairy (Lion Nathan) before a period as its NSW sales manager. 

Greg has also had several volunteering commitments, including service on the YMCA Board in Perth and Sydney for 10 years and holding the position of National President.  

As the Global Financial Crisis began to hit, Greg saw an advertisement for a Project Manager at Foodbank WA, so “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” back home to Perth.  The project was moving Foodbank WA to a much larger new building at Perth International Airport, and then he applied for the vacant position of CEO, winning it against a field of 200 applicants.  He probably "dressed important’ for that interview!

Greg was the CEO of Foodbank WA for 12 years, the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia. Greg transformed Foodbank WA from an organisation that was barely surviving financially, to one that was fully sustainable upon his departure. Greg raised Foodbank’s profile considerably by forging key government and corporate partnerships, as well as establishing several innovative programs, expanding the very successful School Breakfast Program, and setting up “Meatbank", with the support of WA lamb producers.

Greg’s current ‘hat’ is that of CEO of Wheelchairs for Kids Australia.  He is first paid employee that WFKA has ever had; everyone else is a volunteer including the founder, the legendary Brother Ollie, who is now 85.  WFKA depends on volunteers. The numbers of wheelchairs being made, currently 4300 last year, is expanding to a target of 6000 by 2030.  The number of countries requesting and receiving wheelchairs is growing, and now includes PNG where another Applecross Rotary beneficiary, Living Child, is the recipient.  However the average age of the volunteers is 74, and the average age of the management committee 80, so Greg believes that there will need to be at least a second paid employee appointed soon.  And he is keen to encourage more Corporate Volunteering, a key feature of Foodbank’s success, and more regular donors like Applecross Rotary.

Greg has been a Director of WACOSS and Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week in WA.  Every year he raises money for cancer research at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, through his 200km bike ride for Cancer200.