Louise Cummins, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at World Vision Australia, is stepping down after a three-year tenure, citing the need to prioritise her family and the travel requirements of the role as reasons for her departure.

During her time as CMO, Cummins spearheaded initiatives that increased brand awareness and trust scores, launched a new digital ecosystem, and rolled out several award-winning campaigns. Under her leadership, World Vision Australia experienced its highest acquisition growth rates in a decade and 17-year highs in retention rates.

Cummins took up the CMO role at World Vision Australia on 28 March 2022, filling a vacancy left by Maryanne Tsiatsias in July 2021. Prior to World Vision, Cummins held marketing roles at H&R Block Australia, Align Technology, Seven West Media, Optus, MGM, and Fujifilm. She also spent four years with World Vision between 2006 - 2010 based in Cambodia.

"I'm excited to see the great new momentum we started continue into the next era for World Vision," Cummins added. her last day is Friday 20 December.

"For me, this difficult decision has been about my prioritising my family's needs, as the travel required moving forward for the role is too challenging for them going into next year - so time to 'pass the baton'. I'll continue to be one of World Vision's biggest supporters - but now it will be cheering on from the sidelines," Cummins concluded.

World Vision Australia CEO, Daniel Wordsworth, told Mi3 head of marketing strategy and operations, Jordana Patterson, has stepped up to acting CMO as it assesses the organisation's needs.

Cummins meanwhile is keeping her options flexible at the moment. "Although I have already been approached with various opportunities, I am taking a break to thoughtfully consider my next steps. During this break period, I am deeply immersing myself in AI education, as I strongly believe that it is critical for all marketers and leaders to embrace and leverage this technology," she told Mi3.

As to the big learnings during her tenure at World Vision, Cummins said it was clear the team needed to go back to basics and focus on best practice marketing. "We addressed brand awareness decline, improved customer experience, and created donor-resonant campaigns. Fixing these fundamentals supported us in having a 10 year high in acquisitions and 17-year high in retention rates," she said.

"Another lesson is there is always going to be challenges – and now we are having a cost-of-living crisis that is impacting so many people. However, my experience is that success is about navigating challenges effectively, rather than getting lost in the 'challenges' narrative.  It also reinforced to me the power of generous Australians even when the going is tough."

A further lesson Cummins points to is the importance of upskilling teams and preparing for future change as the pace of change accelerates. "I introduced AI training and pilots across the marketing team and it’s already yielding very positive results," she said. "It's been an amazing chapter and great team – I'm so proud of what the team has accomplished and excited to see the momentum continue."

Wordsworth expressed gratitude to Cummins for her incredible three year tenure in the Chief Marketing Officer role at World Vision Australia.

"Louise’s passion and vision have made an indelible impact on World Vision’s mission. During her time in the role, World Vision has achieved increased brand awareness, an award-winning digital ecosystem and a 10-year high in child sponsorships," he said.

- with additional reporting by Nadia Cameron