Kim McKay AO

Kim McKay’s career has focused on public advocacy and community engagement programs around the natural environment and science both in Australia and internationally.

In her role as Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, Kim is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the nation’s first museum, including a collection of over 22 million natural science specimens and cultural objects.

Since being appointed to the Director’s role 12 years ago in 2014 (the first woman in the AM’s 190+ year history), Kim has initiated a broad transformation program including overseeing Project Discover, the AM’s award-winning renovation of public spaces as well as expanding public visitation to the AM to reaching 1.5million visitors annually.  She has prioritised First Nations Voices and the AM and has initiated an institution-wide focus on climate change research and solutions.

With a background in international marketing and communications, Kim has worked in the USA in senior roles for almost a decade in non-fiction television for Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channels International and developed global initiatives for the National Geographic Society; prior to that she co-founded the iconic Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World campaigns in the 1990’s working in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The co-author of five True Green books published in Australia by ABC Books and internationally by Nat Geo, Kim has received many awards for her environmental, citizen science and outreach work and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2008 for distinguished service to the environment and the community.

She graduated from UTS (BA Communications) in 1981 and currently serves on the UTS Council. She was awarded and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Technology Sydney in 2023 in recognition of her achievements in the community, non-profit, cultural, environmental, communications and business sectors and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Wollongong in 2022 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to science, including her work on environmental and conservation issues. She has served on many not-for-profit boards and for four years chaired the NSW Government’s Museums and History Art Form Board.  She is currently Chair of the Council of Australasian Museum Directors representing 26 leading museums in Australia and New Zealand.