Ita Buttrose AC, OBE is a legendary media trailblazer, businesswoman, best-selling author, committed community and welfare contributor and former Australian of the Year. She is currently Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Ita was Chair of the National Advisory Committee on AIDS from 1984 until 1988, appearing in a nationwide television campaign to explain that donating blood at a blood bank did not pose a risk of catching AIDS – the fear of which had caused a significant drop in donations. She also Chaired the AIDS Trust from 1991 to 1994, receiving national and international recognition for her efforts to educate Australians of the global epidemic of AIDS and the spread of HIV. She is an honorary life member of the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.
She is a founding member and former president of Chief Executive Women and served as National President of Dementia Australia from 2011- 2014 and is now the organisation’s Patron. She has been patron of the Macular Disease foundation since 2005. She has held executive and editing roles for major Australian media companies including Australian Consolidated Press, News Ltd and Fairfax, and has run her own media company, Capricorn Publishing. She has served on the boards of Australian Consolidated Press, News Corp Australia, and Television & Telecasters Pty Ltd. (Network TEN). She has worked in print, radio and television and has written 11 books and in 2017, was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame.
In 2019, Ita became a Companion of the Order of Australia for her service to the community through leadership in the media, the arts, the health sector and as a role model. She received an AO in 1988 for her services to the community especially in the field of public health education, when she spearheaded Australia’s HIV/AIDS Education Program, an OBE for her services to journalism, and a Centenary Medal for business leadership.