Arthritis Australia appoints Chief Executive Officer
3 February 2026
Arthritis Australia today announced the appointment of Louise Hardy as Chief Executive Officer, following her tenure as the Interim CEO since August 2025. Ms Hardy brings over a decade of experience in health policy and advocacy and a proven track record in leadership, strategic delivery, and stakeholder engagement. She takes the helm at a pivotal time for the national peak body, which now represents more than 7 million Australians of all ages living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions – accounting for almost 13% of the total national burden of disease.
“Louise has already delivered significant impact during her short time as Interim CEO,” said Kaylene Hubbard, Chair of the Board. “She combines strategic vision with strong leadership and the ability to bring people together – building strong and collaborative relationships with state and territory arthritis organisations, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers.
“Her energy, expertise, and collaborative approach have established strong momentum for Arthritis Australia, and we believe she has the skills and vision to lead the organisation into a new era of growth and impact,” adds Ms Hubbard.
Under Ms Hardy’s leadership, Arthritis Australia will work to strengthen advocacy and awareness of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, advance policy and funding, and drive innovative research to tackle one of the country’s leading health challenges.
Incoming CEO Louise Hardy said: “I am truly honoured to step in to lead Arthritis Australia and work actively with the arthritis community and key stakeholders to address the limited awareness of the scale and impact of these conditions, as well as the stark underfunding of research.
“With more than 100 types of arthritis, there are many challenges, but also significant opportunities – to improve quality of life, keep people in the workforce, reduce pressure on the health system, and ultimately find cures for these debilitating conditions which affect more than a quarter of the Australian population.”
As the Interim CEO, Louise guided the organisation through its milestone 75th year, managed the development and launch of Arthritis Australia’s first Reconciliation Action Plan, revitalised the research investment program and forged deeper partnerships with priority stakeholders, including policymakers and researchers.
Since joining Arthritis Australia in 2021 as Director of Policy and Advocacy, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s research and policy agenda, helping to secure new funding, deliver over $4 million in funded projects and refresh the policy platform to better address the needs of those living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
Louise also serves as Deputy Chair of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia and has contributed to national committees including the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Medical Device Consumer Working Group and the COVID-19 Living Evidence Guidelines Steering Committee. Before joining Arthritis Australia, Lousie was the General Manager of Policy & Advocacy at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
About Arthritis Australia
Arthritis Australia is the peak national body for arthritis, advocating on behalf of over 7 million Australians living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, and working with affiliated arthritis organisations to deliver information and support. We are a leading non-government funder of arthritis research in Australia and advocate for policies, programs and funding initiatives that will improve the health and wellbeing of people living with arthritis.
Visit: arthritisaustralia.com.au
Media enquiries:
Louise Hardy
CEO, Arthritis Australia
Mobile: 0424 055 149
lhardy@arthritisaustralia.com.au
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