David Ritter

Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO

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Hi, I’m David Ritter

I have loved Greenpeace since I was a kid and it is my privilege to lead the talented and determined team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific on the mission to secure an Earth capable of nurturing life in all of its magnificent diversity.

I’m from Perth originally, but now live in Sydney with my wife Frances. We’ve got two wonderful and curious daughters who provide incredible motivation and encouragement every day. Before joining Greenpeace, I spent more than a decade working as a lawyer, with a particular focus on Indigenous rights.

“Humanity is an intrinsically kind and creative species that has been lucky enough to evolve on our incredibly beautiful planet.” Divid Ritter – CEO, Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Yet life on earth now faces an unprecedented ecological crisis that threatens to engulf all that we love. The solutions are at hand – we know what we need to do – it is the vested interests of big polluters that stand in the way. 

At this moment in human history it is a privilege to work for Greenpeace. Our theory of change is to use our unique combination of capabilities in deep collaboration with friends and allies, overturn the power of the vested interests, to enable change at emergency speed and scale, to secure a safer earth of future flourishing.

We can draw encouragement and courage from the track record of success. For example, in the last few years in the Australia Pacific region, we have:

• Stopped BP, Chevron, Equinor and other oil and gas companies in their tracks and prevented any deepwater oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
• Shifted Australia’s biggest domestic climate polluter, AGL, to adopting an ambitious plan to close all coal burning power stations by 2035 at the latest and to transition into a renewable energy company.
• Shifted more than 20 major corporations including Coles, Bunnings, Woolworths, Telstra, Aldi and others to adopt 100% renewable electricity commitments across all their Australian operations by 2025 or sooner.

And that is just in my home-country of Australia. Greenpeace is a truly global network, and our wins and our influence is felt all over the planet. And always and everywhere, we are authentically independent: we accept no funding from any government, business or political party in Australia and the Pacific or anywhere in the world. This means we can always speak truth to power – and that everything we do relies on the generosity of individuals, families and a small number of independent trusts and foundations.

Long before I worked for Greenpeace, I was a monthly donor to Greenpeace, and I still am. I’m also leaving Greenpeace a bequest in my will, because I wholeheartedly believe in our mission and our effectiveness.

If you aren’t already involved with Greenpeace, it would be fantastic if you jumped in. And if you are already part of the crew, then thank you. If there is one thing we know, it is that people working together can achieve practically anything.

Together, we have the strength, ingenuity, power and creativity to save the world – so let’s get on with it!

Get involved with Greenpeace

We believe in the power of many. The strength of our work depends on the thousands of people who put their beliefs into action. Together we give our beautiful planet the voice it deserves.

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David Ritter in the media

Some of my recent writing and media appearances.

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Recent publications

Publication	Article	Date
Adventure.com	Life fights for life: Greenpeace’s David Ritter on why action is the new hope	24/4/2023
Arena	‘Your lives are nothing to me’: Political responses to the rise of climate as a super actor	12/1/2022
Canberra Times	When we rebuild our economy, we must do it with sustainability in mind	25/3/2020
Canberra Times	Greenpeace CEO David Ritter says The Uluru Statement deserves support	9/12/2020
CEO Magazine	It’s time for leaders to think big for the climate	17/8/2023
Design Your Life Podcast	Designing positive change through actions
Griffith Review	The ship, the students, the chief and the children
Independent Australia	Fossil fuel company seeks to undo decades of whale conservation	28/4/2023
Independent Australia	Toyota tanks on clean cars while coasting on ‘climate friendly’ reputation	25/9/2022
Independent Australia	Woodside and other polluters littering our oceans	5/1/2023
Independent Australia	Rainbow Warrior continues Greenpeace’s quest for climate justice	2/8/2023
Pro Bono Australia	An Australia of two stories	3/15/2023
RUSSH	A year on from the Northern Rivers floods, stories of community, displacement and recovery reflect a deep impatience for action	12/4/2023
UNSW Press	Living with the Anthropocene: Love, Loss and Hope in the Face of Environmental Crisis (Chapter)

“Our wonderful, lonely home in space is in trouble. It needs all of us.”

Divid Ritter – CEO, Greenpeace Australia Pacific

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Terry O’Donnell

Greenpeace Australia Pacific COO

Terry is a highly experienced people manager who has held senior leadership roles for over 15 years and has extensive experience in organisational development, change management and optimisation.

As a qualified and experienced governance professional with over 25 year experience as an accountant and more than a decade of senior Human Resource leadership, Terry provides strategic and operational financial and people management and planning; and enterprise wide governance and risk management.

Terry joined Greenpeace in 2000 and has held 5 different roles. Now, more than two decades on, serves as Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary.

Kate Smolski

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Program Director

Kate Smolski is the Program Director of Greenpeace Australia Pacific where her responsibilities encompass the planning, design and delivery of GPAP’s program of campaigns, communications, actions, investigations and field activities. This role interacts with other teams and departments at a senior level including serving as a member of the Leadership team to advise on and participate in the overall management and strategic direction of GPAP.

Kate has been an environmental advocate for over twenty years between Australia and the United States. She has fought for the protection of nature and action on climate change as a grassroots organiser, campaigner and organisational leader.

Prior to assuming responsibilities at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Kate served five years in the capacity of CEO at Nature Conservation Council of NSW and over the course of her career she has worked for several leading environmental non-profits including Green Corps, the Sierra Club and US Climate Action Network.

Kate is passionate about harnessing the power of people and movements to win real action on nature and climate change. From Congressional panels to community halls her work has focused on effective advocacy, organisational development and the building of broad-based coalitions. She is also the co-founder of the Community Organising Fellowship and a former Board Member of Climate Action Network Australia.

Luke Edwards

Greenpeace Australia Fundraising and Technology Director

Luke leads our devoted Fundraising and Technology department and joined Greenpeace in 2016 after stints at Amnesty International, Fairfax Media and The Guardian. He is passionate about people working together to create positive change and make a green and peaceful future.