The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of Jan Ridd as its inaugural Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective 8 September.
In this newly created role, Jan will be responsible for new business development, major delivery partnerships (particularly across secondary and tertiary education), strategic planning implementation, brand management, and government and public relations.
Jan joins the Duke of Ed following a distinguished career at Diabetes Australia where Jan led national programs supporting more than 1.5 million Australians living with diabetes and spearheaded the global Life for a Child program, reaching over 58,000 young people in 48 less-resourced countries.
Known as a purpose-driven executive leader, Jan brings extensive experience in strategy, governance, and large-scale program delivery across Australia’s health, education, and community sectors, as well as international contexts. She has managed multimillion-dollar budgets, advised boards and government, secured major government contracts, and led transformative initiatives to improve services, products, and digital platforms.
Her leadership in programs such as Diabetes in Schools and national youth peer support initiatives has empowered young people, a focus that aligns strongly with the Duke of Ed’s mission to equip youth with the skills and confidence to thrive.
We are thrilled to welcome Jan to the Duke of Ed team and look forward to the expertise, energy, and vision she will bring to her role.
Don’t miss this globally recognised charity event This prestigious charity golf event invites players to compete while making a meaningful impact, with every registration helping support young Australians to build confidence, capability and opportunity through The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. The event will take place on Monday, 25 May, 2026 at the Commonwealth Golf […]
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University-led research shows stronger academic results among Duke of Ed students, in addition to the known personal development benefits. A landmark study by Western Sydney University has confirmed what many educators and Duke of Ed Leaders have long observed: young people who use the Duke of Ed Framework develop stronger personal capabilities and achieve better academic results. The comparative study, using five NSW public secondary schools, examined several data points including academic grades, NAPLAN scores, […]
