Sheree Limbrick

The Board of Catholic Professional Standards Limited (CPS) today announced the appointment of Ms Sheree Limbrick as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Ms Limbrick has a wealth of experience in stakeholder engagement and management, strategic planning and policy development, as well as more than 10 years experience in executive leadership in social services.

Ms Limbrick has most recently worked with CatholicCare Melbourne as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and prior to that as Director of Operations. Previously managing Statewide Programs for Berry Street, a service provider for vulnerable children and families across Victoria, Ms Limbrick established support services for Forgotten Australians.

In welcoming Ms Limbrick’s appointment, the Chair of CPS, Geoff Giudice AO, said: ‘CPS has a unique role in the history of the Church in Australia and carrying out that role will not be without challenges. The Board is confident that we have a CEO who will provide outstanding leadership in meeting those challenges and achieving the company’s objectives’.

Members of the company, Sr Ruth Durick OSU, President of Catholic Religious Australia and Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Vice-President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference also welcomed Ms Limbrick on her appointment to this new role.

Archbishop Coleridge said that ‘Ms Limbrick’s appointment is a step forward in the establishment of CPS along with the previously appointed board members; the Hon Geoffrey Giudice AO, Patricia Faulkner AO and the Hon John Watkins AM’.

CPS is a new independent company established by the Catholic Church in Australia in November 2016 to develop, audit and report on compliance with professional standards across Catholic entities.

Sr Ruth explained that ‘CPS acknowledges the trauma experienced by survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated within the Catholic Church and pays tribute to their courage and resilience. CPS will continue the cultural change that has commenced through the work of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council’.

Ms Limbrick, who will take up her appointment on 17 July 2017, will establish a team to assist in the development and promotion of the professional standards, the audit and compliance model and the contractual arrangements with Church authorities who will be subject to the Standards. In the longer term, CPS will develop and implement the process for auditing compliance with the Standards and the reporting of audit outcomes to Church authorities and publicly.